Arabella's POV"Vitalio Bianchi, state your case." The masked person spoke. Dad stood up. Tears sprang to my eyes at the sight of him. He looked like he had lost a bit of weight but save from that, he looked the exact way I remembered him. Domineering and strong. He looked at me as he spoke, listing all of Alpha Luciano's many crimes. Kidnapping, Murder, Rape… the list went on and on...When he finally finished speaking, the hall was filled with indistinct murmurs from the witnesses that quietened down when the masked council member spoke again."Arabella Bianchi, step up."Inhaling sharply, I moved closer to the council table. My thoughts were in disarray and my mouth was dry. "Is what your father says true? Were you taken against your will?"I looked at my father. The man who I'd always wanted his love and attention even though he had been cold to me all my life. The man who'd forced me into an unwanted mating that had enabled Alpha Luciano to kidnap me. The man who was now trying
Arabella's POVI ran towards our wrecked car and searched for Alpha Luciano's phone. I found it outside the car, the screen was broken and it didn't come on. I checked the driver's dead body for his own phone. It was a burner phone with its records cleared so I couldn't call anyone. The only phone numbers I had memorized were that of my former pack members and my dad. If I called either of them, I might as well kill Alpha Luciano with my own hands.I was going to save my mate. I had to believe that there was a real reason the Moon Goddess made him my mate. He was a wicked, heartless man but when push came to shove, he'd saved my life. Someone like that wasn't irredeemable. If the fact that I was willing to forgive all he'd done made me a weak person, I would take that label. When he recovered, he could do even worse unspeakable things to me and I accepted that too. The one thing I had was my integrity. I would always do what felt true to me as a person. In the same way, I had chose
Alpha Luciano's POV"We were unable to get exclusive rights to Song." Natasha said her head bowed and her voice lowered."Explain yourself. Wasn't it a done deal already?" My voice was low with barely restrained anger."Almost. Then the suppliers got a big shipment order from an anonymous buyer that made them change their mind about exclusivity.""And who is this anonymous buyer?" I questioned."I am still investigating this, Alpha." Natasha sounded extremely contrite.I tsked tapping my fingers against the tabletop. "Natasha." I purred drawing out her name the way I was wont to when I was not pleased. "You are losing your edge. Is it because you feel irreplaceable? I assure you that you aren't. What was his name? Ah, Bishop. Bishop will be more than happy to ease the burden that seems too large for you." I watched her stiffen at the sound of her arch-nemesis's name. Natasha went on her knees and pressed her head to the cool tiled ground."Forgive me, Alpha. I will rectify my mist
Arabella's POVI shouldn't have spoken to him like that. I definitely shouldn't have bitten his earlobe but I was pissed. I'd thought that him not touching me wasn't a problem. It wasn't. But I didn't want him touching other women either.What we'd done in the shed had changed things for me. I now wanted things I had no business wanting. Alpha Luciano growled then he yanked my hair back and devoured my lips. It wasn't a kiss but a claim. He rolled his tongue into my waiting parted lips and kissed me like he wanted to clean away the taste of any other man in my mouth to replace it with just him. I moaned into his mouth and I moulded my body to him, rubbing my breasts against his chest and grinding against his length. He squeezed my breasts and I used my claws to slice his shirt open and pushed it off before sliding my arms around his neck pulling him closer. The feel of his skin on mine was entrancing and I shivered against him. He pushed me up against the tree and hiked the skirt o
Alpha Luciano's POV"We'll hit him here." I tapped on the map of the docks and marine supply chain of Vitalio Bianchi. It hadn't taken much to bribe one of his men into leaking the information. The man was repulsive and a traitor. It was only normal for him to attract people of his kind.Uncle Tommaso hmmed and I knew immediately that he had something else to suggest. "How about we attack the ship while it's still at sea? We could sink the entire ship. That way it'd take less time and casualties on our side."I looked at the plans again. That would work and I had no compunction about killing Vitalio's men. They were every bit as evil as he was. But the sailors who were ferrying them across… "Let's go with it. This is why I need you around Uncle Tommaso. You are always so insightful."Uncle Tommaso laughed lightly. "I have been looking for a partner for you that will take my place in giving you all this advice. A nice quiet fertile lady."I sighed pulling back. Of course, we always c
Emery's POVIt had been a whole week since Alpha Luciano threw me out of his room and his bed. I was angry, angry at myself for pushing the issue and getting kicked out of his life. Angry at him for disregarding all the time we'd spent together. Had I truly meant nothing to him? But most of all, I was angry at her. Before she'd come here, everything had been perfect. Now, she seemed to be walking on sunshine, smiling every day while I was here sitting on pins and needles, anxiously waiting for Margaret to call my name. The other women found it weird that she would be cheerful after being kicked out of Luciano's life but they didn't know what I knew. That he was still having sex with her but it was no longer on the schedule because, with her, he was that spontaneous.I had never needed or asked for much. Just for my parents to protect me, to get a good mate and for Luciano to care a little about me.My parents had volunteered me to the harem in pursuit of power, I never found my mate
Arabella's POVFor a minute after I spoke, everywhere was silent and Alpha Luciano looked at me as though he had a lot to say but he just stormed away leaving me wondering whether or not he would accept this decision I had made. I huffed and began following him much slower to the pack house when someone bumped into me. Hard. I smelt incense. My shoulder was knocked back and I turned but the person who had bumped into me was walking away briskly, a cloak covering their figure so I couldn't even tell if it was a male or female.I swung my fist meaning to yell, but I dropped it back down. I was too tired for that. Tired of this pack that would never accept me. Tired of my mate, Luciano Romano, who was doing his best to make sure every good image or presumption I had of him was wrecked.I turned forward to continue my walk only to see there was a white envelope on the ground. The person must have dropped it in their haste. I picked it up and looked up to see the cloaked figure around a c
Arabella's POV"Ouch." I pushed myself up from the floor looking at the crazy man who had dropped me and had the effrontery to look at me as though I was the one who was mad. If he was no longer interested in having sex, he could have just said it."Cover yourself up. The pack doctor will soon be here."The pack what?I pulled on the red robe. "Why is the pack doctor coming here again?"Alpha Luciano remained silent. After some time had passed, there was a knock on the door. "Enter." Alpha Luciano ordered. A middle-aged dark-haired woman entered the room wearing a white lab coat over her outfit and carrying a large medkit. She bowed to him."Alpha I came as soon as I could. How may I be of service?"Alpha Luciano didn't look at me, he just stood up from the bed leaving me there alone and faced the woman."I would like you to examine her.""Of course, Alpha. Might I ask what for?"Alpha Luciano looked at me then back at the woman. "For brain damage, bleeding. Anything mentally rela