| |
“To survive it is often necessary to fight and to fight you have to dirty yourself.”
-George Orwell-
Lucas
I turn away from Monica and the temptation to strangle her. A black SUV with tinted windows is pulling up near my shop, followed by another one. Understanding rushes through me when I catch sight of the eight bulky men who exit. Hair cropped, black outfits, massive guns strapped to their backs, they scream military but I know they’re also something else – wolves.
“Merda, he wasn’t kidding!” Monica mutters under her breath.
I catch her wrist in mine without taking my eyes off the men. There’s no point asking who the he is. “Kidding about what, cara?”
“Sending a squad for you, and your pack.”
That does it. As quietly as I can, I push us fully around the corner and flatten her against the cold brick. My hold on her wrist tightens in tune with my fury. “Thanks to the information you gave him.”
Monica stares back at me, a fire in her eyes. “Sì, I guess so. But at least I never pretended to be someone I’m not.”
“Didn’t you? What about all this bullshit of a relationship, and caring about me? What about getting involved with my pack, when all he really sent you here for is to attract my eye?”
She inhales sharply, but the movement only makes her breasts push up against my chest. Distraction is the mother of all stupidities, and because I’m a fool, I only lean closer until our lips almost brush.
“You could have walked away. Left me to deal with all this shit. So why the fuck are you still here, Monica?”
Her lips part, blue eyes wide and vulnerable. The noise of feet on the ground – more wolves – should worry me. Should draw my wolf out. Yet he’s too entranced by the woman in my arms, almost stupidly so. Whatever spell she cast on me, it must’ve been a fucking good one if I can’t think straight.
With an annoyed growl, I stop resisting the pull and crush my mouth to hers, stealing a kiss she has no intention of surrendering – yet I do it anyway. Monica pushes against me feebly with her other hand for the barest of seconds. Then she gives in, grabbing a handful of my shirt and pulling me closer.
Moments pass and I could’ve owned her mouth – and her body – right then and there. But the Italian commands I hear whispered are enough to finally make me snap out of it.
“See what I mean?” she mutters and looks away. Her lips are swollen, her eyes glassy, and there’s a blush in her cheeks hinting at other activities. Something in me wants – needs – to give in to that.
What the fuck, Lucas? I mentally smack myself.
I have no time to argue with her, not when the wolves are taking stock of the situation, and already heading to surround the place. Pulling my cell out of my back pocket, I dial Finn. “Get everyone out of there. My father’s goons came for us.”
He shouts in the background, then he’s back on, panicked. “I need to get Elle.”
“What do you mean, get Elle? She was right there!” Monica makes a move as if to head to the bakery, and I grab her wrist again, pulling her against me. “Don’t move.”
“She forgot something at the bakery and went to get it,” Finn hisses in my other ear.
I check around the corner, noticing the men spreading out. “Fine. Where’s Dominic?”
“Went to pull his vrykolakas back from the Reapers’ execution.”
There’s no time to get annoyed over that. “Amico, listen to me. There is no time. Go get your girl. Leave Tristan and Daniela to protect Lucrezia. And, Finn?”
“Yeah?”
I scowl when one of the wolves meets my gaze. “Call Dominic. Tell him to bring reinforcements.”
A stunned silence answers me, then Finn says, “You got it, mate. What about you?”
“I’ll be fine.” Hanging up, I don’t let go of Monica. Instead, I lean over her again. “Now, you’ve got a choice. Either you fight with me, or go join them and head back under Alessandro’s thumb. What will it be?”
She peers around the corner, before her gaze slowly drags to mine. “I’m with you. I never meant to drag Elle and the rest of them into this.”
“I believe you.” And for that part, I do. The rest of the betrayal? I don’t have time to process it.
The wolves are heading towards us, and I step back from Monica. “Let’s split. Run them amuck to give everyone a chance to escape, then meet back here.”
She nods, and turns away to morph. My intention to walk away is shattered by the beauty of her transformation. A ripple runs through her, then her entire being is enveloped in a faint light, and her human form bends, contorts, until it’s replaced by the primitive one.
Monica’s wolf is as sexy as she is, lean and with the same blue eyes staring back at me. What stuns me is the C with a crown burned into her chest. My father’s mark, one I’ve seen on his wolves before. On her, it stirs my dark side again. I thought I’d felt rage before – but the utter red haze that descends on me in that moment consumes me.
I don’t even realize I’m shifting, my wolf’s transformation triggered by her own. Within moments, I’m on four paws instead of two feet. I feel clumsier – bigger – and a swift check down to my paws confirms they’re twice my regular size. Has my wolf automatically enhanced itself, in an effort to protect her?
Are you okay?
My eyes find Monica’s in surprise. How can you link with me?
I’m not sure. The same happened with Dominic earlier.
Lupi mannari cannot do so unless it’s with their alpha.
She tosses her head back and snorts in a very Monica-like movement. You wish.
Before I can argue more, a piece of brick bursts right next to my muzzle and I jump to the side. Turns out I’d narrowly avoided a very badly aimed gunshot. I scan the surroundings, noticing I stupidly gave these bozos enough time to fan out and set the stage.
The only lucky bit? No humans around. That, and the fact I know these grounds like the back of my hand. Andiamo!
When arrows of tranquilizers start shooting around me, I move. Bulk or no bulk, I need to give my pack time to escape. And since I was their original prize, chances are these cretini will make me a priority.
Two of the wolves rush after me, and the rest head for the shop. Monica disappears around the corner, and when they don’t follow her I’m left wondering if she played me – again. Just as I’m about to head back and pull the others’ attention, a howl resounds from above. My gaze moves there, to find Monica perched atop. When she has the men’s attention, she strikes the already precarious roof and a bunch of damaged bricks fall. Enough to cause some injuries, if the cries I hear are anything to go by.
The last I see of her, she jumps on top of them, her lean form intertwined with their black getup. That need to turn back and help her runs through me again. It’s an impulse I haven’t felt in a while, one of protection – of family.
My wolf.
All he’s ever craved is blood, power and violence. Then the need inside me grew louder than his own voice, and he was shackled by my own inaction. Now, no longer shuttered by the anger inside me, and this otherness that’s been growing and developing, he bares his canines and demands I return to Monica.
It takes everything in me to fight him off. Later.
It’s like arguing with a strong wind. Each step forward, he tries to drag me back. Each leap onwards, he forces a retreat. Enough so that the two wolves catch up to me, one in human form, the other animal.
I duck the lunge from the animal and instead rise to meet the human with the tranquilizer gun pointed at me. He fires off a shot that goes in my flank. I should feel something, anything. But it barely registers as I clamp my jaws on his arm and rip it off.
Blood gushes everywhere, and I leave him to his demise, turning to the wolf. He seems less than a third my size, so when I lift my paw and smack him, he lands head-first against the wall of a building.
I want to finish him off, but my wolf is already moving us back to the shop, and towards Monica. Howls in the distance catch my attention, and I see Dominic’s black fur as he’s flanked by a few of his vrykolakas. Their stench is enough to turn my stomach, but I’m oddly relieved to have him around.
Even if he’s only here to get Lucrezia to safety.
My thoughts are confirmed when his wolves leave him, and surround the redhead of our pack like they’re willing to lay down their lives for her. Which, they probably are.
This time though, it’s not Lucrezia I’m worried about.
Monica
Merda! I knew one day my impulsivity would get me killed, but even so...
Once Dominic’s vrykolakas join the fray, I move away from the battle to assess. That’s how I’m first to notice Finn heading on his own, his pace fast, even while Tristan and Daniela join the fight with Lucrezia.
I know where he’s heading thanks to Lucas’ call – Elle. And since it’s my own damn fault she’s in danger, I can’t just stand by and do nothing. So, I follow Finn. Something tells me he knows I’m there, but he still allows me to continue pretending.
We reach the bakery in time to see Elle being dragged out by another two wolves. There was a third car. Rather than taking my cue and making a run for it, that’s where my impulsivity kicks in.
Lucas was right, in a way. I did pretend. But I won’t anymore. Because who I am has nothing to do with Alessandro Conti’s pack, nor with my own indoctrination. Who I am is loyal to a fault – whether to a villain intent on collecting, or to a man who’s undeserving of my love. And that...is a problem for another day.
Instead of hanging back, I lunge in the midst of Alessandro’s men, digging my canines into one’s thighs, even as Finn faces off against the other one. You wouldn’t think it with his lean bulk, but his punch cracks the guy’s jaw and sends him flying backwards.
Finn grabs Elle under his arm then, pausing only enough to kiss her temple and murmur, “You alright, love?”
She nods, hanging onto his chest with hands that are white-knuckled. “What’s going on?”
“That’s what I’d like to know.” His stare is heavy on me, accusing, and I glance away. That’s when I see them – two snipers on the rooftop.
I jump in front of Finn and Elle just as they fire a shot – tranquilizer or not, I couldn’t take the chance. It hits me instead, and it’s not a harmless dart. The bullet clears my flank and I howl in pain, dropping to the ground and becoming the perfect target.
Even as the guy aims again, a massive shadow drops in front of me. My vision is filled with rusty fur, dotted with specks of grey, charcoal and black.
Lucas?
His growl reverberates in the air, and then he smacks his paws on the pavement and the entire ground shakes, taking the building with it. Since the sniper is positioned right at the edge, he goes off flying to the side and drops like a pancake. The sound of his body hitting cement, of the bones breaking and the flesh tearing, turns my guts.
Lucas then whirls to us. “It’s over. We got the bulk of them, and Dominic’s vrykolakas are finishing them off.”
How... How can you speak?
He spares me a glance I can’t read, then focuses on Finn. “Grab Elle and follow us.”
To my utter surprise, Lucas drops his muzzle to me and picks me up by the neck, carrying me like a mama wolf does her cubs. We all return to the shop, and I can see now why it’s a good thing there aren’t any humans around anymore.
The minute we’re by the entrance door, Lucas drops me. I allow the change to come over me, leaving me trembling and naked. Daniela moves and lifts her index in the air. One drawn rune returns my clothes, while the other she places on my thigh. The blood stops flowing so freely, and some of the pain goes away.
“This works way faster than my herbs,” I whisper. “Thank you.”
She smiles at me like I’m part of the family, but I can’t bear to see that kindness that’ll soon turn into hate. So I refuse to look at her, and instead limp to lean on the door while the rest of them pair off.
“What the fuck’s going on, Lucas?” Surprisingly, the outburst is from Tristan.
Dominic’s on the other side of the street, holding Lucrezia tight against him, still surrounded by his wolves. Bodies litter the street between us like the set of a horror show. His gaze is steady on us, and I can see the wheels turning at the back of his head.
I’m bewildered at the purposeful distance for a second, before I remember Lucas admitting he banished him from the pack. And yet the extent of their bond is such that Dominic is still here helping out... Shame runs through me, hot and heavy.
“It’s my fault,” I whisper, eyes still on the ground.
Dani’s kind expression slips, replaced by confusion. Tristan reaches for her and moves her away from me, and I can’t blame him. He’s protecting what is his, as they all are. They had a good thing going before I showed up and messed it all up.
“No,” Lucas says. “The fault is my father’s. And he needs to pay for his past and present sins, once and for all.”
Tristan stares at me, then at Finn. “What do you make of it, meu amigo?”
Finn shrugs. “She protected us, but...”
“But what?”
“She’s been lying from the beginning.”
I keep my head bowed. “It’s true.”
“Shut up,” Lucas says, angling his body almost as if to stop my words from escaping. “This doesn’t concern them.”
I straighten then, raising my chin. “Let me own up to my mistakes.” When he says nothing, I push past him. “You’re right, Finn. I did come here under false pretenses, and I lied. Not because I wanted to hurt any of you, please believe me.”
“So, which part is truth?” Lucrezia asks.
Meeting her eyes across the distance, I only read wariness and suspicion. It doesn’t stop the truth from tumbling past my lips, hoping she’ll understand. “I did come here for Lucas, and I was sent by his father. But not because Alessandro misses him. More because he wants him back to take over the family business, and to use him and his chimera gift.”
Pushing past the lump in my throat, I clench my fists.
“This is your fault,” Tristan says to Lucas. “You had to think with your dick and put us all in danger!”
“Who was it telling me some sex would loosen me up?” Lucas scowls.
“Not when it’s a danger to everyone else!”
“As if you didn’t do the same?” Lucas marches on him, and I grab the edge of his shirt in time to hold him back. It’s a small gesture, but it seems to cool him off some. At least, I hope so. Because unless it’s my imagination, his body is getting...bigger.
I gulp and whisper, “Lucas, va bene. He’s right. What I did was despicable.”
“Shut up,” he tosses over a shoulder. “For once, just shut up, Monica.” Turning to Tristan and Finn, he glares at them, then extends that to Dominic. “You all put this pack in danger at some point or another. What’s the difference?”
“The difference,” Dominic says, “is that we did it for love, not a quick roll in the hay.”
Lucas lunges then, but Finn steps between them. His hand on Lucas’ chest seems to calm him, and I remember what the girls told me about his gift. Seeing it in action is...different. Like the entire fight is drawn out of the situation via one simple touch.
“Enough already!” Lucrezia tugs on Dominic, trying to pull him back, too.
Finn is pensive, staring at us. Then something flashes in his eyes, and he nods to himself. “There is a simple solution.”
“Don’t,” Lucas warns.
He speaks anyway. I guess these guys really love honesty. “You don’t want to hear it, but it’s nothing less than what you’ve told each of us at one point or another. Return Monica to your father, let her pay for her mistakes. And let’s leave here. You disappeared once, you can do it again.”
“Absolutely – fucking – not.” I’ve never heard that amount of rage in Lucas’ voice, not even when I told him what I did. And unless I’m mistaken, his body has started shaking.
Finn shrugs, as if he doesn’t notice it. But something about his demeanor tells me he did – that he’s doing this on purpose. “Mate, you said it yourself. She’s nothing to you, right? So, let her pay. Monica’s punishment will be the distraction we need to escape your wanker of a father and get out.”
Even I can’t deny the logic, though it hurts that after all I’ve done to save Elle he’d turn on me like that. Elle herself is tugging on his hand, whispering furiously, but Finn won’t be moved.
Features cold, he steps around Lucas and towards me, gently pushing Elle away. And that’s when Lucas loses it.
“Do not touch Monica if you value your life.”
Finn looks at me, then at him. “Lucas, it’s the right thing to do. Tristan? Dominic? A little help.”
With more speed and ferocity than I thought them capable towards their alpha, the three move in perfect synchronicity. Tristan and Finn each take one of Lucas’ arms, and Dominic walks behind him and grabs him in a chokehold. “Relax, it’ll be over soon.”
I look at the girls, each staring at the scene as confused as I am. Yet none of the guys are doing any harm. On the contrary, if I didn’t know better I’d say they’re trying to provoke something. But...what?
“Don’t hurt him,” I whisper. “Please.”
And that’s when Lucas really loses it. He curls into himself, then with a roar as loud as a lion’s he bursts into movement. One hand pushes Finn away, the other Tristan. Then with barely any effort he pulls Dominic’s arms from around his neck and tosses him away as easily as a fly.
“Basta!” he growls. “No one – fucking – touches – Monica.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Luz head to Dom, Elle to Finn and Dani to Tristan. So it only makes sense I find my feet carrying me towards Lucas, step by step. I walk around his heaving form – now taller than me by a head – and glance into his face.
His features are taut, as if the muscles are barely holding the beast within. His nostrils are flaring, and he’s mid-transformation. Rusty hair covers his arms, his shirt is hanging off and showing his chest filled with fur. And his hands have turned into massive claws.
Even as I take it all in, Finn gets to his feet, wincing as he rolls his shoulder. “Watch yourself. We might’ve pushed him a little over the edge.”
Lucas is breathing hard in front of me, and the guys around me evidently think I’ve lost my mind. But I shake my head. “It’s okay. I’ve got him, I swear it.”
Finn alone seems to believe me, and nods to them. “She’s not lying. We can give them some privacy.”
Even as they enter the shop, Lucas’ panting doesn’t abate. There’s something incredibly primal in seeing him like this, all raw and almost unhinged. Memories of me screaming his name, of his body on mine, rifle through me and I can’t settle down. My hands itch with wanting to touch him, but I’m not sure if it’s the best idea.
Then Lucas sniffs the air.
I open my mouth, about to ask him something, but he’s on me. Only, he’s no longer half-morphed. The mouth meeting mine is all Lucas, demanding and possessive. The hands pulling me closer are merciless, but without claws. He’s pushing me to the wall, grabbing my ass and lifting me up in the air. I can’t control my reaction, melting like a damned cat in heat, moaning against him. Our wolves care for nothing other than immediate pleasure.
We’re lost in it – too lost. Then there’s a breeze, a chuckle.
“My, you really take your job seriously, Monica. We’ll take it from here.”
He’d frozen between my legs at the first words, but now he’s a pure statue. Lucas stops kissing me, his gaze filled with betrayal and hate, then drops me as if I’ve contaminated him.
Before either of us can do anything, a glow suffuses the air. Then I hear the sounds of a fight, but I’ve already dropped to the ground, unconscious.
∞ ♦ ∞
“Monica, wake up!”
The voice is soft, insistent. I blink. Elle is over me, frowning and trying to shake me.
“What.... Lucas!” I look around. “Where is he?”
“That’s what we’d like to know.”
I meet Dominic’s fiery gaze, and gulp.