“How do you know about this?” Sandro asked ze, ncing aside as he spotted an attacker rushing toward him.


    “A call from Janice,” ze replied,nding a punch on the approaching assant’s face. He swiftly snapped the neck and tossed the body toward another, causing a stumble.


    Wrinkling his nose at their scent, ze noted they were werewolves, but much more powerful than the ordinary werewolf.


    Thalia and Sandro might handle a few, but he doubted he or Arabe couldst much longer, especially him.


    The lingering wolfsbane in his system weakened him, and he wondered how he remained standing.


    “Your whore,” Sandro sneered, “How did she get the information?”


    “Janice isn’t my whore, and I don’t know. Let’s be grateful she’s helping us escape,” ze said.


    “I am grateful,” Sandro rolled his eyes, snarling as he tackled three approaching attackers.


    “We can discuss any issuester; for now, let’s focus on surviving,” ze urged, hearing grunts not from Sandro, Arabe, or Thalia.


    He doubted it was from any of the attackers. More grunts sounded, and he nced up to see vultures circling above.


    “Perfect,” ze grimaced, staggering as he was shoved.


    “Watch your side!” Sandro warned.


    Regaining bnce, ze saw Sandro had saved him from an attacker with a sword. The sword wasn’t apparent until now.


    “Thanks,” ze muttered, noting the cut on his arm.


    “Don’t thank me yet,” Sandro answered, and they resumed the fight.


    Sandro’s gaze shifted to Arabe, holding her own despite looking on the verge of copse. “Let’s end this,” he dered, refocusing on the attackers.


    “Stay close,” Thalia instructed Arabe, who skillfully thrust her knife into an attacker’s eyes.


    The attacker cried out in pain, clutching his eyes as blood gushed out.


    Arabe knew they couldn’t fight much longer. As each attacker fell, more emerged from the woods. Exhausted from the earlier battle with Astralys, she yearned for rest, but that seemed almost impossible.


    After minutes of struggle, all attackersy in a heap. Sandro panted, scanning the woods they had poured out from earlier. Seeing none, he took a deep breath. “I think that’s all,” he said, turning to ze, Arabe, and Thalia.


    “Thank goodness,” Thalia grimaced, wiping blood from a sword injury on her arm. “We need to get out of here.”


    “Agreed,” ze and Sandro replied simultaneously.


    A voice interrupted them, “And let you take all the des?”


    “Who the hell is that?” Sandro snapped.


    “It’s Paolo!” ze growled, attempting to rush toward Arabe, but Alessia, who he had seen sprinting towards him, was faster. She shoved him aside, facing Arabe. “Long time no see, sister,” she hissed.


    “Alessia,” Arabe breathed, eyes widening.


    Alessia, once seemingly approachable, now exuded overwhelming darkness and appeared radically different-a gothic version of her former self.


    “What do you want from me?” Arabe asked as they circled each other.


    “What do I want from you?” Alessia sniggered. “I want you dead, as always. Only one of us can exist in this world.”


    “What has he done to you?” Arabe questioned, her eyes drifting toward the man standing next to Janice.


    The family resemnce was unmistakable; ze had mentioned him as Paolo. Tall, burly, with greying hair and eyes filled with malicious intent, he exuded a vitality that contradicted his apparent age.


    Arabe couldn’t quite ce her finger on it; it felt like he was apletely different person than the one he was portraying.


    **


    “Hello, De Luca,” Paolo greeted with a smile.


    “Salvatore,” Sandro’s eyes fixed on Paolo. Thest time they crossed paths was when Sandro was seventeen, just before the tragedy that imed his mother and mate.


    Paolo, a werewolf like him, had left Ascotan and assumed a mafia identity. Sandro’s mother had a few business deals with Paolo and stopped after realizing how malicious he was and to the extent he could go to get what he desired.


    “You have what belongs to me, De Luca. I’d like it back,” Paolo stated, catching Sandro’s attention.


    From the corner of Sandro’s eye, Arabe and Alessia faced off. Paolo rified, “Oh, I’m not talking about her, though she’s important. I need the gem.”


    “What gem?” Sandro questioned, raising a brow. “The Sris Nocturnal Crest?” It was a guess.


    If the gem fell into the wrong hands, as risse/Astralys warned, the consequences could be disastrous. John had stolen it before killing Sandro’s mother.


    “Yes, that,” Paolo nodded. “Perhaps going to the grave to meet Collins, your Beta, would be a better answer. He took it, and if he didn’t give it to you, I wouldn’t know,” Sandro shrugged, eyes still on Arabe.


    He couldn’t exin why he kept watching her, even though ze was closer. A sense of impending doom lingered.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    “Why don’t I do the honor of sending you to the grave to meet him?” Paolo growled, discarding his charcoal jacket and rushing toward Sandro. Intercepting him midway, both collided with an ear-deafening thud, crashing to the ground.


    Janice moved to assist her father, but Thalia intercepted her.


    “I’ve never liked you, and my feelings were right,” Thalia spat.


    Janice snarled, eyes turning golden and canines bared. “Stay out of it, Thalia.”


    “Why don’t you tell yourself that? Because I’m going to make you eat the soil!” Thalia retorted.


    **


    “I don’t want to fight with you, Alessia. We shouldn’t be fighting,” Arabe reasoned.


    A swift kick to Arabe’s stomach made her gasp, doubling over. “Quit talking, and I am killing you!” Alessia dered.


    “Have it your way then,” Arabe muttered, straightening. “I beat you before, and I am going to do so again.”


    ze watched in astonishment as the battles unfolded-Arabe facing Alessia, Janice, and Thalia while Sandro grappled with Paolo. The surprise was that Alessia and Arabe fought without their magical powers, a relief to ze. No one would be sted or blown away by a hurricane.


    “I’m going to take the damned gems and that bitch over there from right under your nose,” Paolo dered.


    “Over my dead body, would I hand her over to you,” roared Sandro. “Kill me first before you fulfill your wish.”


    “You hate her. John killed your mate and mother. I heard all the atrocities he did. She is his offspring,” Paolo said.


    “Doesn’t matter. I hate her, but I’m the only one allowed to do so. I’m the only one allowed to touch her because she’s mine,” Sandro asserted.


    The verbal exchange continued until Paolo caught him off-guard, kicking his side and sending him flying a few distances.


    Sandro jumped to his feet, rushing forward, only to stop dead in his tracks as Paolo pulled out a gun.


    “I’m going to start with him,” Paolo nodded toward ze. “He’s weak.”


    “Don’t you dare,” Sandro grunted, eyes narrowed.


    “ze,” Arabe murmured, her gaze flickering away from Alessia momentarily. The sight of the gun rmed her, having overheard their conversation.


    “When we’re fighting, always keep your eyes on me!” Alessia yelled, booting Arabe and sending her flying toward a nearby tree.


    “Be!” ze groaned, starting forward but stumbling. Thalia caught him before he fell.


    “You shouldn’t act the hero all the time. And you shouldn’t havee here!” she scolded.


    “You beat Janice?” ze smiled, ncing at Janice lying face-t on the ground. “Is she dead?”


    “I wish I could kill her, but I made sure to teach her a lesson. Never mess with me,” Thalia said.


    ze knew Janice was strong, but Thalia outmatched her.


    “And I’m not trying to be the hero; I just wanted to help Arabe. She’s pregnant…” ze exined.


    “And not invalid,” Thalia interjected, rolling her eyes. “Besides, she’s strong and can hold her own against bitch number two.”


    Arabe and Alessia resumed fighting, and Arabe gained the upper hand. ze was proud; she wasn’t a damsel in distress, like the first time he had seen her. However, he didn’t mind because he would alwayse to her rescue.


    Gripping Thalia’s hand for support, he turned toward Arabe, hearing her call his name.


    She had incapacitated Alessia, whoy unconscious. Arabe started toward him.


    “Kiss her goodbye, Sandro,” Paolo taunted.


    Barely a millisecond after his words, he pulled the trigger, and five shots rang out. Arabe’s eyes widened, halting in her tracks. ze dashed forward instinctively, just in time to shield her.


    He gasped, ears ringing and eyes dimming momentarily. cing a hand on his chest, ze then brought it to his eyes.


    “Blood,” he mused, staring at the crimson liquid. “Blood,” he repeated before falling backward.


    Sandro and Thalia stared in a daze until Arabe’s anguished cry broke the trance. “ze!” she shrieked, running towards him.


    “No, no, no. Please, no, ze!” Arabe cried, her hands pressing on his bloodied shirt.


    ze coughed up blood, trying to focus on Arabe through his hazy vision. His hand touched her cheek, collecting her tears.


    “Why did you do it?” Arabe sobbed. “Why?!”


    “I’m d I did,” his teeth gritted, pain ring in areas where bullets had hit-his chest, head, and arms. He marveled at how he could still breathe and speak despite the agony.


    “You shouldn’t have,” Arabe scrunched up his shirt. “You shouldn’t have.”


    “Listen, Be,” ze groaned.


    “Shhh. I’ll heal you. I’ll make you better. It’s just a drop of my tears,” Arabe sniffled, pulling him to her chest, disregarding the fact that she was staining herself.


    “I doubt I can be,” he said. His hand reached for her face, and this time she helped him.


    “I love you, Be. I always will, forever,” he whispered. “Won’t you say you love me too? At least, let me die happy knowing someone cares a lot about me.”


    His lips curved up in a faint smile.


    “I love you too, ze,” Arabe replied.


    “Call my given name, Be.” He winced out.


    “I love you, Cole. I forever will, and you are not dying!” No sooner had she said that he went limp in her hands.


    She couldn’t feel his heartbeat anymore.