Before they shoved us in the back of a black van, I noticed a car standing in the road. I recognized it as one of Nico’s cars. A man lay slumped over the steering wheel. He wasn’t sleeping.“Where are you taking us?” I held onto Mama. She looked like a sleepwalker, face blank and eyes staring. No idea what was happening. Maybe it was for the best.“You’ll soon find out. Shut up.” The man pointed his firearm in my face. He seemed to be the leader of the pack. The number one thug.“Nico will find us. He’ll kill all of you.” I growled at him.The two of them laughed. “We’ll see about that, won’t we.” Number one flicked my forehead with his index finger and thumb. I wanted to rip his throat out. Instead I focused on my mother.“Mama?” I drew her face to mine. She looked right through me. I wondered how many pills she took.“Mama, can you hear me?”She just groaned and her head lolled onto my shoulder.“What’s wrong with her?” one of them asked.I didn’t answer him. If only I could let the
NICO I’ve been up since the crack off dawn training with Zane and the warriors. We went over our strategy to kill the Snake Man. Petrov’s men were armed with silver bullets and only Zane was immune to silver, but he could still be killed. Our strategy was to strike first and strike hard. Take them by surprise.Max and the others were briefed and on standby. They would take care of the guards on the outside of the mansion. We were ready for war. But first I had to make sure Darina and her mother were safe. I must have called a dozen times. No answer. I phoned the man I had watching the house. Also, no answer.“What’s the matter, Boss?” Sal brought my coffee to the lounge.“Something’s wrong, Sal. I’ve got to check up on Darina.” I didn’t need to say anything else. Sal ran out to get the car.***“Get this car out of here before someone calls the cops.” I told Sal. The man had been shot in the head at close range, making a mess of the car’s interior.Sal moved the body to one side and
NICO “Do it, Nico! Kill him! Kill the Snake!” I heard Constantin’s voice in my head. How did he manage to mind link me with the state he’s in? He looked half dead, slumping on the ground.The red wolf couldn’t wait any longer. He pushed through violently, hair exploding through my skin, bones snapping and rearranging as I transformed. Incensed by rage he sprang at Petrov while the others changed into their wolf forms. Zane’s terrifying roar shook the air and chaos erupted.Screams, curses and gunfire. My warriors attacked the guards mercilessly. My target was Petrov.Petrov caught off-guard by my charging wolf staggered and fell next to Constantin. With every ounce of his remaining strength Constantin extended his claws and sank it into Petrov’s neck. He roared out his hate and rage. Petrov slammed his fist into Constantin’s face causing him to release his hold and Petrov rolled away, blood spurting from his wounds.The red wolf charged again, the metallic smell of blood driving him
DARINANico lay with his head on my lap in the car while Ricci drove and the Lycan sat in front. He was burning up with fever but shivering with cold. My mother was at the back with us. She was silently watching us.“We have to take him to the hospital.” I urged through my tears.“And tell them what? A Naga poisoned him?” Zane scoffed, “They won’t be able to safe him, Darina.”They’d probably call the asylum. I sobbed.“My son is an idiot!” Zane grumbled from the front passenger seat. “A stubborn idiot.”“Boss, if you die can I have the Rolls?” Ricci asked.Silence. I glared at him in the rear-view mirror and Zane growled at him. Nico fortunately didn’t hear him.“Okay, I guess not.” Ricci said and turned the radio on.“You’re not dying, do you hear me, Nico? I won’t let you.” I whispered to him, wiping his ginger hair from his damp, cold forehead. I watched the veins in his neck, like black rivers spreading down towards his heart and fear tightened its hold on my throat.Zane carried
He slept for two whole days, waking only to eat a little and drink water. I stayed with him the entire time. If I moved his hand would search for me and hold me fast. Katherina brought my mother to me. She was asking for me. I was happy to see her looking better.“I had the strangest dream, my girl” she said as she hugged me to her.What to tell her? Do I lie or do I explain? Katherina looked at me and shrugged. I chose to tell her.“Mama, I need you to sit down.” I pulled her down next to me where Nico lay sleeping. “It wasn’t a dream. What you saw was all real. Nico is a werewolf; his father is a Lycan, and Nico has a pack in Romania. Those other men you saw are part of his pack.” I let the information sink in as I watched her face. She frowned, blinked her eyes and shook her head.“No. No, this is impossible,” she said. “That… that thing…”“Was a Naga. A snake man.” I told her.She laughed. “This is insane. We’re all insane. There’s no such thing as werewolves and men that turn int
NICOAnthony did his compulsion on Darina’s mother, and it seemed to work. She appeared to be a lot happier afterwards and Darina was satisfied. She was really worried about her. I sent her and Mrs. Vulpe with Sal and Katherina to go shopping for clothes and whatever she might need. I didn’t want her to go back to her house.I called all my men together, the ones who helped and saw us transform, Ricci included, to come to the house.“Do you think you would be able to compel all of them in one go?” Zane asked Anthony.“I’m only a Dhampir, an original vampire could do it with the drop of a hat. I’m afraid I would have to do it one on one.” Anthony said, sighing.Zane scoffed, “Easier to just kill the lot of them.”“What? No. Absolutely not.” I snarled at him. “There will be no more killing.”Anthony stood and watched us, feint amusement on his face.“Saves time.” He shrugged, “But have it your way. I have a pack to get to.”“You’re leaving?” I didn’t expect him to leave so soon, and I d
DARINA“They shot at us! They shot at us!” I couldn’t stop screaming even though I was safe in Nico’s arms. The moment I saw him, I broke down. He held me close, and his heart thundered in my ears. Desperately I clung to him, afraid to let go. He had to forcefully remove my arms from his waist.“Let me look at you! Are you hurt?” Nico’s voice finally broke through my hysterical brain. He held my face in his hands, his worried eyes searching my body.I shook my head. My hands and clothes were bloody, but it wasn’t my own. “They blocked the road. Oh my god, Nico! I was so scared. My mother… Sal…” I shivered. “Katherina… so much blood.” I pushed Nico away from me and ran back to the car to help my mother.“Mama?” I helped her out of the car. Her face was bleeding, a bullet had barely missed her, taking a gash out of her cheek. She leaned on me as I helped her sit down on the grass.Zane and Anthony came running towards us. “What happened?” Anthony sank down next to us, taking my mother
Fuming and crying I ran up the stairs to my bedroom. I was intent on leaving with Zane and taking my mother with me. This was not what I wanted for me and our children to live in constant fear. Nico promised he would protect us with his life. I would rather live without him and be safe than this. If he can’t choose between me and our unborn pups over this life of crime and continual danger, then I will make the decision for him.I grabbed a suitcase from the top of the cupboard and began throwing clothes in randomly through my tears. I loved him and hated him. How would I be able to go on without him? My treacherous heart belonged to him, my body was his slave, but my mind was my own.He flung the door open. My back stiffened because I felt his heated stare right through to my bones.“Darina!” his voice made the windows tremble.My hands shook but I didn’t turn around and continued packing. The she-wolf tucked her tail in between her legs and whimpered in my mind. I refused to submit.
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