[Tatiana’s POV]Silence falls around me as everyone in the room fixes their gazes on me as if expecting me to break down and chase after the man who decided to step out of my life. However, they wouldn’t be getting what they wanted—not now, not ever. The minute he turned his back on me, he became my enemy.Shaking off the pain that was slowly building up in me, I turn my gaze back to Ronda, who is watching me curiously.“You didn’t answer my question,” I begin. “Will you help me train?”For a moment, the woman doesn’t speak as she continues to watch me, clearly expecting me to show just how weak I was.“Aren’t you going to chase him?” She asks instead. “Your lover and the father of your pup is leaving.”“He can leave,” I counter. “I have no intention of making him stay. We were never anything to begin with.”“So you bumped uglies and then parted ways?” She continued, clearly wanting the story. “You didn’t look like the type, but I guess you are.”“Ronda,” Winley warns. “That’s enough.
[Knight’s POV]I sit in the bar, swirling my drink, while everyone remains oblivious to my presence. I had begun frequenting this place the past few weeks in order to collect information on Hunters Moon’s movements. Word was that they had begun to work with the underworld, and once I figured out the extent of their working together, I planned on ruining them.A year had passed since I left that place, or rather, was banished and left for dead, and not a fucking day went by that I didn’t think of ruining it. Especially since it was the reason that I couldn’t claim the one fucking thing that I actually wanted and was the one that took everything from me.Letting out a growl, I down my drink and then snap my fingers and wait until a waitress dressed in a tiny black dress scurries over with expectation on her face.“What can I get for you?” She purrs, leaning down just enough for her tiny breasts to bulge.“Whiskey,” I respond, shoving my empty glass at her. “Now!”“Yes sir.”Giving me a
[Tatiana’s POV]The room around us fell silent as everyone stared in the direction that Massimo had just been. Frowning, I tried to ignore the sudden flare of guilt I felt due to his sudden appearance. Now wasn’t the time to let my emotions get the best of me, not when it was clear that staying here wasn’t safe.Letting out a breath, I begin to move but stop as a hand wraps around my wrist. Lifting my gaze, I meet Knight’s questioning green gaze and feel the room around us disappear until we are the only two left.For a moment, I’m unable to think clearly, but the moment passes quickly, and I growl in warning before yanking myself free, breaking our connection.“Don’t touch me,” I hiss, taking a few steps back. “And get the hell out of here.”Though I appreciated his help in distracting Massimo, I would be damned if I let my guard down around him, not after the promise he made before walking out of my life entirely.Speaking of, I begin to extend my senses until I feel Winley and know
[Knight’s POV]I keep my gaze fixed on Tatiana as she processes what I’ve just told her. Of course, I didn’t hope for her to immediately let her guard down, not after everything she suffered because of me, but I hoped that maybe this would be the first step to fixing our relationship.“What…” she says slowly. “Did you just say?”Her eyes, which are wide, are still filled with disbelief and distrust. It was becoming increasingly clear that we had a long way to go.“I fucked up,” I respond. “All those years, I kept you at arms length out of fear of pulling you into pack politics.”“You,” she hisses, her eyes narrowing. “You turned a blind eye to all the abuse I endured for that reason."Her voice drips with venom, and I feel my heart shatter over just how much she went through because of my poor choice.“If I had shown any sort of interest, my stepmother..."“I get it,” she sighs, composing herself once more. “But that doesn’t mean that I forgive you.”Wincing, I bit back my initial res
[Massimo’s POV]“Welcome back.”Giovani’s voice echoes down the hall as I make my way toward his office. When I enter, he is sitting at his desk with an expectant look on his face and a smile on his lips.“Well?” He urges when I take a seat. “How is my dear niece?”“Fully awakened,” I respond, throwing my feet onto his desk and earning myself a huff of disgust. “I don’t see why you needed me to go and check on her for you.”As I speak, Tatiana’s look of shock flashes in my mind, and unlike in the past, when I would feel overwhelming love for her when I thought of her, all I could feel was nothing.That was how it had been since the day we parted ways, and at times I found myself wondering exactly why I even cared. Was I just suddenly able to realize how fucking foolish I was, or was there something else? I didn’t know, and frankly, I didn’t give two shits.Sighing, I fix my gaze on Giovani, taking him in.“Why are you suddenly so interested in her?” I ask, voicing the single question
[Tatiana’s POV]I look around me, trying to make sense of what is happening and where I am. I’m surrounded by brick walls, and what looks like butcher hooks hang from the ceiling. The scent of blood attacks my nose, and it makes me gag.How did I get here? The last thing I remembered was moving to a new hideout and then laying down because I was exhausted and needed an escape from Knight, and then...Oh, right. I fell asleep. So that meant that this had to be a dream. Or was it a vision? I wasn’t sure, but the whole thing left me on edge, and I couldn’t help but fear whatever I was going to find here.Continuing to look around, I find metal stairs and begin to move, slowly making my way up them. When I reach the top, I’m met with a single metal door with a small window allowing one to look inside, and I know that whatever it is that I was meant to see is in there waiting for me.Swallowing a few times, I slowly creep forward until I reach, and then, after taking a deep breath, I look
[Tatiana’s POV]I stare wide-eyed at Knight, taking in what he is saying to me while my heart beats erratically in my chest. Who was this man? He most certainly wasn’t the distant man I grew up knowing, and despite feeling like it was all an act to get me to let my guard down, I desperately wanted to believe him.“What?” He asks, smirking. “Did you just fall in love with me?”“No,” I snap, getting my wits about me again thanks to his ridiculous quip. “Nowhere near, but thanks.”I know that he meant well with his words, and I appreciated that he was saying such things, but if he thought it would be that easy to get me to forgive and accept him, he was wrong.“Thank me by becoming a strong leader.”“Yeah.”Nodding, I turn my attention back to Octavia, who is already milk-drunk and slowly releasing. When she unlatches entirely, I give her a quick burp before attempting to get up and return her to her crib.“Can I?” Knight asks hesitantly.For a moment, I considered whether or not he woul
[Knight’s POV]Excitement begins to surge through me as Tatiana’s body presses against mine and her lips move along with mine. She was giving in; that much was certain, but was it due to the bond or because she cared for me somewhere deep inside? I didn’t know, but right now I didn’t care.Pressing her harder against the wall, I let my knee brush between her thighs, earning myself a small mewl of pleasure that sets off an all-new fire in me.Letting my hands travel down her body, I clasp her ass and then lift so that she can throw her legs around me. Once she is secured, I carry her to the bed and then throw her down before pouncing.Fuck, she looked so damn beautiful lying there, breathing heavily with her cheeks flushed with desire and her eyes sparkling with anticipation. It drove me fucking crazy.“Knight,” she sighs, causing all rationale to disappear.Pressing my mouth against hers again, I suck her bottom lip between my teeth so I can begin to nibble at it while my hand travels