Arabella's POV
The first time I heard Alpha Luciano Romano's name, I was eight.
Back then I still had hopes and expectations of my father to eventually warm up to me. I padded lightly into my father's study in my night dress after escaping the watchful eyes of my nannies hoping to surprise him.
It was empty.
I played around a bit and came across a really interesting necklace. As I lifted it from atop the drawer, I heard the sound of voices approaching the room.
Spooked, I dropped the necklace and it fell on under the drawer. I looked about hastily for a hiding spot and barely tucked myself into the alcove bordering the armoury as the door swung open.
"How many did we lose?" It was Father's voice.
"The entire troop sir."
I couldn't identify this voice but it sounded like me whenever I was trying to explain how I hadn't eaten the chocolate cake but somehow still had chocolate smeared all over my face.
There was a crashing sound and a restrained grunt.
"The drugs?"
" They took everything."
"Call up the Romero cartel. Tell the humans we'll deliver tomorrow."
"Alpha…" The voice sounded hesitant.
"What is it?"
"The Lupo-Mortale has been delivered to them already."
I heard the slam of flesh against concrete then the sound of someone choking.
"You mean to tell me that," Father's voice sounded so cold and harsh that I shrank back in the alclove in fear.
"A fifteen year old pup killed my men, stole my drugs and sold them to my clients and pocketed the proceeds. What exactly was my head of security doing when my men were being attacked?"
"Alpha… Alpha… they were too many."
Father gave a cruel bitter laugh.
"You think I do not hear the whispers, the rumours. That Alpha Luciano Romano is like a demon of insane strength for one so young. You probably handed over the drugs to him in surrender hoping he would not kill you." Father spat out the word Alpha with so much derision.
"Alpha, I would never. Alpha, please have mercy." The wolf choked out.
"Those drugs were worth millions of dollars. Far more than your pathetic life is worth." There was a snap and I heard the thump of a body on a ground.
I had to see. I had to know what just happened. So I looked out of the alclove to see a man on lying on the ground, his neck twisted at an impossible angle. I covered my mouth with my hands holding back a gasp.
Father had killed… he had killed him.
"Should have killed the brat when I had the chance myself. I'll remedy my mistake. Luciano Romano, your head is mine."
I never went to the study uninvited again.
Father was unable to keep his promise to himself. With every year that went by, Alpha Luciano Romano only grew more vicious, powerful and uncontrollable. He took and took and took.
An ambush here, a robbery there, stealing our clients, buying out our suppliers, slowly bleeding us dry. We dealt in drugs, alcohol, guns, ammunition, anything illegal and difficult to smuggle was our territory.
Our business supported our pack and made us one of the strongest packs and mafia organisations however with Alpha Luciano undercutting most of our business and slowly but steadily pushing us out of the market, we lost traction and the other packs pounced.
You see the werewolf society is a structured one.
The strong rule, the weak follow.
Without this rule, chaos would ensue. Alpha Luciano Romano did not have to attack us on a battlefield, he just had to show the werewolf community that we were vulnerable with his numerous sabotages.
They did the attacking for him. To take our land and our business because we were now perceived as weak.
That was the reason I was getting married after all. So that my fiance's pack and mine would join resources and level the Lupo-Mortale Pack, absorbing their lands into ours and taking over their business so that our superiority would be unchallengable and undeniable.
So that wolves would not continue to die senseless deaths in interpack skirmishes.
Now I sat on the ground. My dark hair a tangled mess of curls, my gown torn and hiked up, bruised and battered, my pride trampled on as I looked up at the man who'd caused so much suffering.
Alpha Luciano Romano.
My mate.
Goddess, this couldn't be possible. My mate could not possibly be such a monstrous person who wanted to annihilate my pack. Who had so much blood on his hands that the servants whispered behind closed doors that he was the coldest, deadliest Alpha to ever exist.
He looked at me like I was the lowest vermin. Whatever look had flashed in his eyes before was so far gone that I probably imagined it.
I could hear my wolf baying, urging me to go to him, to touch him, to mark him so that everyone would know he was ours. Only the wolfbane in my system kept me sane.
My wolf thought he was our mate and that was that. I, on the other hand, knew he was a ruthless Alpha who wouldn't hesitate to kill me if I looked at him the wrong way much less touch him. So I refrained from doing what my wolf wanted.
She raged and whined but I ignored her watching him. Was he really my mate or had that man given me too much wolfsbane? Alpha Luciano didn't even react to me. Surely his wolf was also pushing him to make contact with me. How could he just stand there so emotionless?
Cross walked briskly to meet Alpha Luciano. He bowed to him.
"Have you killed the escorts?" Alpha Luciano's voice was cold and unfeeling devoid of any and all emotions.
"Yes, Alpha." Cross replied.
"Has Vitalio been alerted?"
"No, Alpha. We subdued them quickly, so there is no way they could have reached out to their Alpha."
"Good. Set the cars on fire. I have a dinner with Uncle Tomasso to catch."
"Alpha…" Cross seemed to hesitate.
"Shall we also throw her into the burning cars?" Cross nodded in my direction.
Throw me where? I shrank back in fear as Alpha Luciano looked at me obviously considering if it would be a hassle to kill me now or later.
"As satisfying as that may be. I still need her for something."
"Yes, Alpha." Cross turned to leave but Alpha Luciano raised a hand stopping him.
"Cross."
"Yes, Alpha."
"The men who touched her… kill them."
"Alpha?" Cross looked shocked. I couldn't blame him. I was too.
"Their orders were to subdue and kill. Nothing else. We loot and raid but we do not take advantage of women or kill children. I will not condone such indiscipline and irreverence."
"Yes, Alpha." The man who had held me down took off and Cross hollered for men to catch him while he dragged the passed out Mattia away.
Then we were alone. My mate and I.
Luciano's POVFuck. Fuck! I needed to hit something. Cut someone open. I needed a fight, anything to forget the fact that the Moon Goddess had royally screwed me over. A freaking Bianchi? What the hell? I tried to clear my thoughts so as to not think of her. As if to mock me, the wind blew and her scent filled my nostrils. She smelt like chocolate, sunshine and apple cider. I wanted to smell her skin and find out if it was all natural or perfume. I wanted to break her neck. My wolf didn't make matters easier. He wanted his mate now. He refused to listen to my explanations on how said mate was a viper, who was the daughter of Vitalio Bianchi. She was just as despicable as her father. There was literally no information about her. No one is that squeaky clean. I knew she was hiding something, many things knowing the sort of family she came from.Not that it was my business. I came out with one intention only. Kill Vitalio's only child and give the man a fuck you drenched in the blo
Arabella's POVFunny how some things become much clearer in hindsight. Like how I should have capitulated to Alpha Luciano and let him kill me instead of speaking up and making him think up an even harsher punishment for me being my father's daughter.My cheeks burned hot when I recalled how he had touched me, and how I had responded. How my body had betrayed me. How when he left I ached with need for something I had no idea about. Never had I been more disadvantaged because of my virginity. He probably even understood my body more than I did. When the door to the cell had opened again, my body had come to life, anticipating only to be disappointed when a different person entered. "Arabella, strip for me." I froze. I knew he could kill me if I disobeyed him. I knew he could kill me either way yet I hesitated. I really didn't want to die. Maybe I hesitated because I had never been naked in front of the opposite sex before. Maybe because it was him, the man whose fingers had been i
Luciano's POV"The troops are ready and recruitment has been promising." Cross said."Keep those numbers up. I'll stop by later to examine their skills myself.""Of course, Alpha.""You may leave." Cross bowed out and I faced the two most important people in my business and pack. Natasha and Mikah."Natasha, what do you have for me?""There's word on the streets that there is a new drug out. Distributors are laying low and you can't get a hit unless you know them."I grunted. "Is the drug any good?""Days after the release, the FDA listed it.""Sounds good to me." I smiled. "Put feelers out on the street. Get those who are deep in drug debts to acquire this drug for us. Promise them drugs, money. I want that drug here by tomorrow morning.""Yes, Alpha." Natasha bowed and walked out of the room her dark ponytail and hips swaying with her movement, one of my most ruthless drug lords.I turned to Mikah. "Talk to me.""The Alphas are restive. The Cavanos are working in with Vitalio Bianch
Arabella's POVThis time I wore nothing underneath the red robe. I walked all the way from the women's harem to Alpha Luciano's room wearing only that damned red robe. I could not maintain eye contact with anyone. For some reason it felt like a lot of pack members were out that evening and I felt like everyone already knew what Alpha Luciano was doing to me. That had to be the reason they were giving me the side eye and some laughed when I passed. It felt like I was doing the walk of shame. No, Arabella. It's not your fault the moon goddess gave you a sadistic mate. I squared my shoulders and increased my pace. The faster I got to the room, the less time the pack members had to see me and make deductions.I felt such an immense amount of relief when I finally got into Alpha Luciano's room that it was only after I closed the door behind me that I remembered what I would have to do there."Missed me?" Alpha Luciano smirked. "But then again the Bianchis are known for saying one thing
Arabella's POVSomething strange was going on. Apart from the fact that once more Alpha Luciano had summoned me much to the annoyance of the other women in his harem- Emery had calmly walked out of the room when it was announced only for me to hear the sound of vases shattering following her wake.So no. The strangeness wasn't because of that. Nor was it because of the whip that Alpha Luciano had used to whip me before fucking me missionary style so that I laid with my injured back on the bed taking him. I had werewolf super healing so it wasn't a big issue.The strange thing was after the sex, Alpha Luciano held me. I faced him on the bed, his fingers threading through my hair. His clear blue eyes regarded me and his body felt undeniably warm next to me. I could almost imagine how differently things could have been if my father hadn't been my father.Almost.I didn't try to question him or react like I was surprised, I just looked away to the side while he touched me tenderly."Arabe
Arabella's POVI had to get out of here. I had to escape at all costs. I thought about what Alpha Luciano did to me yesterday and I squeezed my eyes shut in mortification, shame, and disgust. Weeks ago I was a virgin, respected. I had a future to look forward to. But now, it felt like my life had come to a standstill. A pause. A full stop. Like I was living in a hellscape where I was running around in circles like a headless chicken. I had to leave this place or die trying rather than stay here and die a little more every day losing sight of who I was."Are you good?' I turned in my bed at the sound of Margaret's voice. "You knew." She avoided my gaze and put her hand on my forehead to check my temperature.I slapped her hand away. "You could have warned me. You are a woman yourself. How can you do that to another woman?"Tears fell down my cheeks. "Arabella–""Leave me. Now. I would like to be alone."I turned my back on her to face the other side of the bed. After a few second
Arabella's POVThe sound of the gunshot reverberated in the air. I fell to my knees, Alpha Luciano following me, his hands intertwined with mine. The gun fell out of my grasp.The moment I had taken the shot, I'd known he would take the gun from my hands in seconds so I pulled the trigger. Blood coated my hands and I strangely wanted to laugh. Alpha Luciano looked at me like I'd lost my marbles. I guess I had laughed out loud. Finally, it would all end.My vision swam and my body slumped almost hitting the ground but Alpha Luciano caught me, his hands were gentle or maybe the blood loss from a bullet in my thigh was already getting to me. It was a silver bullet after all. I wanted to take the gun and finish the job but my hands shook and my limbs felt like wet noodles. If I could not kill him, I would rather die than follow him back. "Crazy girl. I won't let you die so easily." His hand went to my wound and I thought he wanted to put pressure on it to reduce the bleeding. Only, h
Alpha Luciano's POV"No." I didn't have to think twice about it. The nerves on this girl. How dare she think to make demands of me? Me! She was nothing. Absolutely nothing. Arabella Bianchi was fearless now that she'd discovered she had nothing left to lose since she no longer cared if she lived or died. I would change that. The problem was that I had never expected Arabella would be hiding claws beneath that subservient exterior so I was ill-equipped to handle this situation. A gross oversight on my side that I would soon correct. "That will never happen." I repeated making sure she got the point. Give her the right to pick the times we would have sex? Yeah, that was never happening. Did she think we were courting or something? This was not a fucking democracy, it was a dictatorship. I gave the orders, she took them. That was all it could ever be. That was all I would allow. She rolled her eyes. Fucking rolled her eyes. I was going to kill Arabella Bianchi and damn the consequenc