DARINA“They’re on their way back.” Mama burst into my room without knocking. “Nico is with them.”Sanda’s hands stilled in my hair that she was busy braiding. I caught her expression in the mirror. She wasn’t pleased and it showed in the narrowing of her dark eyes and the tightness of her lips.“Did you hear me? He’s coming back.” Mama said again. What did she expect from me? Did I have to do cartwheels from joy?“Oh.”“I thought you would be pleased to hear it.” She came and sat on the edge of the bed watching Sanda resume braiding my hair.“Well, I guess I should be. Now I can finally reject him and move on.” I said, but in truth, I was dreading coming face to face with him.Mama folded her hands over her knees. “You should think twice about that, honey. The way Zane sounded when he called me, there’s more to this story than we know.”“Yeah?” Sanda spoke up, “What reason could he possibly have to betray his Luna and leave her in this condition?”Mama frowned at Sanda. “Everyone des
“Go away, Nico. I don’t want you here.” I shoved at his shoulders, but it was like trying to move a mountain. Another searing pain tore through my belly leaving me breathless. I clung to his shoulders, digging my nails into his shirt. “Oh, God…”“Baby girl, I’m not going anywhere. You need me.” He pushed me back onto the pillows. “Listen to me, focus on the babies. Breathe.” He pulled down my pants and I recoiled from him.“Don’t touch me! Get away from me. I don’t need you. I don’t want you here.” I screamed at him, how dare he come in here like nothing happened.He sat back and looked at me. Just sat there without saying anything for the longest time. The pain of the contractions I felt was nothing compared to the pain in my heart. Watching him sitting there, looking like he’s the one that’s hurting, I wanted to lash out, scratch his fucking eyes out, scream, but I couldn’t do any of it.Another contraction hit just as my mother and Sanda came rushing into the room.“How far apart a
NICOWho knew looking after two bundles of crying, pooping babies would be so exhausting? Fighting an entire army of rogues wasn’t as tiring as waking up six times a night, feeding, cleaning, burping, rocking, repeat. But I wouldn’t exchange it for all the gold in the world.Darina and the two pups were my world. Looking at them in their cribs, fast asleep like little angels, Darina under my arm where she belonged, it was as close to heaven as I would ever get.“We haven’t named them yet.” Darina looked at me in shock, and she was right. We were so busy just taking care of them that we haven’t discussed naming our kids. Unbelievable.I chuckled, “Number one and number two?”She slapped me on the arm. “Not funny. Just look at them. Aren’t they the most beautiful babies in the world? They should have names that fit.”I turned her face to mine. “Of course, but they don’t come close to their mother. You are the most beautiful woman in the world to me. And you are mine.” I kissed her softl
“No!” she looked at me with defiance, her hands on her fuller hips.“Don’t test me, Darina. We’re going and that’s final!” I started throwing her clothes into a suitcase. Then I threw most of it out. She needed new clothes anyway.“You can’t make me!” she crossed her arms over her breasts.I chuckled without humor. Has she met me? I will fucking tie her up and carry her to that plane. There was no way in hell I would leave without her and our children.The twins’ clothes were packed and ready to go. Whatever they needed I’ll get it when we’re home. Home. The Lycan Woods pack would have been my home, but not anymore. I didn’t belong here. Not with a father that was ashamed of me.“God, Nico! Does money mean more to you than family?” Darina ranted, pacing around the room. “I should have known you would go back on your word.”“I never promised I would stay here. I said I would think about it.” I told her as calmly as I could. “Yes, and money is important, Darina.”But not more important
DARINATravelling with two tiny babies wasn’t easy. What’s worse is that Sanda was coming with us. Did Nico suspect something? Is that why he asked her to come, or did she suggest it? I was too afraid to ask. The looks Nico sent my way, bode nothing good for me. I loved him, I did, but he made me so angry. I wanted to stay with the Lycan Woods pack. I felt safe there. Now we were going back to London and his confounded Mafia business.We travelled business class for which I was grateful. I had privacy with my babies which made breastfeeding them so much easier.“May I come in?” Sanda asked at the cabin door.“Sure.” I had just finished changing and feeding the twins and they were sleeping at last.She sat next to me and touched my cheek. My eyes widened. If Nico saw her…“He’s busy on his phone.” She said and smiled.“Sanda… We shouldn’t be doing this.” I told her. “This is wrong.”“Is love wrong?” she frowned at me, “What are we doing, exactly?” She wound a strand of my blonde hair a
“It’s your turn, Nico.” I groaned and shoved at his back to get him to move. The twins were screaming blue murder in the nursery.“No, they’re hungry,” he growled, “I just changed them like five minutes ago.”He was lying. It was three hours ago. Oh. He was right, they needed to be fed. I groaned; my body felt tender from our activities. Nico couldn’t get enough. If I were still human, he would have broken me.“There, there, Mama’s here, my angels.” I changed their nappies, cleaned them and brought them back to the bed with me. They were so impatient, their little mouths anxiously looking for my nipples.“I’m actually feeling jealous watching those two sucking at your pretty boobs.” Nico lay propped up on his elbow watching me feed the twins.I clicked my tongue at him. “You made them.” I said, “Deal with it.”He chuckled, “I’m going to make more of them very soon.”Over my dead body. “Give me a break.” I said, “Not until they can do things for themselves.”“We’ll see about that.” Nic
NICO“What is this? A dungeon?” Sanda’s expression changed when she saw Darina on her knees, naked with her hands tied behind her back. “Alpha? What are you doing?” she wanted to rush towards Darina, but I stopped her.“Nico? What is she doing here?” Darina’s heartbeat sped up like a racehorse.“She’s my reward to you, little fox.” I smirked at her, “Do you not want her?”“What do you mean, Nico?” Darina struggled against her bonds.I beckoned Sanda to come closer. She reluctantly stepped towards me, disgust plain on her pretty face. I reached for her and pulled her to me.“Do you take me for a fool, Darina? Did you really think I wouldn’t notice? Her scent was all over you when I got back. Our bedroom reeks of her.” I smirked at Sanda’s horrified face.“Nico, please…” Darina trembled where she kneeled. “I can explain.”Sanda tried to get away from me, but I held her arm in a steel grip. “Alpha, let me go. You don’t understand. I helped with the twins when you weren’t here. There’s no
DARINASanda’s body stiffened, wide eyes staring at Nico. Shallow breaths left her half-open lips. I turned her face to mine.Nico was ready to penetrate her, but he stopped, and I glanced at him.“Why the hell didn’t you tell me she was untouched?” He looked angry, scowling at me.“I didn’t think it would matter?” I said, taking Sanda into my arms. She clung to me desperately. I stroked her trembling back. She’s never been with a man, but it didn’t mean she hadn’t been touched.Sanda turned her head to scowl at him. “You didn’t ask.”Nico threw his arms in the air, getting off the bed and stalked to the bathroom. “For fuck’s sake.” He turned the shower on.“I’m sorry, Sanda.” I kissed her cheek. “I was too scared I couldn’t think clearly.” I couldn’t bear it to see her hurt.“it’s okay. But what will happen now? What will he do to me?” Her heart was beating much slower now. She was more afraid of Nico fucking her than she was of him killing her.“He can hear you, you know.” Nico shou
The atmosphere in the living room was tense as seconds ticked by waiting for Nico’s reply. His arm around my waist tightened and trying to calm him, I stroked his broad back, feeling the muscles contract under my palm.But then he spoke. “Zane, Mariana, I don’t want my children to grow up not knowing where they came from. I want them to know their grandparents.”I blew out a deep breath I never knew I held in. Nico looked at me and back at them. “All these years knowing what hell we’ve suffered at the hands of Constantin and yet you did nothing. It’s hard to wrap my head around it, knowing that I am your son.” The lines around his mouth deepened while he looked at Mariana.“I didn’t know everything, Nico. You know he never allowed us to visit.” Mariana stepped away from Zane who went to sit down with Anthony by his side. Anthony put a comforting hand on Zane’s thigh and Zane covered his hand with his own.Mariana reached for Nico. He made no move to go forward. “I never wanted to give
DARINAWhat was taking so long? “I can’t stand it anymore. They should have been here already, Sanda. Something’s wrong.” I was in panic mode, pacing around the living room.“Slow down, my love. Nico won’t let himself get caught. You’re making yourself ill.” Sanda smiled serenely back at me, lounging on the couch.“I don’t know how you can just sit there so calmly. We should have gone with Zane.”“Darina,” Mama came into the living room with Daciana on her hip. “Is Lycas with you, because I can’t find him.” Daciana held onto Mama’s neck with her little fist in her mouth, giggling at us.That boy would be the death of me. “I left him in the playpen together with his sister, Mama.” He must have transformed again. I sighed. Using the mind link, I sent out messages to the pack to help find my small wolf cub. “I have a mind to spank his little behind.” I said, storming to the front door.“Boys will be boys.” Sanda laughed. “He’ll turn up when he’s hungry.”“Someone lost a pup?” Nico filled
“Can everyone just calm the hell down!” I glared at Zane and Sanda. My grip on Darina tightened as I held her around her waist with her back to me, hiding my erection. She didn’t struggle but leaned back against me ever so slightly. “I get it, you are mad at me. I fucked up. Maybe.”That earned me a snort from Sanda and Zane’s eyebrows raised a few inches. He stood with his arms folded across his broad chest and I knew from the look in his eyes he was considering breaking a few bones.“But as soon as the dust settles and we’re all back at Romania, we can go on with our lives. Just like you wanted. No more humans trying to get us killed or wanting to use our pups for lab rats. No more Mafia. Okay?” By the gods! What more did they want from me?Sanda came towards me. “Idiot.” Her hands on her hips, she glared at me, “You should have trusted us.”“Sanda’s right.” Darina wriggled her way out of my grasp. “That’s not how you treat us, your mates. We don’t keep secrets from you.” She went t
NICOA few days earlierJohn wasn’t kidding. That blast knocked the shit out of me, also, burned off my clothes. I guess I should have moved further away before I pressed the button. Then I heard Sanda scream, and it took all of my willpower to stop the wolf from rushing back to comfort her.Our mate was in anguish, and he fought me with everything he had to go there. She was crying, screaming my name. I dug my nails into the earth and clamped my jaw shut not to cry out. The wolf turned his back on me in disgust.We’ll go back when it’s dark, hide in the stables. I tried to placate him, but he huffed and turned away. My blood turned to ice when I heard the men screaming for Darina to stop. Oh, no! She ran towards the burning wreck! That was when the wolf took over. There was nothing holding him back. He rushed towards the blaze, but the heat was too much. Whining he backpedaled.But then Sanda came, and I heard her say that no one could survive that. I reigned the wolf in hard. Patie
The day of Nico’s funeral came, the day all of us dreaded. Zane, silent as a ghost, moved about the mansion, looking but not seeing, touching things but not feeling. I had no words for him. Because I felt the same. Mama knew better not to touch me or look at me with pity. She only did that once and I snapped at her. I needed to be strong for my babies and for Sanda. She needed me more than ever. More than once I found her in the bathroom, hiding in a corner, crying. I’ve never seen my dear one so broken.“What makes it so hard for me, is that I could do nothing to protect you or Nico.” She said through her tears, “I’ve failed both of you.”I took her into my arms and stroked her tear-streaked face. “Nonsense. Stop this. If we have to blame someone, blame Nico. His arrogance got him killed. Nothing else.” I kissed her trembling lips, closing my eyes, because I didn’t want her to see how deep the hurt was that I felt.So many cars, so many people coming to his send off. All of his assoc
DARINAMen running, women screaming and above them all I heard Sanda’s voice lifting into a howl. I crushed the twins to my chest, wide-eyed and terrified. My legs wanted to run, to see what was happening, but my brain refused to cooperate.Katherina ran to me, clutching her belly. “Darina! Oh, my God!” She fell down at my feet, sobbing.I was frozen like a statue with the twins in my arms. They cried just as hard as Katherina. She looked up at me. “His car… oh, my God, his car…”Something snapped into place in my brain. “Whose car?” Nico and Sal went out early that morning. I put the twins down next to Katherina and my legs carried me out of the house.When I saw the inferno in front of me, I sank boneless to the ground. “No. No. No.” I couldn’t believe it. Not Nico. Not my mate.Sanda ran to me, her face contorted with anguish. “Darina, he’s in there. We have to get him out.” She screamed at me, but my ears refused to hear.“It can’t be. No.” I clawed at the earth beneath me. Sanda
NICOHours earlier“Are you sure about this, Boss? I mean, why do this now when everything is going so well? We’ve destroyed our enemies and we have control over the city once more.” Sal tried his best to convince me to discard my plans. Although he did everything I asked him to do, he wasn’t happy about it. Which was fine by me, he didn’t have to like it.The meeting with my associates went well. Business was picking up and the money rolled in. Problems with the cops and the feds were minor. Most of them could be bought, it was just a matter of the right price.Sal and I were having lunch at a bar in London, going over the plans for my death.I touched Sal’s shoulder. “Yes, Salvatore. I am doing this for my mates and my pups. Zane is right, I don’t want this life for my children.” I twirled the glass in my hand, staring at the golden liquid. Besides, I owed it to my pack because of all the trouble I caused.“But you lived for this, for our business.” Sal groaned, “I can’t do this wit
DARINA I can’t believe the arrogance of this man! Acting like he is invincible or immortal for that matter. Sanda followed Nico around like a watchdog, she never says it, but I know she loves him with every fiber in her body, just like I do. Thank the gods for the twins, because I would lose my mind worrying about Nico and our safety.“He just received another threat, I heard when he answered his cellphone.” Sanda came into the nursery where I had just bathed the twins and put them in their cribs. “The voice was disguised, like they used some kind of machine.” She plopped herself down onto the rocking chair, holding Daciana’s pink unicorn on her lap.My hands stilled on the clothes I folded. “Sanda, if you continue trying to be his bodyguard, you’ll make yourself sick. If anything should happen, there’s not much we can do about it, is there?” I made my voice sound casual, but my stomach clenched with anxiety.She glared at me like I was crazy. “Don’t patronize me! You’re just as worr
“You have officially lost your mind.” Salvatore spat out his cigarette. “What the fuck’s wrong with you, Nico?”“Lower your goddamn voice.” I growled at him and pulled him after me down the steps. “I don’t want the girls to hear us.”He pulled his arm out of my grasp. “Well, I think they should. Talk some sense into your…”“Salvatore!” I let my Alpha aura wash over him and he submitted at once, dipping his head in deference. “Let’s take a walk to the stables.”He followed me, silenced by my authority. It started to rain, and I lifted my face to the cold, grey sky. I would miss this place. This was the first place where I felt I belonged.Sal drew his hand through his dark mop of hair. “Please tell me you’re not serious.”“Dead serious. I want to fake my death. But it must look believable.” I went into the stables, inhaling the warm scent of hay and horses. There was no way I was going to leave my horse here.Salvatore looked at me as if I had grown horns. “How the hell do you expect m