《Mated To The Mafia Werewolves》


 Chapter One

    August 17th, 2022


    PEACE BLOSSOM PLAZA


    COOAN city, New York.


    ¡°May I assist you with that?¡±


    Arabe straightened as a deep voice reached her ears. She furrowed her brows and squinted.


    A man around her age strode towards her, producing a lighter from the pocket of the red cargo pants he wore and igniting the cigarette jutting out from his lip. As he drew nearer, she appraised his face. He was the most handsome man she had encountered since arriving in Cooan-a sprawling city renowned for its nightlife and mysteries.


    Perhaps she hadn¡¯t interacted with enough men, given herck of outgoing nature. However, she believed she had seen more than her fair share of those who frequented the Peace Blossom za. Nheless, she was certain that he stood out due to his exceptional looks. His biceps flexed as he raised his hand to slick back his dark-brown hair into a quiff.


    She wondered whether he dedicated extensive time to styling his hair or if he had a personal stylist at his service. The brown puffer vest he wore over a white T-shirt left little to the imagination. Arabe hadn¡¯t thought someone wearing a vest could exude such sexiness, but he managed it effortlessly.


    Intricate tattoos adorned his hands, extending to his wrists. She couldn¡¯t decipher the inscriptions, but she found herself captivated by their intricate designs. Moreover, this wasn¡¯t her first time encountering him. She had glimpsed him on numerous asions while gazing through the transparent ss in her office. He often stood at a distance, quietly observing the surroundings.


    ¡°Do you like what you see?¡± he inquired.


    ¡°Jesus!¡± she coughed as he exhaled smoke in her direction.


    ¡°Is smoking prohibited in outdoor areas? Apologies for that. I wasn¡¯t aware anyone was here to be affected,¡± he said. And might she add, he wasn¡¯t sorry. At least he didn¡¯t look like he was!


    ¡°Do not blow it in my face, and I see nothing,¡± she retorted, flinching as his hand brushed hers.


    ¡°I could have sworn I caught you checking me out just now,¡± he rasped, a cocky grin ying on his lips.


    Goodness, his voice. Arabe mentally swooned. ¡°Only in your dreams,¡± she muttered, her fingers itching to wipe the grin off his face.


    ¡°I know of quite a few things we could do in my dreams,¡± he hinted.


    She scoffed, taken aback. ¡°Are you here to help me or not?¡±


    ¡°You should ask nicely,¡± he pointed out.


    ¡°That thing is injurious to your health,¡± she said, pointing to the cigarette. ¡°And it makes me want to throw up.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll put it out now since you said it nicely,¡± he replied, tossing the cigarette, almost flicking the butt away and extinguishing the light with hisbat boot. ¡°Besides, I only help a woman who begs for it.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t beg for your help; you volunteered. And if you want to be cocky about it, you can move,¡± Arabe said, pping his hand away as he tried to touch the cart.Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    ¡°Don¡¯t you need my help anymore?¡± he asked.


    ¡°You said I should beg for it,¡± she retorted, staring at him. She noticed him suppressing a smile and wondered if he was teasing her.


    ¡°But you didn¡¯t want to. So, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s no reason to help. You are not a damsel in distress, and I help such people.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m no damsel in distress, and you are no hero but a jerk. So, I am perfectly able to do this¡­¡± Arabe attempted to lift the heavy groceries from the cart into the loading van.


    She lost her footing and staggered back with the loads in her hand, but the stranger before her caught her before she could fall. Her heart pounded in her chest as she gazed at him. Her hand clenched his vest as she stared into his beautiful toffee eyes.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be allowed to lift something as heavy as this,¡± he said after steadying her.


    ¡°It¡¯s no big deal; I¡¯ve managed quite well since I started working.¡±


    ¡°Still, you shouldn¡¯t be allowed to do this. It¡¯s a man¡¯s job.¡±


    Arabe nodded, her heart warmed. He was the first person to care about what she was carrying. No one had ever inquired about her well-being until now.


    ¡°I can manage¡­¡± she trailed off as he nudged her aside.


    Effortlessly, he lifted the loads as if they were empty sacks, depositing them all in the van. He was done in seconds, a task that would have taken her at least an hour toplete.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Arabe smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t sweat it.¡± He shrugged and proceeded on his way.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Arabe shouted before she could help herself. She grimaced, shaking her head as her leg moved towards him. Luckily, he halted and cocked his brows. ¡°Do you live around here? I¡¯ve seen you a lottely.¡± That was a weird question even to her. However, her brain was odd when it came to thinking sometimes. ze shrugged but said nothing. She was pretty inquisitive, and he was intrigued. Usually, he never lingered too much when it came to the women of Cooan, but she was different.


    He didn¡¯t know how; it felt as if he could almost rte to her. Also, he didn¡¯t know how to say no to her, and it was just his first time talking to her.


    ¡°You seem so secretive.¡± Arabe narrowed her eyes at him.


    ¡°You don¡¯t expect me to tell my life story to a stranger,¡± ze replied promptly.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say you should.¡± Arabe scowled. ¡°I was only curious.¡±


    ¡°Well, stop being curious.¡± He grunted. ¡°You can get hurt.¡± What was wrong with sexy men acting so mysterious? She didn¡¯t know, but most she had seen were like him.


    They never disclosed their identity and only engaged in small talk. She hadn¡¯t spoken to a lot, but the ones she had acted the same way. ¡°At least tell me your name!¡± She yelled at his retreating back.


    ze stepped towards her, and she flinched as he gripped the shirt pocket she donned.


    ¡°It¡¯s ze.¡± He mumbled, ncing around.


    ¡°Arabe.¡± She replied. Even though he didn¡¯t need her to introduce herself, as he knew her even before now, he didn¡¯t want her to know he was stalking her.


    He was known to do his job neatly. His interaction with her could get him in trouble as well. But she required his help. He had a soft spot for damsels in distress. No matter who they were.


    ¡°Is that your given name?¡± Arabe asked.


    ze heaved a breath and shrugged again, ¡°Figure that out yourself.¡±


    ¡°Jesus! Why is he acting like his pants are in a twist? It was just an innocent question,¡± Arabe grumbled, rolling her eyes. She sighed as she watched him mount the monstrous-looking motorbike, zooming away.


    Arabe straightened as her supervisor, ire, stepped towards her.


    ¡°I noticed you were interacting with that guy,¡± ire said, her dark-brown eyes narrowing at Arabe. Thetter twisted her fingers while staring down.


    ¡°He was just helping me out,¡± Arabe mumbled. She was aware that interacting with people while working was prohibited unless it was work-rted. ¡°It won¡¯t happen again,¡± she added with a sigh.


    ¡°I¡¯m not deducting it from your paycheck,¡± ire began.


    ¡°You are not?¡± Arabe asked, her eyes widening. It was her first time socializing outside during work, and it was her first time hearing her stern supervisor not wanting to deduct from her paycheck. It had never happened before, and it felt strange. She eyed the middle-aged, slender woman in front of her.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to advise you like a mother,¡± Arabe let out a relieved sigh before looking at her. ¡°About what?¡±


    ¡°Cooan is a dangerous ce; you should be careful who you associate with. Haven¡¯t you heard about the recent crime wave?¡±


    Arabe nodded. Thetest incident was the mysterious disappearance of teenage girls. Although she wasn¡¯t a teenager, she could fit the description. Standing at 5 feet 6 inches, with a lithe body, she loved her physique, but she knew she could be mistaken for a teenager due to her stature. Nheless, she didn¡¯t understand how what was happening was rted to ze.


    ¡°I know you might not fully grasp this, but stay away from him and be cautious,¡± Arabe nodded, saying, ¡°I will.¡±


    ¡°Now, get back to work,¡± ire said, giving her shoulder a p. ¡°I might not let this go next time.¡±


    ¡°Definitely, you won¡¯t,¡± Arabe muttered, shing ire a bright smile as she turned. ¡°Did you say something?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything,¡± Arabe replied.


    ire nodded and headed towards therge building.


    Once she was gone, Arabe¡¯s thoughts returned to ze. She red at the spot where she had met him and sighed, ¡°Goodness, I really wanted to learn more about him.¡± She pouted and tapped the box while stalling for a bit and, simultaneously keeping an eye out for ire. Seeing no sign of him, she rolled her eyes and resumed her task until her work shift ended.

 Chapter Two

    ¡°Please¡­ Stop!¡±


    ¡°Leave me alone!¡± Arabe jolted awake, her voice quivering with fear and panic.


    She let out a piercing scream, gasping for breath, and clutched her throat as sweat dripped down her face. Frantically, she groped for the bedsidemp switch, identally knocking something off the nightstand. With the room bathed in light, her eyes widened, and she huddled on the bed, rocking back and forth.


    It had returned.


    The nightmare had returned, its haunting grip as strong as ever. Despite her best efforts to suppress the memories of that dreadful night, they surged back with even greater intensity. For the past two years, she had believed it to be behind her, only to have it resurface today.


    After each urrence of the nightmare, she found herself pondering the same question about her father¡¯s involvement in the crime. It was a relentless query that echoed in her mind, but one for which she could never unearth answers.


    Arabe grimaced and raked a hand through her disheveled hair. She descended from the bed, moving towards the window. Sleep hadpletely fled her, reced by an overwhelming flood of fear, pain, and grief that now seemed to be her constantpanions.


    She tugged at her hair, fighting against the urge to scream, forcing her turbulent emotions under control. But the tears, they couldn¡¯t be contained. Her vision blurred as she sniffled, the first tear tracing a path down her pallid cheek. She bit down on her quivering lower lip, her thoughts consumed by the jumbled mess her life had be.


    Ever since the incident six years ago, she had been living as though she were a fugitive, relentlessly pursued. She wasn¡¯t a criminal, but she was acutely aware that if he found her, he would fulfill the chilling promise he had made to her father that dreadful night.


    Arabe acknowledged her father¡¯s wisdom in his warning. No matter where she sought refuge, he always managed to locate her. Each narrow escape was a testament to sheer luck. Yet, she couldn¡¯t help but wonder how much longer her luck would hold.


    A shudder coursed through her as she contemted the terrifying prospect of him finally tracking her down. She had severed ties with friends and family, leaving her utterly alone. There would be no one to search for her, no one to miss her if she vanished. Even her colleagues at work were distant acquaintances at best.


    Arabe was a loner, a fact well-known to those around her. After all, she had been working at Peace Blossom za for only three months-far too short a time to establish any meaningful friendships.


    ¡°Seriously,¡± Arabe muttered with a bitterugh, her lips twisting into a wry smile. She brushed her cheeks with her palm, trying to wipe away the tears, then directed her gaze at the ceiling. It appeared as though it might copse at any moment. With a heavy sigh, she shifted her focus to the window.


    But how could she even entertain the idea of friendship when she was perpetually on the move? With her transient lifestyle, settling down in one neighborhood was a luxury she couldn¡¯t afford.


    She was only twenty years old, yet on the run. Arabe¡¯s mind involuntarily returned to the night her father was brutally murdered. The image of Allesandro De Luca shooting her father was seared into her memory. The blood, the pain etched on her father¡¯s face as he crumpled to the ground-it haunted her every waking moment. She had witnessed it all from her hiding ce. She had even seen the face of the monster responsible and wished she could do the same to him.


    Tears trickled down her cheeks as she continued to navigate the deste streets of New York City. The darkness of the night concealed her as she urgently sought the location her father had mentioned before he was killed.


    ¡°Papa,¡± she whispered, her voice trembling with grief.


    She closed her eyes, attempting to dispel the image of her father¡¯s lifeless body, his skull brutally vited by a bullet. She drew in a shuddering breath and blinked rapidly, trying to clear her vision.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± she mumbled as she collided with a passerby.


    The person reached out to steady her, but she evaded the offered hand and quickened her pace. Fatigue gnawed at her, and hunger pangs added to her distress. Nevertheless, she couldn¡¯t afford to stop, lest they catch up to her.


    Ever since she fled her home, she had refrained from looking back, consumed by the fear of being pursued.


    Finally, Arabe darted into a dimly lit corner, allowing a sigh to escape her lips. She furrowed her brows, her gaze settling on an old, dpidated warehouse. She wiped her tear-streaked cheeks with the back of her hand and retrieved a crumpled piece of paper and a set of keys from the back pocket of her torn jeans.


    As she squinted at the paper, moonlight came to her aid, rendering the words legible. Themppost nearby provided little illumination, leaving the surroundings mostly in shadows.


    She diverted her gaze from the crumpled paper in her hand and examined the location.


    Approaching the metal gate, Arabe selected a key and inserted it into the padlock¡¯s hole. With a push, she creaked open the old, rusted gate, taking care to close it behind her as she entered.


    Standing near the closed door, her eyes widened. Illumination flooded the warehouse, raising questions about potential upants. ¡°Hello¡­¡± she called out tentatively, but only her own voice reverberated through the space.


    Her brows furrowed as she noticed several ck bags strewn across arge table in the center of the room. Her heartbeat quickened, and she clenched her hands, drawn almost involuntarily toward the table.


    With hands trembling, she unzipped one of the bags. A gasp escaped her lips as a cascade of dor bills spilled out. She hastily covered her mouth to stifle an impending scream. Retrieving a sheet of paper that had fallen from the bag, her eyes raced over the contents. The realization hit her like a tidal wave.


    Her father had been fully aware. He understood he was leaving her in a harsh world, and he had taken steps to alleviate her burden¡­


    Arabe jerked, roused from her reverie by a twinge in her hand. Her narrowed gaze locked onto a woodpecker, its flight breaking her train of thought as it disappeared into the distance.


    She shook her head, shifting her attention from the old wall clock to the swaying trees beyond. The knowledge that her father had left her resources did little to soothe her. Instead, it tore at her emotions, tears streaming down her cheeks. The void left by her father¡¯s absence was overwhelming. She longed to have him back, to seize the opportunity for one more chance to see him.


    ______________


    Alessandro De Luca, who often went by the name Sandro within his close circle, tilted his head back, a moan escaping his parted lips.


    The woman knelt before him, a provocative grin curving her lips, their corners crinkling suggestively. A teasing flicker of her tongue against the tip of his manhood was followed by its full eptance into her mouth.


    Sandro grunted, his fists tangled in her curly red hair as she worked her magic on him. It didn¡¯t take long for him to find his release, and he spilled his load into her mouth. He sighed with satisfaction, but the woman wasn¡¯t finished yet. He had paid her to please him for the entire day, and she had only just begun performing fetio on him.


    He groaned as a knock resounded on the door. He wasn¡¯t expecting anyone. He had instructed his secretary to cancel all his appointments for the day. He wondered who was about to interrupt the erotic session he was engaged in.


    ¡°Come in,¡± Sandro called out, irritation evident as the knocking persisted.


    He pushed the woman straddling hisp aside, and raised an eyebrow as one of his security agents strode into the room.


    ¡°Would you care to exin the reason for this interruption?¡± Sandro¡¯s voice was icy, his annoyance evident.


    ¡°I apologize for the intrusion, Signore, but I¡¯ve brought you some information,¡± the security agent said, still bowing his head respectfully.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Sandro narrowed his eyes, his tone demanding.


    ¡°We¡¯ve managed to track down the Signorina in the new neighborhood. We¡¯ve located her current whereabouts.¡±


    A grin spread across Sandro¡¯s face. ¡°She can run, but she can¡¯t hide from me.¡±


    ¡°Take the others with you. Ensure that she doesn¡¯t escape this time. If you fail, I¡¯ll have your heads served to my dogs. Do you understand?¡± Sandro¡¯s threat hung in the air.


    Giuseppe trembled with fear, his anxiety evident. He swallowed hard, familiar with Sandro¡¯s brutal punishments. He had no desire to be a scapegoat.


    ¡°Yes, Signore,¡± Giuseppe stammered before turning to leave the room.


    ¡°Wait,¡± Sandro¡¯smanding voice stopped him in his tracks.


    ¡°Bring the woman to me alive. I intend to punish her myself.¡±


    ¡°Understood, Signore,¡± Giuseppe responded, quickly exiting the room to carry out his assigned task.


    ¡°Finally, Arabe, you have nowhere left to hide,¡± a smirk formed on Sandro¡¯s chiseled face, a wicked gleam dancing in his green eyes. He briefly contemted going to meet her himself, despite his confidence in his agents. He wanted to apprehend her personally.


    ¡°How about we continue what we were doing?¡±


    Sandro¡¯s head snapped toward the doorway leading to the bathroom, where the whore Lizzo had appeared.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he responded, shing her a toothy grin. However, it wasn¡¯t due to his happiness about her actions, but rather because of her presence.


    Arabe¡­ He yearned to wrap his hands around her tiny neck and snap it. The anticipation of meting out the punishments he had swirling in his head toward her consumed him. Ultimately, he eagerly anticipated their meeting.

 Chapter Three

    Arabe¡¯s gaze shifted to the wall clock once again, the umpteenth time she had checked, and midnight had arrived.


    Rubbing her tired eyes, she sighed, her thoughts focused on the reason for waking at such an odd hour, though she didn¡¯t know why. Nheless, a certainty that something was about to ur enveloped her, impossible to ignore.


    This sensation was familiar, not for the first time. It mirrored the feeling she had experienced when her father was killed. Had she been older then, she might have persuaded her father to flee, avoiding the tragic oue. Unfortunately, her age at that time had stopped her from making that decision.


    ¡°Alessandro,¡± she murmured, the name leaving her lips almost involuntarily.


    A shiver coursed through her, the fine hairs on the back of her neck standing on end at the mere mention of his name. She couldn¡¯t rationalize how she knew, but she was convinced that this inexplicable feeling was somehow connected to him.


    ¡°What if he found me again?¡± Her voice trembled as the words escaped.


    Arabe embraced herself, rocking back and forth, lost in contemtion of the possibilities. Since that night, she hadn¡¯t crossed paths with Alessandro, nor had she received anymunication from him. In fact, she had been living her life, albeit with a tinge of loneliness, which was still a preferable state to the sheer terror he had instilled in her.


    Pushing herself off the bed, she approached the window and drew back the curtains. The sight that met her eyes caused her to gasp involuntarily, reflexively mming the curtains shut before cautiously peering out once more.


    ¡°Shit, they¡¯ve found me!¡± she cursed under her breath, teeth gritted and hands clenched as her gaze fell upon the familiar ck van parked a considerable distance from her apartment.


    The van had been trailing her for a while after work hours, though she hadn¡¯t given it much thought until now.Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    ¡°I¡¯ve been so oblivious!¡± She groaned, pping her forehead in frustration.


    Realization dawned that the van was likely a threat, and its pursuit had been directed at her. If only she had connected the dots sooner, she could have taken swift action. Her residence was now encircled, with additional vehicles and motorcycles converging. She couldn¡¯t help but wonder who else in the building might be the target of this ominous intrusion.


    The only viable option was to exit through the rear door.


    Running a hand through her hair, she hastily tied it up in a messy ponytail. Changing into a clean top and denim shorts, she geared up for swifter movement, aware that time was of the essence.


    Furthermore, she found sce in the darkness. It would allow her to blend into the shadows, facilitating her movement without drawing undue attention.


    Hurrying into the bathroom, she sshed her face with water, exiting almost immediately. A small duffel bag was hastily filled with a selection of clothes and essential items she deemed necessary. With onest fleeting nce at her apartment, Arabe slipped out.


    However, fortune seemed to have abandoned her. The moment she emerged through the back door, she whirled around, a gentle tap on her shoulder sending a shiver down her spine.


    A piercing shriek escaped Arabe¡¯s lips as she sighted the figure before her, d in an all-ck ensemble. The man removed his gloves, the movement catching her eye, her gaze trailing from his sizable palms to his face.


    Alessandro De Luca!


    The mental image she had harbored of him paled inparison to reality. Herst memory of him dated back six years when she was just fourteen. He had possessed a striking handsomeness then, a tall figure that seemed ripped from a magazine cover. She had believed ze to be the epitome of male beauty, but this man before her effortlessly outshone those notions.


    Even the grimace on his face couldn¡¯t diminish his allure. Unbidden thoughts surged within her, thoughts she immediately chastised herself for. He was the enemy, after all, and indulging in such fantasies was absurd.


    ¡°No¡­¡± Her voice was a mere murmur, apanied by a vehement shake of her head. ¡°He¡¯s the enemy. I shouldn¡¯t be having such indecent thoughts about him.¡±


    ¡°Hello, Princess,¡± Sandro¡¯s voice oozed with a mocking smirk, eliciting an involuntary flinch from her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about those naughty thoughts; I seem to inspire them in everyone.¡±


    Their gazes locked, Arabe¡¯s eyes meeting his intense green stare.


    ¡°Sweet dreams,¡± his words were mumbled, lips pursing as if blowing a kiss.


    In a blur, Alessandro closed the distance, blocking her escape route. His sudden movement forced her to attempt a sidestep, yet he was quicker, his grip finding her neck in a vice-like hold.


    Arabe¡¯s mouth opened in a desperate attempt to scream, but the sound was stifled before it could emerge. A searing pain radiated from her neck, swallowing her protests in darkness.


    She sped Alessandro¡¯s hand, feeling his grip tighten on hers, and blinked as her vision blurred.


    ¡°W-what did you do to me?¡± she slurred, her head pounding. A heavy sensation weighed on her skull, and the world in front of her became indistinct. He must have injected her with something, but she couldn¡¯t discern anything clearly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t fight it,¡± Sandro rasped. ¡°Have a wonderful dream.¡±


    Arabe grunted as he administered whatever he had done to her neck once again.


    ¡°Shit!¡± she eximed before sumbing to the enveloping ckness.


    ______


    Arabe grimaced as she awakened. Her head continued to throb, and her mouth carried a sour taste as if she had feasted on lemons the previous night.


    She rubbed her eyes upon opening them, immediately regretting the action as they ached. With determination, she forced herself to sit up on the bed, grimacing and massaging her neck as a twinge of pain shot through it.


    Then, the back of her hand grazed her temple. Warmth radiated from the spot, causing her to wince. A fever seemed to be brewing. However, recalling thest time she had been sick proved difficult. She reckoned whether it resulted from overworking herself in the za over the past month.


    It wasn¡¯t out of necessity; she had ample resources to sustain herself for a lifetime. Her motivation was rooted in experiencing the sensation of working for money.


    The room¡¯s curtain rustled, diverting her attention. She recognized that this wasn¡¯t her room. The space she upied couldn¡¯t possibly match the grandeur and expansiveness of her current surroundings. The room¡¯s decor even radiated opulence, leading her to wonder if she had been abducted.


    Recollections of the preceding day flooded her mind, apanied by images of men dressed in ck, Vans, and motorcycles.


    ¡°Jesus, Alessandro!¡± Arabe eximed, pushing herself upright on the bed.

 Chapter Four

    Arabe¡¯s hand instinctively moved to her neck again, remembering how he had injected her twice with an unknown substance. She bolted out of bed and rushed to the door, her trembling hand gripping the cold metal doorknob, yanking it open forcefully.


    ¡°Shit!¡± She cursed, kicking the door with the ck ballet t she was wearing and tugging at her hair in frustration. She was in serious trouble. How had she ended up in a situation like this?


    She let out an exasperated sigh while scanning the room for any means of escape. Her chest felt constricted as her heart raced, the familiar sensation of a panic attack beginning to wash over her. After regaining control over the overwhelming emotions, Arabe took a step closer to the door.


    Twisting the knob, she was relieved to find that it turned easily. A tentative smile formed on her lips as she swung the door open, only for it to vanish as soon as she spotted the person standing on the other side.


    She recoiled, a hand instinctively flying to her mouth to stifle an inaudible shriek. She staggered backward, her wide eyes locked onto the figure before her.


    ¡°Well, well, sleeping beauty is finally awake! I suppose we should have a feast to celebrate the asion,¡± a devilish smirk yed on his sinful lips.


    Sandro¡¯s sea-green eyes twinkled with amusement as he pped his hands together and advanced into the room. ¡°My assertion that you couldn¡¯t run forever seems to have been urate. Do you finally believe me?¡±


    Arabe shivered the emotions within her like an open book for Sandro to read. A chuckle escaped his lips, his amusement evident at her fear.


    He believed she needed to experience this fear, a necessary means of conveying the seriousness of his intentions-everything he had conveyed to her father before. Sandro leaned in, his handsing to rest on either side of her head, effectively trapping her.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, princess?¡± His voice, deep and baritone, caressed her senses. Arabe¡¯s body reacted, her nipples tingling in response to his proximity. She bit her lower lip hard, a mixture of desire and difort coursing through her.


    ¡°Is a feast too modest a way to celebrate your arrival, or perhaps there¡¯s something you¡¯d like to share with me?¡± Sandro sneered, his eyes locked onto hers, searching for something he couldn¡¯t quite define. Despite himself, he couldn¡¯t tear his gaze away from her. Even in her disheveled state just after waking, she possessed a captivating beauty that seemed effortless-an infuriating fact that only heightened his annoyance.


    Her tinum blonde hair was natural, unlike the many artificial ones he had encountered. Her bright blue eyes locked onto him, almost as if she was peering into his very soul. He was certain she had inherited her striking looks from her mother, not her ursed father. He observed those eyes brimming with tears, ones she was fighting hard to suppress.


    His instinctive urge to caress her face battled with his restraint, and he inwardly cursed the internal struggle. His own body was betraying him, reacting to her presence-something he despised.


    ¡°Let go of me¡­¡± Arabe¡¯s voice held a note of grim determination, though it came out weaker than she intended.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°You should damn well beg me!¡± he growled, his grip on her chin tightening. ¡°You should grovel before me, you damn bitch!¡±


    Arabe clenched her teeth, biting her lip hard. She managed to meet his gaze, finding him still fixated on her. Her heart raced, and her eyes briefly flickered in defiance.


    ¡°Do you want me to force you to beg?¡± The words shouldn¡¯t have held a seductive undertone, but he managed to infuse them with one, igniting a dangerous spark.


    Her legs wavered, and dampness pooled within her core.


    ¡°P-please, release me,¡± she mumbled, her gaze dropping momentarily.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t hear that, bitch.¡± Sandro¡¯s palms mmed against the rough wall behind her, causing her to flinch involuntarily.


    ¡°Perhaps a touch louder this time. I might consider sparing you,¡± he taunted.


    ¡°P-please¡­¡±


    Sandro tilted his head back and burst intoughter. ¡°Now we¡¯re getting somewhere. I smell fear, and I must confess, I enjoy evoking such sentiments.¡±


    Arabe¡¯s body twitched, her eyes widening as he produced a gun from the leather jacket he wore.


    ¡°Are you nning to end my life?¡±


    ¡°Undoubtedly,¡± he muttered, the gun now pressed against her temple. ¡°Did you imagine I¡¯d show you mercy?¡±


    Arabe shook her head, wincing as her heart contracted painfully. She clutched at her chest, her heartbeat elerating, tears escaping down her cheeks. Her vulnerability was undeniable, and the bastard before her seemed to revel in it.


    Death was not her desire. It was the furthest thought from her mind. But as she faced Sandro, the gun aimed at her, she couldn¡¯t help but feel her luck had finally run dry.


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t kill me!¡± Arabe¡¯s plea echoed desperately through the dimly lit room.


    Sandro snorted derisively. ¡°Do you really believe I¡¯d spare you just because of a few tears? For all I know, those could be fake.¡±


    His demeanor shifted abruptly. The yful facade he had worn seconds ago dissolved into a grimace that twisted his handsome face. With a sneer, he roughly seized a fistful of her waist-length white hair.


    Sandro¡¯s nostrils red as he inhaled the scent of her hair, which was wrapped around his hand-notes of vani and strawberry. This innocent yet provocative aroma brought memories rushing back.


    ¡°But that¡¯s not going to happen, Cara Mia,¡± he muttered, his tone dripping with bitter irony.


    Arabe gasped as Sandro pressed his body against hers. She instinctively tried to push him away, but he swiftly caught her hands and pinned them above her head, a gun now held against her temple.


    Her eyes squeezed shut as the gun clicked, her breath catching as a silent prayer filled her thoughts. Though the words eluded her, she hoped desperately that he would spare her, that he wouldn¡¯t follow through with the evil intent in his mind.


    ¡°You know, I did contemte killing you,¡± Sandro admitted, his voice tinged with a dark amusement that sent shivers down her spine. He used the gun¡¯s butt to wipe away the tears streaking down her cheeks, his touch oddly intimate in its brutality.


    ¡°Curious to know what I have in store for you, Be?¡± His words bore a thick Italian ent as he enunciated her name with a dangerous sensuality.


    With a fingertip, he tilted her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze. ¡°Look at me, Tesoro,¡± he urged, his tone coaxing yetmanding.


    Arabe shook her head, defiance warring with fear, causing her eyes to remain tightly shut against the scene before her.


    ¡°I demand that you look at me!¡± he growled, his grip on her chin bordering on painful.


    ¡°Open your eyes unless you want to regret it this very moment!¡±


    Startled, Arabe flinched, her fluttering eyshes brushing against her cheeks as sheplied, revealing her wide, cerulean gaze.


    Her blue orbs collided with his sea-green ones, a sh of intensity and vulnerability.


    ¡°I possess numerous ways to make you suffer,¡± Sandro¡¯s voice lowered to a dangerous murmur as his gaze roved possessively over her form.


    ¡°Consider yourself fortunate that I¡¯m showing you even an ounce of leniency. But make no mistake; I can make you crave death, deny you that release for eternity. Do you understand why?¡±


    Arabe shook her head, a mixture of defiance and fear in her eyes. The man before her, this Alessandro De Luca, was someone she despised, someone she couldn¡¯t fathom.


    She yearned to flee from him, to escape even the bounds of the earth¡¯s surface if possible. Yet, she held certainty that no matter how great the distance she crossed, he would inevitably hunt her down.


    ¡°Dearest Be,¡± Sandro murmured, his touch a caress on her pointed chin, ¡°it¡¯s because I am death incarnate.¡±


    The chill in his voice sent tremors through Arabe. Death might indeed be a preferable escape, she thought, her mind briefly considering the notion. Anything seemed better than submitting herself to him in such a repulsive manner.


    The prospect of bing a sex ve to her enemy was an agony surpassing even the threat of a bullet to her head. Her fingers clutched the gun, and she pressed it to her temple, desperation, and defiance in her eyes.


    ¡°End me!¡± she implored. ¡°I¡¯d sooner meet death than lie with a man like you!¡±


    ¡°Lower your voice!¡± Sandro¡¯s retort was sharp, his hand tightening around her neck.


    Arabe¡¯s gasp was choked out, and she instinctively struck his shoulder. ¡°S-Stop,¡± she managed to utter.


    His grip on her neck released, but his re remained unrelenting. ¡°Be thankful I¡¯m willing to spare your life and offer you a chance as my-¡±


    ¡°Sex ve,¡± Arabe cut in, her voice edged with bitterness.


    ¡°There are countless women who¡¯d beg to take your ce.¡±


    Tremors wracked Arabe¡¯s frame. As much as she longed to p his smug face, she understood the risk that came with such defiance.


    ¡°What do you want from me? I¡¯ve wronged you in no way!¡±


    Sandro¡¯s reply was delivered with a chilling calmness. ¡°Darling, you¡¯re settling your father¡¯s debt.¡±


    Tears welled up, blurring her vision, and Arabe fought to suppress them. Crying in front of him was a vulnerability she loathed, one he seemed to relish.


    ¡°Prepare yourself for your new surroundings. This marks the start of your punishment. If I were you, I wouldn¡¯t want to be caught off guard.¡± With those words, he exited the room, leaving her in stunned silence.


    Arabe released a heavy sigh, copsing onto the bed. She closed her eyes, contemting her limited options. Death wasn¡¯t her wish, and bing Sandro¡¯s sex ve was a nauseating prospect she couldn¡¯t bear.


    Her mind spun, searching for a conceivable escape from this torment. Was there a way out of this wretched dilemma?

 Chapter Five

    The disorderly chirping of birds awakened Arabe from her slumber. She gently massaged her temple and exhaled deeply as she slowly sat up on the chilly tiled floor. With furrowed brows, she recollected the reason for finding herself sleeping on the floor. Memories from the previous night flooded her mind as she shook her head.


    It had been because of Sandro. After leaving her in a state of agitation, he returned to taunt her once again, asserting ownership over her and her possessions. He had deemed her absurd for outrightly rejecting his offer, and as a result, he coerced her into retracting her words by nearly choking her to the brink of death.


    Arabe believed his stopping was prompted only when he saw her gasping for air. However, she had doubts that it was driven by pity, as he seemed to relish every moment of his actions. In fact, she was convinced that he hesitated solely to revel in watching her wheeze and grovel before him. The humiliation was deep, yet her frail body left her powerless to resist.


    A knock resounded at the door, jolting her out of her thoughts. Arabe stood up abruptly, immediately regretting the hasty movement as her head spun.


    She stumbled towards the vanity, clutching it for support while she exhaled. After regaining her bnce, she straightened up. Her forehead creased as the knocking persisted. While she remained uncertain about the visitor¡¯s identity, she risked a guess that it was none other than the formidable Alessandro De Luca himself. He might havee to criticize her and force her into pleading for her life-the life she believed was on the ridge of being extinguished.


    With measured steps, she approached the door, her breathing uneven. She wiped her mmy palms on her denim shorts and swallowed the lump lodged in her throat. What actions would he unleash upon entering the room, she pondered as her quivering hand closed around the doorknob. Despite her efforts not to sumb to his presence¡¯s threat, she found herself consistently failing.


    Her teeth sank on her lower lip as she turned the lock before opening the door. Stepping two paces backward, she braced herself for the expected taunt. However, upon opening her eyes a few secondster, she was met not by the sea-green eyes she had anticipated but by deep-brown ones.


    Standing before her wasn¡¯t Sandro but rather a petitedy with ebony skin. Her vividly dyed red hair formed a cascade of curls, and she appeared to be roughly Arabe¡¯s age.


    ¡°Good morning, Arabe,¡± her hazel eyes gleamed, and her plump lips curved into a broad smile. With a wrinkle of her long nose, she ventured further into the room.


    Startled, Arabe arched her brows as she studied the neer. She pondered if she had encountered this woman somewhere before, but her mind drew a nk when searching for any resemnce to someone familiar.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be surprised,¡± the redhead chimed, her smile unwavering. ¡°The boss informed me about you. I¡¯m your maid, Janice.¡±


    ¡°The boss?¡± Arabe inquired. Before even receiving a response, she knew precisely who was being referred to.Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    ¡°Signore Alessandro De Luca,¡± Janice confirmed.


    Suppressing a shudder, Arabe concentrated on Janice¡¯s presence and words, deliberately diverting her thoughts from him.


    ¡°So, uh¡­?¡± Janice yfully nudged Arabe, causing her to start.


    ¡°Oh, sorry,¡± Janice quickly apologized. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize your mind was preupied.¡±


    Arabe managed a smile. ¡°It¡¯s alright, Janice. I don¡¯t mean to be impolite. It¡¯s nice to meet you, but I truly don¡¯t believe I require a maid.¡±


    ¡°Please,¡± Janice chuckled, waving her hands dismissively. ¡°You can¡¯t go against his wishes.¡±


    ¡°I can, and I-¡± Arabe began, her resolve faltering.


    ¡°Now,e on,¡± Janice interjected, her tone insistent. ¡°He wishes to see you soon, and I need to prepare you before the appointed time. I¡¯d rather not find myself in trouble.¡±


    Janice guided Arabe out of the room before she could offer further resistance.


    ¡°Prepare for what?¡± Arabe questioned.


    ¡°Why not let me perform my duties without interruptions from you?¡± Janice said. ¡°You¡¯ll find out once I¡¯m finished. If I were to assume, maybe he intends to share a breakfast of sorts with you.¡±


    Arabe sighed, closing her eyes. She nibbled on her lower lip and clenched her fists. Would he be following through with his derations from the day before? She silently protested within herself. The prospect of being enved in such a manner was her worst nightmare.


    She craved for his summons to revolve solely around breakfast and not the distressing notions that gued her thoughts.


    After a while, Janice¡¯s gaze remained on Arabe¡¯s reflection in the mirror.


    ¡°You look exquisite, Arabe, just like your name suggests-absolutely gorgeous,¡± sheplimented, delicately putting the finishing touches on Arabe¡¯s face.


    ¡°I doubt that,¡± Arabe grimaced.


    Even with her awareness of her stunning reflection, Arabe knew her current look was primarily a result of Janice¡¯s help. The real reason for Alessandro¡¯s asking her to appear before him remained a mystery to her, but the attire she found herself in-or rather, had been coerced into-didn¡¯t sit well with her.


    The sequined dress, with its short sleeves and mid-thigh length, clung to her body like a second skin. She marveled at how perfectly it fit her petite frame, pondering how they had managed to get her size right. She scowled at her chest, instinctively attempting to cover the pronounced cleavage that was on disy, yet her efforts proved futile. She pondered whether it was the push-up bra she had been forced into or the dress¡¯s plunging neckline itself that was exposing too much.


    As if these concerns weren¡¯t enough, the dress also featured an open back, leaving little to the imagination.


    Exhaling sharply, she turned her attention to Janice. ¡°Could I maybe wear something else? This feels overly showy. And seriously, who on earth would choose such a-such an outrageous outfit?!¡±

 Chapter Six

    ¡°The boss did,¡± Janice said.


    Alessandro Fucking De Luca. Goodness, he was truly testing her patience, Arabe mused.


    ¡°Did you say something?¡± Janice furrowed her brows.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t,¡± Arabe ground her teeth, her gaze locked onto the mirror.


    ¡°As you seem fine with it, shall we get going? It¡¯s nearly time, and our boss doesn¡¯t have a fondness forteness. Although, you might be an exception, given his apparent fondness for you.¡±


    ¡°If you only knew my situation, you wouldn¡¯t think that¡­¡± Arabe mumbled.


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Janice inquired.


    ¡°Never mind. Let¡¯s get going.¡±


    Arabe took a deep breath, her stomach churning with knots. ¡®Help me, dear Lord,¡¯ she whispered as she walked out of the room with Janice.


    They rounded three corners and passed ten rooms as Arabe counted before they arrived at a door.


    ¡°See youter,¡± Janice said, pointing to the door in front of them. ¡°This is the boss¡¯s bedroom.¡±


    ¡°Please, Janice,¡± Arabe clutched her hand just as Janice was about to move. ¡°Stay with me a bit. Don¡¯t leave me.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± Janice eximed, surprised by Arabe¡¯s sudden embrace.


    ¡°He¡¯s truly harmless, don¡¯t be afraid,¡± Janiceforted, her hand gently stroking Arabe¡¯s back.


    Arabe shook her head and held on tighter. She doubted that Janice¡¯s perception of Alessandro was urate. The man she hade to know was a ruthless murderer, devoid of emotion and unconcerned about her well-being.


    Despite her resignation to her fate, Arabe didn¡¯t want to be anywhere near him. The wicked gleam she had seen in his eyes promised nothing but torment, and she dreaded what he had nned for her.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough now; the boss is waiting!¡± came a stern voice.


    Arabe flinched, and Janice tightened her grip on Arabe¡¯s hand. It was one of the guards she had spotted outside her door the previous day. Arabe shifted her gaze from his narrowed toffee-colored eyes to Janice¡¯s.


    ¡°I must leave. I¡¯ll be close by if you require my assistanceter.¡± Janice said.


    Arabe nodded, taking a deep breath as Janice silently mouthed, ¡®Good luck.¡¯


    She desperately needed luck, yet she questioned if luck would truly be on her side.


    The moment Arabe stepped into the room, an overpowering urge to dart right back out surged through her. Her sweaty palm found its ce on her thumping chest as she remained rooted by the door.


    Blinking rapidly, Arabe attempted to adjust her eyes to the room¡¯s dim lighting. However, it was still too dim to discern even the faintest shadow. Despite theck of any discernible presence, the scent that permeated the room contradicted this.


    ¡°Come here,¡± Sandro¡¯smand cut through the air.


    Arabe hesitated by the door. She scanned the room for him, trying to locate his form amidst the shadows.


    Sandro was positioned beside the grand four-poster bed. He shifted away, making his way to the vanity. The wine ss in his hand found its ce on the table¡¯s surface.


    ¡°Do I need to make youe to me before you obey my orders?¡± His tone carried a note of impatience.


    Involuntarily, Arabe shook her head, her worry apparent as she stumbled toward the room¡¯s center.


    Meeting her halfway, Sandro took hold of her hand. Gently lifting it to his lips, he pressed a kiss to her skin, a gesture that was followed by a chuckle that made Arabe shudder.


    ¡°You look ravishing,¡± hemented, a statement that would normally have earned a smile had ite from anyone else. But this was Sandro, and Arabe was at a loss on how to respond  or even if it was intended as apliment.


    ¡°I arranged for something special to be prepared for you. Please, enjoy it, Bellissima,¡± Sandro informed her.


    Arabe shook her head, she was on the verge of protesting, but Sandro¡¯s grip tightened, and before she knew it, she found herself pulled into a chair.


    ¡°Eat.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t wish to,¡± Arabe muttered under her breath.


    Sandro¡¯s voice remained firm, his concern feigned, ¡°You need your strength for what¡¯s about to happen. It would be rather unfortunate for you to copse midway.¡±


    Her gaze met his, a mixture of fear and defiance swirling within her eyes, ¡°What exactly do you stand to gain from all of this? Why are you subjecting me to these atrocities?¡±


    ¡°Hush,¡± Sandro leaned in close, his lips almost grazing her ear as he whispered, ¡°I¡¯ve already warned you about defying me. Would you prefer I punish you on an empty stomach?¡±


    Arabe trembled, his voice weaving a web of emotions around her. The minty fragrance of his breath invaded her senses as she took a shaky breath and then shook her head.


    ¡°That¡¯s a good girl. Now, eat up before I change my mind.¡±


    Arabe¡¯s gaze wandered to the spread of food in front of her. It seemed fit for at least ten people, far more than she could fathom. She couldn¡¯t fathom what he was thinking, making them prepare such an extravagant feast.


    She doubted she could even manage to finish half of the food. A soft grimace escaped her as her stomach let out an audible grumble.


    ¡°Betrayer,¡± she mumbled under her breath.


    Arabe felt as though she had no choice but toply. Even if she did, she knew she couldn¡¯t challenge him in her current weakened state. She needed to regain her strength and consume the food before she was the way to do it.Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    After downing the contents of the wine ss, Arabe pushed the remaining food away. She felt full, having barely made a dent in the spread before her, contrary to her initial assumption.


    Or perhaps herck of appetite had something to do with Sandro¡¯s presence. He was seated a few paces away, his eyes seemingly fixed on her every move.


    With a hesitant rise, Arabe stood, mirroring Sandro as he also got up.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting you to finish everything, but I am impressed. You certainly have a healthy appetite,¡± Sandro remarked.


    Arabe nodded in response.


    ¡°Now, where do we begin?¡± Sandro strode towards her, tapping his chin thoughtfully with his hand, a faint smile ying on his lips.


    Seated on the sofa in the center of the room, he crossed his legs gracefully. ¡°Come and stand before me, darling.¡±


    Arabe moved hesitantly towards him,ing to a halt as he signaled with his hand.


    ¡°Now, strip.¡±


    ¡°W-what?¡± Stunned, Arabe blinked, her eyes widening in shock.


    ¡°I want you to undress for me, slowly. And think very carefully before considering refusal because¡­¡± He smoothly retrieved a gun from the pocket of the leather jacket he was wearing and leveled it at her.


    ¡°I won¡¯t hesitate to shoot you right now.¡±

 Chapter Seven

    ¡°I¡¯ll never do that!¡± Arabe screeched. Even with a gun pointed at her, baring her body in front of him was the furthest thing from her mind. ¡°I refuse to yield to whatever you say!¡±


    Sandro chuckled, rising from his seated position and stepping closer to her. He stood in front of her for a few moments before abruptly shoving her against the nearest wall.


    ¡°What did you say?¡± He growled, his fingers tightening around her neck.


    ¡°I-I¡¯ll never do that¡­¡± Arabe¡¯s words were cut short as his hand struck her face with force, causing her to bite her tongue and grimace at the metallic tang of blood in her mouth. Her eyes welled up with tears as she looked up at him.


    His expression remained impassive as he sneered, ¡°You¡¯ll do as I say, always, regardless of my orders. Disobey me again, and mind your tongue when addressing me. Understood?¡±


    Arabe nodded, her body trembling.


    ¡°Good,¡± Sandro gritted, releasing his grip on her neck. He yanked her by her long hair, dragging her back to the center of the room and shoving her roughly, sending her copsing to the floor.


    ¡°Now, my patience wears thin. Follow my instructions, or if I were to take matters into my own hands, you wouldn¡¯t appreciate the oue.¡±


    Arabe stared at her nails for a moment before slowly rising to her feet. She sniffled, blinking back the tears that had gathered in her eyes, and began to unzip the dress.


    She wondered why she had defied him. Janice had warned her that Sandro wouldn¡¯t tolerate disobedience. He wouldn¡¯t tolerate it from anyone, not even her  the daughter of his foe.


    Arabe inhaled deeply, biting her bottom lip as she let the dress cascade down to her feet.


    Sandro grinned, his eyes twinkling as they traced her beautifully sculpted body. He had never doubted her figure¡¯s loveliness. When he had first seen the dress, he had envisioned her wearing it  and no one else.


    ¡°Now, remove the rest of your clothing; I want to see it all,¡± he demanded, his toneced with a mixture of authority and desire.


    Arabe hesitated, her gaze fixed on her feet as her hand reached to undo the hook of the redcy bra she wore, followed by slipping out of her panties. Standing before Sandro,pletely naked, she felt a mix of uncertainty and vulnerability.


    A flush of embarrassment crossed her cheeks, and she instinctively covered her breasts with one hand as his eyes roamed over her.


    ¡°You have a remarkable form, Tesoro,¡± Sandro murmured, a hint of appreciation in his voice. His hand itched to caress her smooth skin, especially the twin mounds on her chest that seemed to beckon for his touch. They appeared just the right size to fit snugly in his hands.


    His arousal stirred within his pants, prompting him to rise from the bed. ¡°Lie on your stomach,¡± he grunted, pointing towards the bed.


    Arabe inhaled slowly, her nervousness obvious as she made her way to the bed. With a steadying breath, she positioned herself on the cool duvet, cing her hands by her sides. She contemted peeking to see what he was preparing but thought better of it, realizing it could only worsen her predicament.


    Sandro crossed the room, reaching the corner where a horsewhip was hung. His eyes remained fixed on her perfectly sculpted backside as he approached the bed. He cracked the whip, the sound slicing through the air, and angled it deliberately.


    A sharp cry escaped Arabe¡¯s lips as the firstsh struck her back, leaving a deep, stinging cut. She stood abruptly, her body trembling as she considered making a dash for the door.


    However, Sandro acted swiftly, yanking her back and forcibly pushing her onto the bed. ¡°I¡¯m not finished with you yet, Cara mia,¡± he dered, his sea-green eyes smoldering with intensity. Even in the dim light of the room, Arabe could perceive the dangerous aura he emitted.


    ¡°Release me, you bastard!¡± She shoved at his chest as he descended over her.


    Sandro firmly gripped both her wrists and spread them apart, securing them to one of the bedposts.


    ¡°I believe you¡¯ll be begging me soon,¡± he chuckled darkly, shifting her onto her back and delivering a light pat on the back of her thigh before his hand moved to her backside, his touch both possessive and provocative.


    Despite the earlier sting, Arabe¡¯s core was now dampened. It disgusted her that she was beginning to enjoy what he was doing to her, but she doubted her ability to control these conflicting feelings.


    She gasped once more as the whip descended on her back, her eyes instinctively shutting as she took in a deep breath. She believed she could endure the pain, determined not to show fear in his presence. However, her attempts to appear firmer than she genuinely felt were proving to be a failure. Tears welled up, clouding her vision, as the whip continued to sear her back, intensifying the pain.


    ¡°Blood¡­¡± His grunt reached Arabe¡¯s ears, despite her head spinning from the ordeal. His words wereprehensible amidst the chaos.


    Yet, he showed no signs of stopping the assault.


    ¡°I want to hear your scream; I want you to beg me for mercy.¡± His grip on her hair tightened, asserting his dominance.


    Arabe managed only a subdued gasp, doubting he even heard it. She pondered whether she would have had the strength to scream and plead for him to stop. At that moment, all she could do was wait, counting down the seconds until he would cease.


    After enduring what felt like an eternity of this unrelenting torment, her eyes rolled back, and the darkness of unconsciousness consumed her.


    Sandro seethed with rage as he gazed at Arabe¡¯s nearly lifeless body. Humans. He despised their fragility and weakness.


    Examining her bloodied form, he flung the whip aside and clutched her wrist, seeking her pulse. He exhaled with relief; she was still alive. However, he wasn¡¯t ready for her to die, not yet. His intentions for her were far from fulfilled, and he had promised her a slow and agonizing demise.


    Yet, an odd sensation tugged at his heartstrings whenever her screams pierced the air. He found himself almost pitying her, entertaining the thought of granting her request.


    ¡°No,¡± he muttered, vehemently shaking his head. ¡°She¡¯s an enemy that needs to be destroyed.¡±


    His gaze narrowed as it settled on the doorway. ze, his bodyguard, and second-inmand, stood there.


    ¡°ze.¡±


    ¡°Boss,¡± ze mumbled, entering the room. His nose wrinkled, and he instinctively averted his gaze from Arabe¡¯s exposed backside, clearly taken aback by the sight.


    Sandro red at him, grabbed a duvet and swiftly covered her body. ze shrugged indifferently before shaking his head. ¡°What do I need to do?¡±


    ¡°You know what to do,¡± Sandro replied curtly.


    Casting a final nce at Arabe, Sandro exited the room. Once the door had closed behind him, ze turned his attention to Arabe.


    ¡°What have you gotten yourself into?¡± He mumbled softly as he skillfully released her hands from the handcuffs. Gently wrapping her delicate form in the bed sheets, he lifted her in a bridal-style embrace and left the room.


    He carefullyid her on a gurney in the expansive infirmary, five minutes from the main building. From there, ze headed towards another room.


    ¡°Doc, your help is needed,¡± he informed the doctor, Francis, who was in the room. Francis nodded, immediately rising from his seat and following ze.


    Francis gasped as soon as he entered the room, his shock evident. ¡°Who on earth is that? She looks as if she¡¯s been through hell and back.¡±


    ¡°She practically has,¡± ze muttered, running a hand through his hair after shoving it into the pocket of his cargo pants. He was well aware of Arabe and Sandro¡¯s history.


    It was the reason Sandro had been relentlessly searching for her. And he knew that when Sandro finally found her, their reunion wouldn¡¯t be a joyous one. However, he hadn¡¯t anticipated it to be as gruesome as this.


    Her screams still resonated in his mind, a haunting reminder.


    When he had learned from Janice that Arabe was supposed to meet Sandro earlier, ze had positioned himself outside the room. It had be his role to clean up the aftermath of Sandro¡¯s actions as his bodyguard. Among the gang, ze was the sole individual Sandro trusted not to divulge any information about what urred in his room. But their encounters were usually not as messy as this.


    Despite his temptation to storm into the room and wrest the horsewhip from Sandro¡¯s hand, he knew that challenging him was a route he didn¡¯t want to take.


    ze¡¯s eyes narrowed as he studied Arabe¡¯s pale, contorted face. The sight pulled at his heartstrings. Retrieving a cigarette and a lighter from his pocket, he paused for a moment, his thoughts swirling.


    ¡°No smoking here,¡± scowled Francis, his disapproval evident.


    ¡°I forgot,¡± ze mumbled, cing the cigarette back in the box with a heavy sigh.


    ¡°What happened to her, she seems new,¡± Francis inquired, cing his hand on her neck to assess her pulse and checking her wrist.


    ¡°Sandro happened.¡±C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    ¡°Sandro?¡± Francis furrowed his brows in confusion.


    ¡°He damn well hit her with a horsewhip,¡± ze clenched his fists, a surge of rage coursing through him once again. His anger toward Sandro was intense, even though this wasn¡¯t the first time something like this had urred. However, it was the first time it had happened to a woman, and until now, ze had never thought Sandro was capable of striking a woman.


    ¡°Good Lord, why on earth would he do that? She¡¯s ady, for goodness sake,¡± Francis eximed, grabbing a cotton wool ball to tend to her visible injuries.


    ¡°Tell that to him,¡± ze grunted bitterly.


    ¡°She¡¯ll be fine, though. She seems strong,¡± Francis reassured as he tended to Arabe¡¯s wounds.


    ¡°Let me know as soon as she wakes.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Francis nodded and continued his work.


    ¡°Alessandro De Luca,¡± ze muttered, his teeth grinding together. He lit the cigarette once more and took two puffs, his gaze narrowing. He kicked at a pebble in frustration before closing his eyes, his thoughts drifting back to Arabe.


    He could only hope that she would awaken soon. If not, he feared he might be unable to resist the urge to confront Sandro and deliver a much-deserved beating to his arrogant face.

 Chapter Eight

    Arabe winced as she awoke, the difort piercing through her. Shifting position, a groan escaped her lips as pain red with the slightest movement. Hershes fluttered against her cheeks before she snapped her eyes open.


    Realizing shey on her stomach, she furrowed her brows once her vision cleared, and, despite the pounding in her head, she sat up on the bed.


    ¡°Shit!¡± she gasped softly, using a pillow to brace herself as she leaned toward the edge of the bed and shut her eyes. After a moment, she opened them again, her gaze wandering around the expansive room decorated entirely in white.


    She didn¡¯t need to think twice to identify the infirmary; the scent of bleach and antiseptic that wafted into her nostrils was unmistakable. She gagged slightly and red at the IV line connected to her vein as memories of what had happened flooded back.


    A wave of anger surged within her as she thought about the person responsible. He must be some sort of monster. Theck of remorse he disyed as he relentlessly hit her until she cked out was horrifying. He hadn¡¯t shown any restraint, and she was convinced he had taken pleasure in his actions. That bastard!


    ¡°I see you¡¯re awake,¡± a voice mumbled, jolting Arabe. She turned to her side, noticing a man with russet hair standing by the doorway. He wasnky, his hands tucked into the pockets of his whiteb coat. As he stepped into the room, he tilted his brows and shook his head.


    ¡°W-who are you?¡± Arabe stuttered, her gaze still fixed on him. Perhaps he was here on Alessandro¡¯s orders to eliminate her? Her mind raced, grappling with his presence in the room and wondering if he was the one who had treated her injuries.


    ¡°I mean no harm,¡± he grinned, raising his hands in a non-threatening gesture. ¡°There¡¯s no need to be scared.¡±


    ¡°Why should I believe you?¡± Arabe croaked, clearing her throat with a wince as it throbbed with pain. Observing him closely, she noted a mole just under his right eye, an imperfection that oddly enhanced his attractiveness rather than detracting from it.


    He rolled his dark eyes and chuckled. ¡°If I had wanted you dead, you wouldn¡¯t have woken up.¡±


    Arabe¡¯s re remained fixed, not entirelyforted by his words, but the initial fear began to recede. She recognized that if he had indeed wanted to end her life, he wouldn¡¯t have gone through the trouble of treating her injuries while she was unconscious.


    ¡°Are you done checking me out?¡± he asked abruptly, snapping her back to the present.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t checking you out,¡± Arabe scowled.


    ¡°If you say so,¡± he grinned yfully. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m Doctor Francis. And you are?¡±


    ¡°Arabe.¡±


    ¡°Ah, a lovely name,¡± hemented before adopting a more serious tone. ¡°I see you¡¯re recovering well, but I advise you to take it easy and not make any impulsive decisions.¡±


    Arabe nodded. ¡°I¡¯m curious, though. How did I end up here, and who dressed me in this¡­ flowery hospital gown?¡± She gestured to her attire. ¡°I know he wouldn¡¯t bother with such details. He doesn¡¯t care.¡±


    The identity of the ¡®he¡¯ was obvious, and Francis didn¡¯t need any rification. He understood she was talking about Alessandro, and while he knew quite a bit about him, he believed it wasn¡¯t his ce to reveal that information to Arabe.


    Smiling apologetically, Francis said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t have that information. Janice changed your clothes, and someone brought you here¡­¡±


    ¡°I did.¡±


    Arabe¡¯s eyes widened at the gruff voice, her attention drawn to the doorway where ze stood.


    ¡°B-ze?¡±


    ¡°You two know each other?¡± Francis interjected, his gaze shifting between ze¡¯s stoic expression and Arabe¡¯s surprised one.


    As ze stepped closer to the bedside and Francis moved towards the door, he said, ¡°I¡¯ll give you some privacy. If you need anything, don¡¯t hesitate to reach out.¡±


    With a wave, Francis exited the room, leaving Arabe alone with ze.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Arabe asked, her voiceced with curiosity.


    ze grunted, running a hand through his hair as his gaze held a mixture of irritation and something she couldn¡¯t quite decipher. ¡°I should be asking you the same.¡±


    ¡°Why are you ring at me?¡±


    ¡°Why the hell did you defy him?!¡± ze¡¯s voice was gruff and mixed with frustration.


    Startled by his sudden outburst, Arabe couldn¡¯t help but scoff. ¡°That¡¯s utterly unbelievable. Are you my father to interrogate me like this? And why on earth are you stalking me?¡±


    ¡°I am not stalking you!¡± ze retorted, rising from his seat and pacing from the door to the center of the room.


    ¡°Why did you have to disobey his order? You should have damn well followed his instructions.¡±


    ¡°What does my choice have to do with you?¡± Arabe rolled her eyes. She was perplexed by his anger and didn¡¯t believe he had any ce to caution her.


    ¡°Alessandro is a dangerous man, and you shouldn¡¯t be tempting him¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll say it again: what does that have to do with you? And why the hell are you even here?!¡±


    ze¡¯s gaze remained fixed on her. He shook his head and clenched his teeth. She was stubborn, the first woman he had ever met who disyed such defiance. It was worrying; this kind of behavior could get her killed. And he wasn¡¯t about to let that happen. He couldn¡¯t.


    ¡°Because I am a part of the gang, and I understand how ruthless¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a part of the gang?!¡± Arabe interrupted him, her eyes widening as she caught the hesitation on his face.


    ¡°Yes.¡± He rasped, pointing to a tattoo on the back of his arm. ¡°This is the De Luca family symbol.¡±


    Arabe had seen the same symbol on Sandro¡¯s neck and even on her father¡¯s arm. It depicted a tiger and three dots arranged in triangles. She wasn¡¯t aware of its meaning, nor did she have the desire to find out.


    Taking a shaky breath, Arabe murmured, ¡°Oh God, what have I gotten myself into?¡±


    She scrutinized ze once more and recoiled as he took a step closer. Appearances could be deceiving. When she had firstid eyes on him, she had assumed he projected a bad-boy image for amusement, never suspecting he was an actual gangster-a damn gangster in Alessandro¡¯s family.


    ze came to a sudden halt, observing the fear in her eyes. He furrowed his brow and tilted his head, ¡°Are you frightened of me?¡±


    ¡°Why shouldn¡¯t I be?¡± Arabe retorted, her voiceced with skepticism. ¡°For all I know, you could be here on orders to separate my head from my body, courtesy of your almighty boss.¡±


    ze rolled his eyes, managing a grin despite the seriousness of the situation.


    ¡°I had no idea you were involved in all this. I probably should have heeded my boss¡¯s advice; she tends to be right. It seems everyone in this town harbors some kind of secret.¡± Arabe said, recalling ire¡¯s warning word.


    ¡°Perhaps these secrets exist for a reason,¡± ze mumbled as he returned to the chair and settled into it.


    Before he could stop himself, he sped her hands, feeling a surge of electricity shoot through him. He reveled in the warmth that swept over him  her intoxicating scent, her eyes, her lips  and most importantly, how she looked at him. It was absurd; he shouldn¡¯t be feeling anything, but he couldn¡¯t help it. His stomach fluttered, and he grimaced at his reaction.


    Arabe nced at her hand, then at ze as he gently traced her palm. Her cheeks flushed, and she attempted to withdraw her hands, but his grip was firm.


    ¡°ze?¡±


    ¡°Oh, my apologies!¡± He quickly released her hand and stood, running a hand through his hair. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m just relieved you¡¯re alright.¡±


    ¡°You needn¡¯t worry; we¡¯re not friends,¡± Arabe blurted out, wincing as the words came across harsher than she intended. ¡°I mean, I didn¡¯t mean it that way.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re correct, we aren¡¯t friends, and I shouldn¡¯t be concerned about your well-being,¡± ze replied, striding to the door and out of the room.


    ¡°Look who¡¯s awake,¡± Sandro¡¯s voice interrupted as he entered the room.


    Arabe winced at Sandro¡¯s presence. ¡°What do you want, Sandro? Haven¡¯t you caused enough trouble already?¡±


    She flinched as he approached her, his finger lightly tracing her cheek as he leaned in. ¡°My dear Be, so defiant yet so captivating,¡± Sandro murmured, his grip tightening on her neck. ¡°I did warn you not to raise your voice or talk back to me.¡±


    ¡°S-Sandro!¡± Arabe choked out, her eyes wide with rm.


    ¡°Consider yourself lucky that I¡¯m in a better mood today,¡± Sandro remarked coldly. He pushed her onto the bed and grabbed a wipe from a box on the nearby table. After cleaning his hand, he discarded the wipe onto her bed.


    Arabe bit her lip as she watched him. He was undeniably a monster. How could anyone find pleasure in torturing another human being? It was beyond understanding.This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you recover quickly? I have an overload of experiences I¡¯d like to introduce you to,¡± he said, his grin widening.


    ¡°I¡¯d prefer death overplying with your wishes,¡± Arabe retorted defiantly.


    ¡°Did you say something?¡± Sandro cocked his head to the side.


    Arabe shook her head, her heart pounding.


    ¡°Odd. I thought I caught a mention of death,¡± Sandro continued, approaching her.


    He leaned in, gripping a handful of her hair. His breath brushed against her neck, and he whispered into her ear, ¡°You should understand that death thrills me. Your father should have taught you that, and I am utterly merciless.¡±


    Arabe gasped for air as soon as he released her hair. Trembling, she blinked back tears, her father¡¯s image flooding her mind.


    ¡°Have you nopassion at all? How can you be so heartless?¡±


    ¡°Your tears hold no significance for me. The sooner you realize that, the better for you.¡±


    Arabe angrily wiped at the tears on her cheeks, but they continued to flow, unstoppable.


    ¡°I despise you, Alessandro. I detest your very existence.¡±


    ¡°You should understand that I share the sentiment, Tesoro. Do you expect me to have affection for the daughter of my enemy?¡±


    ¡°You are too cruel to be human!¡±


    ¡°Indeed. Because, my dear, I am a damn monster.¡± Sandro chuckled darkly, his eyes ckening with intensity.

 Chapter nine

    ¡°Keep that in mind,¡± Sandro smirked, his tone dripping with his usual arrogance. With that, he made his way to the door.


    ¡°Ciao,¡± he called, turning back to blow her a kiss apanied by a wink.


    As soon as he was gone, Arabe sighed in relief. Shey back on the bed and stared at the ceiling. Her neck still throbbed from his forceful grip, and she couldn¡¯t help but wonder why he didn¡¯t just end her life then and there. It would have spared her from the undeserved suffering he had inflicted upon her, and she could have joined her father wherever he was now.


    Her thoughts shifted to ze. He was part of a gang- the mafia, an undeniable fact. The realization was surreal, and she struggled to believe it.


    Had she not seen him here, she might have dismissed it as a lie. But now, she was caught in a whirlwind of uncertainty. Her feelings were a jumble of confusion. The person she had been harboring a crush on, the one she had watched from her office window, was a bona fide gangster. It was mind-boggling!


    She sat up abruptly as the door swung open.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Janice rushed in, her concern evident as she approached the bedside. ¡°I heard what happened.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Janice,¡± Arabe murmured a faint greeting, fully aware that Janice was probably already privy to what had happened. She could bet that by the end of the day, the entire gang, courtesy of Janice, would know about her ordeal.


    ¡°Well, it seems the news is spreading fast,¡± Arabe remarked, rolling her eyes. ¡°And if Sandro sent you here, let me tell you, I don¡¯t want anything from him. I¡¯d rather-¡±


    ¡°Hush, girl,¡± Janice interrupted, holding a finger to her lips. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t advise saying that aloud. You can be furious with him, but there are ways to channel your anger without inviting more punishment.¡±


    Janice continued, her tone softer, ¡°By the way, ze was the one who informed me about what happened. He told me you were awake, and I rushed here immediately. He seemed really upset.¡±


    ¡°He definitely was,¡± Arabe muttered. She recalled the heated exchange and shouting match she had had with ze before Sandro¡¯s intervention. She could have sworn she detected a glimmer of anguish in his eyes.


    ¡°He said I should look after you,¡± Janice said.


    ¡°He did?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Janice affirmed. ¡°I told you he looked pissed. Did something happen? It¡¯s only your second day here, and have you met him before?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we¡¯ve met,¡± Arabe mumbled.


    ¡°Really?¡± Janice arched her brows. ¡°Come on, spill it. Did he say anything? Are you two going out or something?¡±


    Arabe opened her mouth to respond, but her stomach grumbled, interrupting her. She grimaced and patted it.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t eat muchst night, and it¡¯s past breakfast time,¡± she mumbled, ncing at the wall clock.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry; I¡¯ll arrange something for you. But promise me you¡¯ll tell me everything about ze. He¡¯s always grumpy, and I¡¯ve never seen him care this much. I used to think he was a self-centered jerk until now.¡±


    Arabe tilted her brow as Janice¡¯s shoulders sagged. Janice wrapped a lock of her curly hair around her finger and twirled it while staring at nothing in particr. She bit her lower lip and let out a soft gasp.


    ¡°So mysterious and broody. He¡¯s soooo my type,¡± Janice sighed, crossing her arms and closing her eyes.


    Arabe rolled her eyes. She didn¡¯t me Janice for acting lovestruck-ze was undeniably good-looking. Heck, he looked even better than she remembered him from thest time she had seen him. Any warm-blooded woman would swoon over him. He was that perfect.


    But not her. She wouldn¡¯t fall for a man like him. She might have been somewhat interested earlier, but knowing what he was had changed all the perceptions she had about him. She doubted if he wasn¡¯t hiding anything at all. He seemed like someone burdened with numerous secrets. Being Sandro¡¯s second-inmand, she didn¡¯t expect much from him.


    ¡°How about you get me some food, and we can talk about itter? Right now, I feel like I might die sooner if I don¡¯t eat anything.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Janice agreed.


    She grinned and moved toward the door, then nced back at Arabe. ¡°You can freshen up. I brought some clothes for you to change into. Not sure if they¡¯ll fit, though. They¡¯re my old clothes.¡±


    Arabe shrugged. ¡°Anything should fit me.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Janice replied, rushing out of the room.


    Arabe climbed down from the bed and walked to the door. She locked it and drew the curtains shut before returning to the mirror beside her bed.


    Undressing from the hospital gown, Arabe winced as she observed the angry marks lining her back. She noticed two or three stitches and swallowed down the lump forming in her throat.


    ¡°God, I hate him,¡± she muttered, her eyes welling up. Sniffling, she blinked back the tears.


    Rummaging through the bag, Arabe retrieved a gown instead of the jeans ced next to it. She didn¡¯t believe she could fit into anything other than a gown. She wondered how long the wound on her back would take to heal and how much longer she would remain confined by Sandro.


    For the time being, she couldn¡¯t envision herself leaving anytime soon, and nning an escape seemed futile. She was clueless about her current location, and considering their past sess, they would easily recapture her if she attempted to flee. She was exhausted from running. All she could do was hope for a savior, someone to rescue her.


    After freshening up, Janice arrived promptly.


    ¡°Who¡¯s eating with us?¡± Arabe asked, surprised.


    ¡°No one, just you.¡±


    ¡°Me?¡± Arabe snorted. ¡°I can barely finish all of that.¡±C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    ¡°ze filled all the tes and said¡­¡±


    ¡°ze?¡±


    ¡°Yes, he made me promise to ensure you eat everything,¡± Janice mumbled with a sigh. ¡°He¡¯s surprisingly caring.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing caring about that. It¡¯s an invasion of privacy, and we hardly know each other. He has no right to dictate what I should do,¡± Arabe rambled, crossing her arms.


    ¡°Whether he has the right or not, he seems to care about you genuinely. If I were you, I¡¯d be intrigued by that.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not something to be intrigued by. I never asked for his help.¡±


    ¡°Well, he volunteered,¡± Janice pointed out. ¡°So, let¡¯s eat. You need your strength.¡±


    She nudged the tray in front of Arabe and smiled.


    The toasty, nutty aroma of the waffles wafted into Arabe¡¯s nostrils, making her mouth water. Her stomach grumbled once more, and she let out a breath.


    ¡°I suppose I do need my strength,¡± she mumbled, picking up a waffle.


    ¡°How does it taste?¡± Janice inquired, her brows furrowed.


    ¡°This is amazing,¡± Arabe mumbled, savoring the taste as the vors burst in her mouth.


    She devoured half of the bacon, nodding along with everything Janice was saying before focusing her gaze on her.


    ¡°You¡¯re not really listening,¡± Janice pouted.


    ¡°This food is so good that it¡¯s stealing half of my concentration.¡±


    ¡°Stealing it all,¡± Janice corrected her.


    ¡°I suppose I know what will take up all your attention then,¡± Sandro¡¯s voice cut in.


    Arabe winced as he entered the room. She stared at the half-eaten waffle in her hand and ced it back on the tray. Her voracious appetite vanished, reced by the urge to spit out what was in her mouth on his face.


    ¡°Signore,¡± Janice greeted with a slight bow.


    ¡°Pack this up,¡± Sandro ordered, gesturing to the food tray. His eyes never left Arabe¡¯s. ¡°Take it to the master suite.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Signore.¡± Janice nodded quickly. With trembling hands, she packed everything and hurried out of the room.


    Arabe red at Sandro, crossing her arms over her chest. ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°You, nestled between my thighs, darling,¡± Sandro asserted, a smirk ying on his devilishly handsome face.


    ¡°W-what?¡± Arabe stuttered as he moved closer to her side.


    ¡°I want you screaming my name as I delve deep into your moist warmth. I want to fuck you, Tesoro Mio.¡±

 Chapter Ten

    Arabe suppressed the urge to burst outughing, finding the situation utterly absurd. The very idea of it was almostical. However, she restrained herself;ughing might convey ack of seriousness. She pondered whether his assumption that she would eagerly ept the offer was based on the naughty smirk adorning his face.


    Shaking her head, she descended from the bed and approached him. Her voice brimming with intensity, she stated, ¡°Alessandro De Fucking Luca, I am not some cheap whore who frequents your bed. Show respect for my name, and I will never grant you what you seek!¡± With each word, she punctuated her resolve by jabbing his chest.


    Curious about the newfound boldness that encouraged her to face him head-on, Arabe pressed forward, unwilling to back down. Her fists clenched and unclenched, an indication of the anger that coursed through her. She mused about what he truly thought of her. Perhaps, he assumed she was just another one of the sluts in Cooan, someone he could use for his pleasure whenever he desired. And discard when he was done.


    ¡°If your unwillingness remains, be aware that I can obtain it from you forcefully,¡± he whispered into her ear, his tongue darting out to tease her earlobe. His grip encircled her waist, pulling her closer. ¡°Remember, I am Alessandro De Luca, and no woman has yet resisted me.¡±


    A shiver raced down Arabe¡¯s spine, her heart pounded, and warmth spread throughout her body due to their proximity. His minty breath caressed her neck, and the sensations he stirred in her with his actions were undeniably unfamiliar.


    ¡°It appears my actions are rather pleasurable to you,¡± Sandro¡¯s sea-green eyes twinkled mischievously.


    Suppressing her own reaction, Arabe asserted firmly, ¡°On the opposite.¡±


    In a fleeting moment, as she held his gaze, she glimpsed an aspect of him beyond the familiar anger that usually clouded his captivating eyes.


    ¡°Tonight, I will offer you even more,¡± Sandro assured, his posture straightening as he scrutinized her attire. ¡°Never appear in an outfit I haven¡¯t selected.¡±


    ¡°You are not my father.¡±


    ¡°To hell with your father!¡± Sandro¡¯s voice thundered, causing her to flinch.


    He seized her hand, tugging her forcefully toward him. ¡°You will obey me at all times, damn it, and never bring up that dead father of yours, who is undoubtedly rotting in hell.¡±


    Arabe let out an exasperated groan, locking eyes with him while his grip tightened around her wrists.


    ¡°You wish to continue in your defiance? Perhaps, you should reconsider, for this time, I won¡¯t hesitate to snap your fragile neck,¡± he threatened, his tone dripping with chilling resolve.


    He shoved her roughly, causing Arabe to wince as her already sore backside scraped against the wall.


    After he left the room a whileter, Arabe¡¯s frustration reached a boiling point. She unleashed her anger by punching a pillow and muffling a scream within it. He was treating her like a mere ything, his fucking toy. She clenched her fists, exhaling sharply to release the pent-up tension.


    ¡°You appear as though you could murder someone right now,¡± Francis remarked, entering the room.


    ¡°Perhaps, if the opportunity presented itself,¡± Arabe gritted her teeth, then swiftly exited the room.


    Frowning, Francis watched her retreating figure. He had advised her to rest, but Sandro¡¯s order to release her had taken priority. Though he was unaware of the reason behind the decision, he couldn¡¯t argue with it.


    A knock on the door snapped him from his thoughts. ¡°Come in,¡± he mumbled, tidying the bed linen and stowing away the hospital gown Arabe had been wearing.


    ¡°Hi,¡± Janice greeted as she entered the room.


    ¡°Oh, hey, Janice,¡± Francis mumbled, grimacing and scratching the back of his neck.


    ¡°I¡¯vee to retrieve that bag,¡± she said, indicating the duffel bag containing her clothes at the foot of her bed.


    ¡°You¡¯re wee to take it,¡± Francis replied with a smile, which she reciprocated.


    As Janice entered the room further and picked up her bag, she straightened and said, ¡°Umh, thank you. For taking care of her.¡±


    Observing his puzzled expression, she added, ¡°Arabe. Thank you for nursing her back to health.¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes,¡± Francis nodded in realization.


    Janice paused for a moment, sensing his hesitation to respond. When no words emerged, she smiled brightly at him. ¡°I should get going.¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡±


    ¡°That was a bit awkward,¡± she mumbled to herself as she left the room.


    Once Janice was out of sight, Francis closed the door and leaned against it, closing his eyes. It had been his first meaningful conversation with Janice since his employment began six months ago. He inhaled deeply and groaned as her lingering citrusy perfume wafted through the air. She was undeniably attractive, perhaps the most attractive person he had encountered besides Arabe.


    Despite her often donning drab clothing, she still appeared amazing to him. He was excited that they had engaged in a brief conversation, even though it had been awkward. Nevertheless, it marked progress for him. He yearned for more, hoping for the opportunity to arise once again.


    As Arabe rounded the corner, a hand abruptly yanked her. Her mouth opened to release a shriek, but no words escaped. Her abductor¡¯s hand mped over her mouth as he pulled her toward an unknown destination. She attempted to kick and struggle, but she ceased when she recognized the familiar voice.


    ¡°Stay still,¡± the voice instructed.


    ¡°ze?¡± Her voice was muffled by his hand.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he replied.


    Arabe rxed, albeit not entirely. She wasn¡¯t being kidnapped, but she remained uncertain about where he was taking her. As they reached an opening, ze thrust her into what appeared to be a basement and shut the door. Leaning against the wooden door, he turned to face her.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on, and why did you pull me like that?¡± She red, though she doubted he could discern her expression due to the darkness.


    His features became discernible due to a faint light sneaking into the room through a crack in the door.


    ¡°It¡¯s dark in here,¡± she observed.


    ¡°It is,¡± ze affirmed. ¡°It¡¯s the best ce I can talk to you without being seen.¡±


    ¡°So, what do you want?¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t be disobedient. No matter what he asks of you, do it.¡±


    ¡°Why should I? I¡¯d never willingly give myself to Sandro unless he forces me to!¡±


    ¡°Shhh,¡± ze grunted, cing his palm over her mouth. ¡°Quiet.¡±


    Arabe¡¯s ears perked as she heard footsteps approaching their location. The footsteps paused, and she heard ze inhale deeply before exhaling.


    ¡°Now speak, but more softly,¡± he instructed.


    Arabe nodded as he released her. ¡°Why do you care about how I feel? You could get yourself into trouble.¡±


    ¡°Whether you¡¯re inclined to do as he desires or not, resistance isn¡¯t wise. Sandro is dangerous-far more than you realize.¡±This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    ¡°What does he want from me, and why are you helping me?¡± Arabe inquired.


    ¡°Just listen to what I say,¡± ze replied before pushing her out of the room.


    ring at the closed door, Arabe walked away. She navigated her way back to her room, yet ze¡¯s words echoed incessantly in her mind. Nevertheless,plying with Sandro¡¯s wishes was the farthest thing from her thoughts. She would sooner face death than carry out hismands.

 Chapter Eleven

    ¡°It¡¯s very kind of you to join us,¡± Sandro greeted, settling into a chair. His gaze shifted from Francis to ze, who stood near the door.


    ¡°I¡¯m only a few secondste,¡± ze replied with a grunt.


    ¡°May I ask about what dyed you?¡± Sandro tilted his head.


    ze offered a half-shrug. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t want to know. It¡¯s irrelevant.¡± His gaze remained fixed on Sandro as he scrutinized him. Confessing that he had been with Arabe was out of the question.


    Unless he was seeking a death wish.


    After his encounter with Arabe at the hospital earlier, Sandro had warned him against being in her presence. Furthermore, he had used ze of encouraging her defiance, despite the fact that it was the opposite.


    ze sighed, allowing his gaze to wander away.


    Sandro had a talent for detecting lies when he stared at someone for too long. He wasn¡¯t just their leader; their gang wasn¡¯t an ordinary one, as most people believed. They were a werewolf pack.


    In the human world, the existence of such creatures was nearly impossible, but the gods and goddesses had made it a reality.


    Their original pack wasn¡¯t in Cooan; it resided in Ascostan, a town a day¡¯s journey away.


    However, a rival pack had raided them, leading to the deaths of almost everyone. Starting anew, they had taken on the persona of a mafia, the easiest way to integrate themselves without arousing suspicion.


    Nheless, not every member of the group was a werewolf. The humans in the pack had to swear an oath, and ze had never witnessed anyone break it.


    ¡°Your thoughts seem distant,¡± Janice murmured, leaning closer to ze.


    ze¡¯s gaze flickered to hers, and he muttered, ¡°Hey.¡±


    ¡°Hello,¡± Janice responded, a blush gracing her cheeks. She nced down at her fingers.


    ze sighed, his gaze sweeping the round table before settling on Janice.


    She had joined two years ago. Simr to Francis, the gang¡¯s doctor, she had been wandering the streets of Cooan.


    Her backstory was distressing, as she had fled from her abusive father.


    Fortunately, she was a werewolf who had not yet triggered her curse. However, not long after joining the gang, she did trigger it.


    As did the rest of the gang.


    ze triggered his own curse when he was sixteen years old. It wasn¡¯t a topic he often discussed, as the events leading to his curse still haunted him incessantly.


    When Sandro mentioned his name, ze¡¯s eyes shifted, and he asked, ¡°What?¡±


    Sandro grimaced, pinching the bridge of his nose as he red at ze. He was behaving grumpily, and the urge to yank him out of his seat was almost overwhelming.


    However, that would undoubtedly cause a scene.


    Although he had seemed almost cheerful when they saw each other earlier at the hospital, now he acted as if being in the meeting was thest thing he wanted.


    ¡°If you¡¯re unwilling to stay for the meeting, why don¡¯t you leave? No one is forcing you toe.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d be more than happy to,¡± ze mumbled. As he moved to depart, Sandro intercepted him, gripping the cor of ze¡¯s id shirt and scowling.


    ¡°What¡¯s gotten into you? Are you on your period?¡± Sandro¡¯s eyes flickered to Francis, who stifled augh, and Sandro scowled even deeper.


    ¡°Apologies,¡± Francis mumbled.


    ¡°Perhaps you should ask yourself the same thing,¡± ze shot back, pping Sandro¡¯s hand away.


    ¡°Do you have a new pack? Are you nning on ratting us out? I sense you are a traitor here.¡± Sandro raised an eyebrow, observing him as ze¡¯s hand fell from the doorknob to his side. ze turned to face Sandro, and for a brief moment, their eyes locked before ze retraced his steps to his seat.


    ¡°Good,¡± Sandro muttered. ¡°Let the meeting begin.¡±


    When the meeting concluded, Sandro grabbed ze¡¯s hand and ushered him to a corner of the room.


    ¡°Is this about Arabe? Do you have feelings for that bitch?¡± Sandro inquired, studying ze¡¯s face.


    ze clenched his fists and took a deep breath. ¡°It has nothing to do with her, and she¡¯s certainly not a whore.¡±


    ¡°Then tell me, has she enchanted you? Your behavior has never been like this until she arrived, and she¡¯s barely been here a week!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not about her!¡± ze yelled. ¡°I couldn¡¯t care less about what you do to her. You might as well kill her. Just keep me out of it.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± Sandro replied. ¡°But get yourself together. Your grumpiness makes me worry that you¡¯re on the verge of betraying me.¡±


    Sandro patted ze¡¯s back before stepping away from him.


    ¡°Bastard,¡± ze grunted, kicking the table leg and wincing at the pain.


    He exhaled heavily and retrieved a cigarette from his jacket pocket. He stared at it for a moment before shoving it back into the box. Restlessness coursed through him, and he couldn¡¯t quite understand why, but he was sure it was all connected to a certain human.


    ¡°Arabe, what am I supposed to do with you?¡± He muttered, heading towards the door.


    As evening came, Arabe made her way to Sandro¡¯s room after receiving an order from Janice. She wiped her mmy palms on the jeans Janice had lent her before gripping the doorknob. Slipping into the room, she positioned herself near the door.


    ¡°Undress,¡± Sandromanded.


    Arabe squinted, attempting to locate Sandro in the room, but she saw nothing.


    ¡°No,¡± she mumbled, shaking her head.


    ¡°No, what?¡± Sandro¡¯s voice was gruff.


    Arabe flinched as he materialized in front of her. Her eyes widened as he pinned her against the door.


    ¡°H-How did you get here?¡± Her words stuttered out.


    ¡°Are you nning to defy me, Cara mia?¡± Sandro¡¯s tone was low.


    Arabe shook her head, her gaze shifting away from him.


    ¡°Now, undress,¡± he grunted. His fingers closed around the thin spaghetti strap of her blouse, and he yanked, tearing it.


    ¡°Please stop, I¡¯ll undress!¡± Arabe yelled, her fist colliding with his chest.


    ¡°Then do it, and don¡¯t provoke me by trying to be defiant.¡±


    Her heart raced as she gripped the torn strap of her dress. She unzipped the side of the dress and lifted it over her head. Turning her back to him, she unhooked her bra and set it down beside her blouse before moving to the zipper of her jeans.


    ¡°Are you attempting to seduce me? Because you should know it¡¯s working,¡± Sandro grunted.


    His eyes darkened as they remained fixed on her exposed back.


    Desire surged through him, causing a low groan to escape his lips as his pants tightened. This wasn¡¯t the first time he had reacted to her presence. Ever since he had firstid eyes on her in her mobile home and injected her, he had been grappling with these strange, unexinable feelings.


    He had initially brushed off these sensations, attributing them to a simple need for physical release. He had slept with numerous women the previous night, yet the emptiness within him remained. It was her he desired, of that he was now inevitable.


    ¡°Turn,¡± Sandro rasped, his voice husky, as she began to slip out of her jeans.


    ¡°No,¡± Arabe responded, her voice barely above a whisper, wrapping her arms protectively around her chest.


    ¡°It¡¯s not as though I haven¡¯t seen what you¡¯re hiding from me.¡±


    A blush tinged Arabe¡¯s cheeks as she remembered the events of the previous night. He had seen her vulnerability, and the reminder of her sore back was still noticeable.


    Her lips tightened as she bit down on them, and her shoulders slumped under his touch. His hand rested on her, ¡°You are exquisite, Arabe, and you are mine.¡±


    Arabe¡¯s breath caught as Sandro pulled her closer, their bare chests colliding. He gently cradled her face in his hands.


    ¡°What-¡±


    The word died on her lips as his mouth covered hers in an urgent kiss. Her heart raced in response, her body surrendering to the intensity of his embrace.


    A slight wince escaped her as Sandro¡¯s hand kneaded her backside. His growl jolted her back to reality, and her trance shattered.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± She managed to mumble, her words barely audible against his lips.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    ¡°What does it look like, darling?¡±


    ¡°Please, stop,¡± Arabe pleaded, her hands pushing against his chest, though he remained unyielding.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already told you, I¡¯ll take what¡¯s mine, whether you consent or not.¡±


    He effortlessly lifted her and deposited her onto the bed. With a deliberate motion, he positioned her legs apart and descended between them, his mouth exploring her core.


    ¡°So delicious,¡± Sandro mumbled against her skin, his fingers slipping inside her.


    A mixture of pleasure and surprise made Arabe¡¯s voice break into a scream. Her fingers gripped his hair instinctively, her body arching in response to his intimate touch.


    ¡°S-Stop!¡± She gasped.


    ¡°But you want this,¡± Sandro whispered, his hand now reaching for one of her breasts, his touch both possessive and tantalizing as his mouth continued its exploration.


    Arabe¡¯s heart raced erratically, her body simmering with unmet desires that left her yearning and aching. A needy moan escaped her lips, breathless and desperate, a testament to the overwhelming sensations she was experiencing.


    ¡°Sandro,¡± she gasped, his name slipping from her in a throaty plea.


    ¡°Darling,¡± Sandro¡¯s voice, thick with desire, urged, ¡°I need to hear you scream my name louder.¡±


    Arabe¡¯s internal struggle was evident as she bit her lip, battling the urge to give in. However, the intensity of his touch proved too much, and she couldn¡¯t hold back. A low, guttural groan filled the air as his fingers quickened their pace within her.


    ¡°Sandro!¡± The cry tore from her throat, a crescendo of pleasure and release as her legs trembled uncontrobly.


    As the waves of ecstasy subsided, she struggled to catch her breath, attempting to sit up and regain herposure. Her gazended on Sandro, and she caught sight of the noticeable bulge in his pants.


    But her concentration shattered as his phone vibrated noisily, provoking an exasperated groan from him. He answered with a curt, ¡°De Luca,¡± his demeanor shifting as he listened to the voice on the other end. After nodding and a muttered affirmation, he concluded, ¡°I¡¯ll be there in an hour.¡±


    With the call done, Sandro rose from his seat, his attention returning to the state of his arousal, which had evidently diminished. Then, his gaze shifted to Arabe.


    ¡°Go clean yourself up in the bathroom.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± she replied quietly, hastily wrapping the duvet around her figure.


    As Arabe moved to pass him, Sandro¡¯s grip on her hand tightened, and he briskly tugged the duvet away, exposing herpletely.


    ¡°You are mine, so stop hiding from me,¡± he asserted, his tone possessive.


    Arabe nodded, her head bowed and quickly fled to the bathroom. She stood beside the bathroom door, her chest rising and falling as she drew in a deep, shuddering breath, attempting to steady herself as she slid down the cool wooden surface.


    The weight of what had transpired pressed down on her, shame coursing through her as she reyed the intense encounter in her mind.

 Chapter Twelve

    Arabe covered her face with her hands and shook her head. She dragged in a staggering breath, blinking back the tears in her eyes. What had happened just moments ago was beyond herprehension, something she had never anticipated.


    Sandro might now view her as a whore, assuming he had attained his desires. She had cried out his name as he pleasured her. It was thest thing she had intended, but in that instant, she had been unable to stop herself. The desire that had coursed through her had been overwhelming, and she had craved more.


    Perhaps, she was silly to have wanted more, yet, she couldn¡¯t help the way she felt.


    Arabe bit her lower lip as her core tingled, the image of Sandro buried deep within her mind. She pondered the size of his manhood and how she might have felt if he had taken her more intimately. While it was possible she wouldn¡¯t have consented and might have protested, she was also convinced that Sandro would have been forceful.


    ¡°Will you take the entire day to freshen up?¡± Sandro¡¯s voice echoed outside the door. Arabe scrambled to her feet as he knocked.


    Hurriedly entering the shower, she focused on cleansing her essential body parts before tending to the less important ones. Nheless, she ensured that every inch of her body received attention before exiting the bathroom.


    A few minutester, she emerged from the bathroom, draped in a towel she had found in the cab. Her gaze swept the room, and she tiptoed toward where her dressy. A snap reached her ears, causing her to freeze. When she turned, her eyes met Sandro¡¯s intense gaze, causing her to bite her bottom lip involuntarily. She squatted and swiftly snatched her dress from the floor, then turned her back to him.


    ¡°Turn around,¡± Sandro ordered, and sheplied, her grip on the towel tightening. His scrutinizing gaze made her feel exposed.


    A groan escaped Sandro as his arousal intensified while he stared at her flushed face. Strands of her wet, white hair clung to her skin, entuating her alluring appearance. He took two steps closer, stopping himself, and drew in a deep breath, trying to calm his escting desire. The scent of her body wash wafted towards him, filling his senses with the urge to pull her closer.


    His wolf stirred and whimpered, but he clenched his hands, determined to suppress it.


    ¡®Not the time,¡¯ he grunted through a mental link.


    His wolf, Lace, had seldom awakened. For a while after assuming the mafia identity, he had believed it to be dormant, if not dead.


    Until Arabe had arrived, she had rekindled Lace, making it persistently present. Yet, what truly irked him wasn¡¯t this awakening; it was how Lace responded to Arabe¡¯s scent whenever she drew near.


    He did not desire Arabe. He harbored no wish to be entangled with her. His only inclination was to make her pay for her father¡¯s sins and then end her life. Nevertheless, the increasing emotions within him refused to be dismissed.


    ¡°Sandro,¡± Arabe mumbled, her voice barely audible. ¡°I need to get¡­¡±


    ¡°Call me master,¡± Sandro growled, closing the distance between them and gripping her chin firmly. He held his mouth just inches away from hers, a dark smirk ying on his lips. ¡°You are my ve, Arabe. As long as you remain breathing, address me as master and nothing else.¡±


    ¡°Master,¡± Arabe mumbled, her tone resigned.


    Exhaustion had settled in her. She shivered from the cold, having been left with nothing to cover herself. Her longing was simple: to retrieve her clothes, wrap herself up, and seek sce on her bed while reflecting on her woeful existence. Yet, she held little hope of this happening anytime soon.


    ¡°Say it again,¡± Sandro urged his grip on the towel¡¯s edge allowing him to yank it off her body. Her vulnerability seemed to heighten her allure, a fact he couldn¡¯t deny. ¡°You appear more captivating with each passing moment, and I find it increasingly difficult to divert my gaze.¡±


    Hisrge palms caressed her breasts, and he inhaled sharply, gauging her response. ¡°Do you derive pleasure from this as well?¡±


    ¡°Master,¡± Arabe whimpered, shaking her head, her eyes downcast to her feet. Tears she had fought to hold back now welled up once more. She fought against the urge to cry, but it proved futile, especially when he reduced her to an object, a cheap pawn he had plucked from the streets.


    Sandro groaned; the sight of her biting her lip was pushing him dangerously close to his breaking point. His desire was to take her, to possess her until she surrendered her consciousness. However, he waspelled to be elsewhere.


    He couldn¡¯t afford to miss the meeting; his reputation depended on it. Adhering to the code of conduct, he knew all appointments must be honored.


    ¡°I need to put on my clothes,¡± Arabe¡¯s voice broke through his thoughts.


    Sandro released his grip on her and headed to his wardrobe. Retrieving a box, he handed it to her.


    ¡°Put this on. I¡¯ve chosen your attire,¡± he instructed, walking back to the wardrobe.


    Arabe questioned, ¡°Why are you doing this? You could just let me go¡­¡±


    ¡°Never,¡± Sandro snapped, his gaze intense. ¡°If you attempt to escape, I won¡¯t hesitate to end your life. And anyone aiding your escape will face the same fate.¡±


    Arabe exhaled, shifting her gaze from Sandro to the box she held. She meticulously undid the ribbon and opened it, revealing an olive-green dress. She slipped into it and examined herself in the mirror. The dress was a pleated, ruffled, short skater dress with a provocative deep V-neckline. Adjusting the thin straps, she winced as they barely concealed her cleavage.


    As Sandro¡¯s presence loomed behind her, her heart raced. He grasped her waist, pressing his erection against her back.


    ¡°You¡¯re incredibly alluring, Be.¡±


    ¡°Please, just let me go,¡± Arabe pleaded, gripping the edge of the vanity table and closing her eyes.


    ¡°Why should I? Provide me a valid reason, and I might contemte it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m innocent.¡±


    ¡°Innocent?¡± Sandro scoffed. ¡°You¡¯re deeply wed, Arabe. You¡¯re burdened with your father¡¯s Pata(Sin).¡±


    He pushed her, and she collided with the vanity table, causing a sharp pang in her stomach.


    Suppressing a wince, Arabe whispered, ¡°My father¡¯s sins are not mine. I have no knowledge of all this, yet I¡¯m suffering for it.¡±


    ¡°Esattamente(Exactly)!¡± Sandro eximed.


    Gently gripping her white hair, he whispered into her ear, ¡°My dearest Be, you¡¯re your father¡¯s daughter, and his sins now taint you. Any child you bear will also bear this burden, as will every generation after.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Arabe¡¯s voice trembled, tears tracing down her cheeks. ¡°Why me?¡±


    ¡°Because your father sinned, and all subsequent generations must atone,¡± Sandro dered sternly.This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

 Chapter Thirteen

    Sighing once again, Arabe tightly gripped the car door handle. With a deep breath, she let her hand slide down. Peering through the closed window at the driver, she inquired, ¡°Do you have any idea when Sandro will being out?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have that information,¡± Mr. Rex replied, lifting his gaze from his phone to meet Arabe¡¯s eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll join us shortly. And don¡¯t worry; I¡¯ve promised to keep you safe.¡±


    Arabe drew in a ragged breath and slumped in her seat. She had been stuck in the car for four hours. Once they had reached what seemed like the middle of nowhere, all she could see were trees swaying and nothing else.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    Sandro had disappeared into the dense forest. Although she couldn¡¯t pinpoint his exact location, she was certain he had halted at therge house visible from her seat. Amid her concern about Sandro¡¯s absence, what troubled her most was the lonely road they were on.


    In the distance, the howls of wolves and the barking of dogs reached her ears. The sounds grew louder as she listened intently. Her stomach churned, and her heart raced. She rubbed her mmy palms on the dress she wore, pondering whether Sandro had encountered¡­


    ¡°No,¡± she mumbled, shaking her head. Despite her disdain for him, she didn¡¯t wish for him to die just yet. She wanted him to suffer for his sins. However, the prospect of his death wouldn¡¯t sadden her. Instead, it would bring excitement and the promise of freedom. Yet, she doubted that scenario.


    Sandro was a formidable opponent. He didn¡¯t strike her as someone who would quickly back down without a fight. She believed he could emerge victorious against anyone he faced.


    Arabe¡¯s ears twitched, and she was startled as Mr. Rex shouted, ¡°Something¡¯s not right!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Her brows furrowed as she looked at him.


    ¡°We¡¯re surrounded.¡±


    ¡°By whom?¡±


    In response to her question, something forcefully collided with the car. Arabe gasped and clung to the headrest of the front passenger seat.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± she asked as the car roared to life.


    Mr. Rex drove like a maniac, paying no heed to her question.


    ¡°Are you intentionally trying to get me killed?!¡± Arabe screeched as the car came to an abrupt stop. ¡°Where the hell is Sandro, and what the¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here, darling,¡± Sandro mumbled as he slid into the seat beside her.


    Frowning, Arabe flinched, gazing at him with wide eyes.


    ¡°H-How did you¡­?¡± She stammered, her words trailing off.


    ¡°Get here?¡± Sandro finished her sentence for her.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Arabe nodded.


    ¡°It¡¯s not important,¡± Sandro mumbled. He then turned to Mr. Rex. ¡°Drive us home.¡±


    ¡°Si,¡± Mr. Rex acknowledged.


    ¡°Something happened back there, but I can¡¯t seem to figure out what it was. I need an exnation,¡± Arabe pressed as Mr. Rex navigated them home.


    ¡°Drop it,¡± Sandro grunted.


    ¡°Why? Were we being pursued?¡±


    Sandro¡¯s eyes narrowed, and he scowled. He couldn¡¯t fathom why she persisted asking when he had already told her not to. The mey squarely on those idiotic werewolves. He was sure they wouldn¡¯t have attacked if they had recognized the car as his. Then again, he had no shortage of enemies. At least, not within the territory he now upied as its Alpha.


    Sandro held dominion over all the werewolves in Cooan. The title of the leader of all Alphas had been passed down to him through his ancestry. He was confident that the attacking werewolves had fled upon sensing his presence. He pondered what they had wanted and what had drawn them to his car in the first ce.


    Sandro sped Arabe¡¯s hand and pulled her closer. Instead of addressing her question, his lips found her neck. He pressed hot, delicate kisses onto her skin while his free hand slipped beneath her dress.


    ¡°Stop, Sandro!¡± Arabe¡¯s voice was firm as she tried to push him away.


    Sandro held onto her hands, keeping them above her head despite the cramped confines of the car. His long legs entwined with hers, and he covered her mouth with his.


    ¡°No,¡± Arabe protested, shaking her head.


    ¡°You¡¯ll only hurt yourself if you keep struggling.¡±


    Arabe gasped as Sandro not only nipped at her bottom lip but also slid his hand between her legs, finding her wetness.


    She attempted to push him away, but he slipped a finger inside her, causing her resistance to melt away.


    ¡°What do you call me?¡± Sandro rasped in her ear as he thrust in faster.


    ¡°Master!¡± Arabe shouted.


    Involuntarily, she widened her thighs for him to get more ess, and her eyes rolled inside her head as pleasure surged through her.


    She gripped his hand, her legs spasming, and she panted.


    ¡°Sandro,¡±


    ¡°Master!¡¯ Sandro corrected.


    Arabe shook her head, tears clouding her vision. ¡°Please, stop.¡±


    Her mind didn¡¯t want him. Heck, she didn¡¯t want to do what he was doing to her, and she had vowed not to respond, but her body was betraying her over again.


    ¡°You want me, Arabe. Stop fighting it.¡± Sandro said.


    Arabe shook her head, ¡°I do not.¡±


    ¡°You have no choice to make. You are mine, and I¡¯ll make sure to im you tonight.¡± Sandro vowed, going in for a kiss.


    The car skidded to a halt.


    Arabe heaved a breath as his finger slipped out of her. He stepped down from the car and strode inside while she jogged after him.


    She was grateful for the interruption. At least she had a lot of time to collect her thoughts and n everything she needed before he came to her tonight.


    Arabe sighed as she climbed into the hot tub Janice had prepared for her. She shut her eyes and hummed.


    The only thing she enjoyed about her prison-Sandro¡¯s house- was the warm bath she often had.


    She never had the privilege when she lived alone.


    ¡°I can watch you forever this way.¡±


    Arabe¡¯s eyes snapped open, and she stood from the jacuzzi. She sat back down as she realized she was naked.


    She wondered how he had gotten in without her realizing it.


    ¡°What do you want, Sandro, can¡¯t I have a bath without an interruption from you? Do you have to invade my privacy each time just to satisfy your perverted mind?¡±


    Arabe shot him a dirty look.


    Sandro chuckled as he walked toward her.


    He squatted near the jacuzzi, and he caressed her cheek. His hand wandered from her cheeks to her breasts.


    Arabe sucked in a deep breath as he rubbed her nipples before fondling her breasts. From her breasts, his hand moved lower to her stomach and her core.


    ¡°You enjoy this, right? You are curious to see what I can do to make you want more?¡±


    Arabe red at him. ¡°I enjoy nothing.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps, this¡­¡± Sandro trailed off as his finger slipped into her.


    His eyes twinkled as she gasped and jerked.


    Arabe¡¯s eyes widened in shock, and she attempted to stand, but Sandro gripped her thigh.


    ¡°Just go with the flow.¡± He mumbled.


    ¡°I am going with no flow; you are my foe.¡±


    ¡°A foe willing to fuck a slut like you. You should be grateful, darling,, and it¡¯s high time you stopped fighting.¡±


    Before she could help herself, Arabe pped him hard on his cheek, ¡°I am not a whore!¡±


    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll make you one,¡± Sandro said, yanking her out of the hot tub.

 Chapter Fourteen

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Arabe screeched.


    She thumped Sandro¡¯s chest as her feet collided with the cold tiled floor.


    Gripping her hands, Sandro twisted them to her back, making her wince in pain.


    ¡°Goodness, look at your beautiful breasts seeking attention when I haven¡¯t concentrated on them.¡±


    Sandro let out a low guttural groan.


    His dick hardened, straining in his pants, he shoved her to the smooth wall, and his head bent to take a pointed nipple in his mouth.


    ¡°Let go of me, bastard!¡± Arabe said weakly as his tongue licked her nipple.


    She bit her lower lip and swallowed back the moan in her mouth.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± Sandro grunted, cupping her face before closing his lips on her.


    Arabe shoved him, but he didn¡¯t budge. Instead, he continued with what he was doing.


    Moreover, her body was beginning to give in even though she didn¡¯t want it.


    Yet, there was no way she could stop her treacherous body from not wanting more. ¡°Sandro¡­¡±


    Sandro growled; he removed his mouth from hers and turned her to face the wall. His hand smacked her backside, emitting a gasp from her.


    ¡°Master,¡± Sandro mumbled, smacking her once more. His eyes glinted as he noticed a bruise forming on her healing backside.


    The angry red marks fascinated him. Oddly, it looked even more beautiful.


    A moan slipped out of her mouth unwillingly as he caressed her backside. Then she gasped as he hit her again.


    Tears sprang forth in her eyes, and she attempted to wriggle herself out of his clutch, not minding her cheeks grazing the wall.


    ¡°Beg me,¡± Sandro said.


    ¡°Never,¡± Arabe muttered. She sniffled and winced at the same time as he continued the assault.


    ¡°You enjoy being punished, don¡¯t you, Cara Mia?¡±


    As she didn¡¯t respond, his hand went to her waist-length white hair, grabbed a fistful, and yanked it, ¡°This will look better spread on my beautiful pillow.¡±


    He dragged her away from the wall to the bed. Swiftly, he handcuffed her legs and hand.


    Arabe trembled. Tears slid down her cheeks, and she sobbed, ¡°You are taking me without my consent. You are a vile man!¡±


    ¡°You enjoy everything I do for you. You shouldn¡¯t moan if you don¡¯t. I didn¡¯t know you had kinks¡­¡±


    ¡°I enjoy nothing!¡± Arabe flung at him.


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Sandro said, tilting a brow. He stepped towards her, and his finger twirled a lock of her hair before trailing to her nipple.


    Arabe bit her lip and stiffened back a moan as his finger did his magic on her.


    Was she cursed? She mused, gazing at him.


    Why the fuck would her body continue to respond, whereas she wanted the opposite?


    She couldn¡¯t answer herself, and she believed the question would keep ringing in her head for the duration of her stay in his prison. And that was if he didn¡¯t kill her when he got tired of her.


    ¡°I told you,¡± Sandro smirked. ¡°I don¡¯t force my women before they want me. I haven¡¯t even gone down to the main business; your nipples are hard for me. Your pussy is wet for me, darling, and I know within you, you want me to fuck you hard until you cannot walk.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll never want something as absurd as that!¡± Arabe spat.


    ¡°How about we see?¡±


    Sandro climbed down from the bed and stripped out of his clothes slowly.


    Arabe watched him with rapt attention. She didn¡¯t want to, but he was irresistible as he stripped.


    ¡°Holy shit!¡± Her eyes rounded as he slipped out of his boxer brief.


    She swallowed the lump forming in her throat as she gazed at his size.


    Sandro chuckled; his hand gripped his dick and caressed it slowly. He was used to the reaction ofdies being startled whenever he stripped.


    But Arabe¡¯s reaction turned him on. He hardened and groaned as he imagined slipping inside her wetness.


    He strode towards her and halted, ¡°You like what you see?¡±C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    ¡°N-no,¡± Arabe stuttered, shaking her head.


    ¡°You¡¯ll get used to it, Tesoro,¡± He mumbled, widening her thighs apart.


    ¡°No¡­ never!¡± Arabe yelled and wriggled. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t make me do this the hard way, Be. I promise you will regret it.¡± Sandro grunted.


    ¡°I¡¯ll scream,¡± She said, then screamed at the top of her lungs.


    ¡±You are wasting your precious energy, darling. No one dares enter the room, even if it¡¯s open wide. I give orders, and everyone abides by it.¡±


    Arabe trembled as he fondled a breast, and she shut her eyes.


    ¡°Please, stop.¡± She choked out as his hand trailed down her stomach.


    ¡°Your tears sound like music to my ears. Like I said before, and I¡¯ll continue saying, it means nothing to me. It would help if you tried to enjoy this. A lot of women want it.¡±


    ¡°Over my dead body!¡± She gasped out as he thrust a finger inside of her.


    Arabe winced as he added another finger to the one inside of her. She bit her lips, ¡°I would rather die.¡±


    ¡°Is that a challenge? Your boldness excites me.¡±


    Fury danced in his eyes as she watched him climb on her. He didn¡¯t look anything excited. Instead, he looked as though he was ready to choke her to death.


    His once sea-green eyes, despite the low lighting in the room, had turned to an amber gold, and he snarled.


    Sandro¡¯s head dipped and cupped her face. His mouth went to her neck, and he sucked on the soft flesh roughly.


    His teeth grazed her neck, and he heard her moan, ¡°Mine!¡±


    One of his hands grabbed her breasts and fondled them before twirling her nipple.


    Arabe shivered as desire erupted in her. She winced as he continued to assault her breasts and neck.


    His mouth left her neck and trailed wet kisses from her corbone to her cleavage.


    She arched her back and gripped the duvet in her hand.


    ¡°Spread your legs for me, Arabe.¡± Sandro rasped.


    Involuntarily, her legsplied before her brain could.


    She gritted her teeth as he gripped her thighs.


    ¡°You are fucking hot, and you are mine,¡± Sandro said as he thrust into her swiftly.


    Arabe let out a shriek and writhed underneath him. It felt as though she was ripped into two due to howrge he was.


    Sandro didn¡¯t allow her to amodate the length of him as he began to move.


    ¡°Cristo, you are a virgin?¡± Sandro sneered.


    He made it look like it was an abomination to be untouched.


    He groaned and kept on going despite the realization of being her first.


    It was unbelievable, but he was d no man had ever been with her.


    Heck, he wanted her the more.


    Tears clouded Arabe¡¯s eyes as his thrust got rougher. She bit her lip and trembled underneath him.


    ¡°Please, stop.¡± She cried over again.


    But whether he heard her or not, he didn¡¯t.


    Arabe grabbed the sheet tighter, and she blinked as her vision became blurry.


    ¡°Dammit, you¡¯re so tight.¡± Sandro moaned.


    She didn¡¯t know how long she stayed on the bed unmoving, but she sensed when he climaxed inside of her.


    The feeling had been warm and satisfactory.


    She should have enjoyed everything he did to her, but she didn¡¯t.


    He killed her father, and he used her. He had defiled her body.


    Why was life so cruel? Why should this be her fate?


    Her life was ruined, and her once colourful world has be one with no colour.


    Only darkness exists in her world because she has lost everything meaningful; her family, happiness, peace, hope, and innocence.


    ¡°I¡¯m not done yet,¡± Sandro bellowed as he flipped her backward.


    From her blurry vision, she noticed he had gotten hard again, and he drilled into her from behind.


    Arabe didn¡¯t struggle. She was rather exhausted to do that.


    She let him have his way with her.


    After all, she was meant to be used by him. She was his sex ve, and no one was saving her.


    ¡°San-dro¡­¡±


    ¡°I said, master!¡± Sandro scowled and smacked her backside as she called his name.


    As he received no response, he turned her over. Her head lolled, and shey unconscious on the bed.


    ¡°Be?¡± He called, shaking her.


    ¡°Arabe?¡± He said her full name but no response from her.


    ¡°Shit!¡± Sandro eximed, his hardness turned soft.


    He climbed down from the bed and snatched his boxer brief, donning it.


    Tossing her in his robe, he carried her bridal style and darted out of the room to the clinic.

 Chapter Fifteen

    Arabe¡¯s eyes snapped open, a groan escaping her lips as pain shot through her at even the slightest movement. She blinked several times to clear her blurry vision, gradually adjusting to the light. Her bright blue eyes met the figure of a person dressed in ck hoodie before her, causing her to lurch back in fright.


    A startled shriek escaped Arabe¡¯s lips as she quickly darted out of bed, only to realize that it was ze who stood before her. ze pulled back the hood that had obscured a significant portion of his face and shook his head. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to frighten you.¡±


    Scowling, Arabe heaved a breath, her irritation evident. ¡°I almost had a heart attack. I could have died!¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t intend for that to happen,¡± he repeated, his tone softening. ¡°I was just watching to ensure you¡¯re okay.¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡± she inquired, furrowing her brows.


    Arabe suspected that something must have urred for ze to feel the need to watch over her. ze had never done such a thing before, and his behavior was certainly unusual. It urred to her that maybe Sandro had issued this directive; after all, he controlled nearly every aspect of their lives within the house.


    ze gestured to the vast bed. ¡°You should get back to bed.¡±


    Stepping cautiously toward the bed, Arabe contemted the unfamiliar room. Its ambiance was airy and inviting, starkly contrasting to the previous room where she had been confined. The colors seemed softer, and the room had an overall feminine touch, unlike the dark and masculine atmosphere of her former space.


    ¡°Is this a new room Sandro assigned to me?¡± she queried, her gaze fixated on the pink curtains gently swaying in the breeze.


    ¡°You don¡¯t remember what happenedst night?¡± ze asked.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Arabe furrowed her brows, attempting to recall events from the previous night.


    ze grimaced, his hands clenched into fists. ¡°That bastard¡­ he¡¯ll pay for this.¡±


    ¡°Are you referring to Sandro?¡± Arabe probed, sensing the intensity of ze¡¯s emotions.


    ze¡¯s gaze intensified, though he remained silent. His narrowed eyes remained fixed on her. ¡°Perhaps you should try to remember. He did something terrible to you. It¡¯s hard to believe you could forget so quickly, especially considering it hasn¡¯t even been twenty-four hours.¡±


    Arabe winced at his raised voice, taken aback by his reaction. ze¡¯s expression softened, and he ran a hand through his messy hair. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Arabe gave a half-shrug, her frown deepening. His outburst had left her feeling even more bewildered. Though shecked a clear understanding of the situation, the aches that shot through her body with every movement made her certain that whatever had urred was far from pleasant.


    And her intuition led her back to Sandro as the possible source of her suffering; after all, he had been the one to cause her pain before.


    Suddenly, she rose from the bed and walked towards the door. ¡°Sandro will be furious if he doesn¡¯t find me in my room. I don¡¯t know where I am, but I don¡¯t believe you should be here.¡±


    ¡°Sandro isn¡¯t present,¡± ze murmured, his voice low. ¡°At least he hasn¡¯t discovered your absence yet.¡±


    Arabe¡¯s confusion only deepened. ¡°What do you mean he doesn¡¯t know where I am? Where exactly am I, ze?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re in my house,¡± ze replied calmly. ¡°I rescued youst night.¡±


    Her hand slipped from the door handle, and she turned to face him. ¡°Could you exin what happened? And why would you risk your life like that? You could have been killed!¡±


    ze¡¯s frustration surged, cutting off her words. ¡°Would you rather I stood by and let you die instead of doing what I could to save you?!¡±


    Arabe began to speak, but ze silenced her with a firm interruption. ¡°No excuses. You should be grateful you¡¯re not under his control. Believe me; he had far worse ns for you.¡±


    He added with a growl, ¡°At least if I died, I would know I tried to save you.¡±


    Exhaling heavily, Arabe sank onto the King-sized bed, her head throbbing. ze walked over and grasped her hand, concern evident as he heard her wince. ¡°Are you hurt? Do you feel any pain?¡±


    Arabe shook her head, meeting his gaze as he settled beside her.


    ¡°I witnessed what he did to you,¡± ze¡¯s voice turned raspy, his muscles tense. He closed his eyes, inhaling deeply. ¡°I can¡¯t just move on from it.¡±


    ze shut his eyes and heaved a deep breath. He wasn¡¯t surprised she didn¡¯t recall aboutst night because he had seen the terrible things Sandro did.


    He was certain she had erased her memory- it wasmon in the world he was from. Werewolves and other supernatural beings tend to erase their memories after going through a lot.


    Only the most exceptionally powerful beings or those with ess to magic could perform such memory maniption on themselves. However, Arabe was a mere human without any concealed abilities. Her memory had vanished overnight, leaving ze to ponder whether it was an act of the moon goddess or if someone had tampered with her mind during her time at the clinic before he arrived.


    A low growl rumbled from ze¡¯s throat as he recollected the disturbing events that had unfolded before his eyes. He wished he could erase those memories, but the harsh reality was that he couldn¡¯t. Everything had transpired right before him, an unforgettable imprint on his mind.


    Arabe¡¯s initial scream had drawn him to the room, though he¡¯d been powerless to intervene. She was bound by Sandro¡¯s authority, subject to his whims and desires. zecked the power to dictate terms to Sandro unless he was prepared to sever ties with the pack. However, such an act would likely result in dire consequences for him.


    Despite Arabe¡¯s pleas, Sandro had proceeded with his intentions, heedless of her resistance. It wasn¡¯t until ze had witnessed her lifeless form in the clinic that he¡¯d acted impulsively, taking her away as soon as Francis had left his room. ze was fully aware of the risks involved in such a move, but his primary concern had been her safety. Saving her had outweighed any potential repercussions.


    ¡°What might Sandro do if he manages to capture me again? He¡¯ll likely kill you,¡± Arabe voiced her concerns.


    ze¡¯s response was persistent, ¡°You needn¡¯t worry about me. Your safety is assured here as well. Just follow my guidance and avoid ces where you could be spotted.¡±C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    Arabe nodded in acknowledgment, her stomach audibly rumbling.


    ¡°Let me fetch you something to eat. We can discuss things further once you¡¯ve had a meal,¡± ze said as he rose from his seat and approached the door. Turning back, he tilted his head slightly. ¡°What would you like to eat?¡±


    Arabe¡¯s response was casual, ¡°Anything is fine.¡±


    ¡°Very well,¡± ze confirmed with a nod, focusing on tending to her needs.

 Chapter Sixteen

    ¡°Cole!¡±


    Arabe heard a feminine voice shout as she stepped into what appeared to be the living room.


    Her nose wrinkled as the aroma of incense wafted into her nostrils.Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    Standing by the double ss door, she let her eyes wander while staring in awe.


    The living room was airy, with arge L-shaped purple leather sofa in the center and a white center table with a ss top situated in front of it.


    Ten centimeters away from the center table, a 42-inch TV was currently on.


    Arabe shivered and wrapped her arms around herself. Despite the firece in the room, it did little to provide warmth.


    It was eerily cold yet strangely weing.


    She felt drawn to the room in an inexplicable way.


    ¡°Cole!¡±


    Arabe jolted, turning around to see a curvy brte who was a foot shorter than her.


    The brte¡¯s dark-brown eyes narrowed as they assessed her.


    ¡°Thalia?¡±


    Arabe heard ze¡¯s voice. She furrowed her brows as he appeared in front of her and walked toward the girl who looked almost simr to him, except for her skin tone. ze had a bronze skin tone, while hers was caramel.


    ¡°What is she doing here?¡± Thalia hissed. ¡°Does she know who you are?!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, Thalia,¡± ze mumbled.


    ¡°Nothing is fine, Cole!¡± Thalia shouted. ¡°She¡¯s a fucking human!¡±


    What was wrong with being human? Arabe mused as she listened intently.


    She didn¡¯t understand, despite hearing them clearly. What confused her the most was Thalia referring to ze as Cole.


    She remembered asking him for his given name the first time they met, and he told her to figure it out herself.


    She wondered if this was the right time to ask him about it again.


    As she opened her mouth, she quickly shut it again when Thalia shot her a re.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know whatever hold you have on my brother. Just so you know, you are not wee here!¡±


    ¡°Thalia!¡± ze yelled as she stalked off.


    He groaned, shaking his head before turning to Arabe.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Arabe said with a small smile.


    She didn¡¯t expect to be well-liked either, and perhaps, if she were in Thalia¡¯s shoes, she might react the same way.


    ¡°She shouldn¡¯t talk to you in that manner!¡± ze eximed.


    ¡°I¡¯m technically in her territory. So, she has every right to speak to me however she wants.¡± Arabe shrugged.


    ¡°Again, I shouldn¡¯t have wandered around; I was only looking for you,¡± she mumbled, ying with the top button of her blouse. Then she grimaced as it urred to her that the dress must have been intended for Thalia. She had epted the change of clothing ze had given her without asking where he got it from.


    ¡°Do you need me for anything?¡± ze asked, taking a deep breath. He stepped closer to her as she pointed to her neck.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Arabe said, parting her hair. ¡°I need a disinfectant for this ugly hickey.¡± She grimaced. Despite her efforts to remember the reason she was in ze¡¯s house and what had transpired the day before, she couldn¡¯t. She believed the hickey was a reminder of it, and the thought of what he might have done to leave the mark there was horrifying.


    ¡°That¡¯s no hickey!¡± ze grunted. He gripped her hand and stared at her neck before letting out a growl. ¡°Goodness, that bastard!¡± ze gritted his teeth. He had marked her and imed her as his! The mark on her neck was the mate bond that wasmon in werewolves, except hers hadn¡¯t formed properly. Moreover, she was clueless and assumed it was a hickey. Perhaps it was best she didn¡¯t know what it was, and he wasn¡¯t ready to exin it to her either.


    Again, he didn¡¯t know Sandro would do something as awful as that. How could he mark someone who felt nothing for him? It was insane, but ze was sure he was trying to im his territory. No one would mate with her after seeing the mark. Heck, they¡¯d be frightened to do anything with her as she had the imprint of an Alpha!


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Arabe asked for the umpteenth time.


    ze turned to her and grunted. Arabe sighed. He avoided the topic and hadn¡¯t given her what she had asked for. A few seconds ago, they had been in the living room before he yanked her into the room, shutting the door as if someone was watching.


    Arabe walked to the vanity and examined her neck once more. A hickey had formed, a crescent-shaped mark just before her corbone. She furrowed her brows as it glowed, turning to ze, who appeared behind her.


    ¡°Is this supposed to glow? I don¡¯t understand,¡± she inquired.


    ¡°It¡¯s because it¡¯s no ordinary hickey,¡± ze rasped, his voice carrying a tense undertone.


    He stared at the glowing mate mark on Arabe¡¯s neck, a symbol mostly associated with Alphas. This mark was no ordinary one; it was a double crescent, a mark bestowed only by the leader of all Alphas.


    ¡°See, there are two!¡± she eximed, furrowing her brows. ¡°Is this some sort of supernatural hickey since you said it¡¯s not normal?¡±


    Arabe giggled but halted when she noticed ze¡¯sck of amusement.


    ¡°Okay, spill. What are you hiding from me?¡± she pressed. ¡°And your name is Cole? Goodness, I wouldn¡¯t have guessed that.¡±


    ¡°My given name is Cole, and I assumed the name ze in the mafia.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°Nothing,¡± ze mumbled, avoiding her gaze.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Arabe nodded, her gaze intense. ¡°Are you sure there¡¯s nothing else I need to know? Your eyes seem to suggest otherwise.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure, and there¡¯s nothing in my eyes,¡± he said, turning away and walking to the window.


    He pulled the curtains down, blocking the view from the windowspletely. ¡°I don¡¯t want anyone being nosy.¡±


    ¡°You need to rest,¡± ze added gently, guiding her towards the bed, expertly changing the subject.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can,¡± she admitted.


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    Arabe shivered, the thought of Sandro barging into the room sending a surge of fear through her. She wrapped her arms around herself, biting her lower lip and shaking her head.


    ¡°Is it because of him?¡± ze questioned softly.


    Arabe nodded.


    ¡°He can¡¯te here. Sandro doesn¡¯t know I have a sister. He¡¯s unaware of my family connections. So, there¡¯s no way he can reach you unless he catches me while I¡¯m sneaking out.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t he be suspicious now that you¡¯re not there?¡±


    ¡°He probably will be,¡± ze shrugged. ¡°But, I¡¯d deny it. It¡¯s not as if he saw us together.¡±


    ¡°This is dangerous, ze. You could get into trouble for this. Just let me go back and ept my fa-¡±


    ¡°Stop!¡± ze¡¯s voice boomed, cutting her off abruptly.


    He withdrew his hand from his pocket and fixed a prating re on her. ¡°What if your fate held something different? Do you believe it¡¯s to meet your end at Sandro¡¯s hand?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Arabe began, unsure how to respond.


    ¡°Tell me, Arabe!¡± ze¡¯s voice snapped the use of her full name emphasizing his intensity.


    It was the second time she heard him say her name in such a manner. Strangely, despite his anger, she found it oddly captivating, a surge of warmth spreading through her.


    With a sigh, Arabe¡¯s shoulders slumped, acknowledging that she didn¡¯t possess a satisfactory answer to his probing question.


    ze moved purposefully towards her, crouching down in front of her. Locking eyes with her, he firmly grasped her hands. ¡°You could be destined for more than this. Don¡¯t let your dreams be cut short by Sandro¡¯s cruelty.¡±


    Arabe¡¯s gaze delved into his, her grip on his hands tightening. ¡°I¡¯m mostly concerned about what might happen to you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine,¡± ze rasped, assurancecing his words. ¡°I can take care of myself.¡±


    He reluctantly released her hands, his attention caught by the watch on his wrist. ¡°I need to go, or Sandro will grow suspicious.¡±


    ¡°Please stay safe,¡± she murmured, offering a farewell wave as he slipped out of the room.

 Chapter Seventeen

    Rolling on the vast bed, Sandro covered his ears with the pillow in response to a knock. He sighed and tried to drift off again, but the pounding on the door persisted.


    Slowly opening his eyes, he winced as sunlight streamed in from the window. His gaze shifted to therge clock on the wall, and he suddenly shot out of bed. It was mid-afternoon, and he had never slept thiste before today. Frowning, he tried to recall if he had partiedst night, but nothing came to mind. He believed he hadn¡¯t done anything to warrant oversleeping, and he had been with Arabe throughout the day as well.


    ¡°Arabe,¡± he mumbled as the image of her lifeless body shed in his mind.


    ¡°Sh*t!¡± he eximed as memories of what had transpired rushed back. He had gone overboard with his punishment, and she had ended up unconscious.


    He wasn¡¯t sure if she was awake now, but Francis had assured him she¡¯d be okay after checking on her the previous night. Sandro quickly threw on a faded pair of jeans and a red id shirt before walking to the door.


    As he opened the door, his eyes fell on ze. ¡°What?¡± Sandro grunted. ¡°I¡­¡±


    His attention shifted to Francis, who was standing behind ze. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Sandro asked, concern welling up within him. His chest tightened as Francis twisted his fingers together.


    Francis stared at the ground, exhaling a breath as he pondered how to convey his thoughts in front of Sandro. He had rehearsed what he would say during the short time he and ze had arrived at Sandro¡¯s door, but now that he was face-to-face with him, the words seemed impossible to form.


    ¡°Is she d-dead?¡± Sandro¡¯s voice trembled with anxiety, his chest constricting with each passing second. Francis remained silent, his gaze still fixed on the floor, lost in thought.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you be happy if she died?¡± ze¡¯s voice interjected. He scowled and clenched his fists, his tone usatory. ¡°That¡¯s what you wanted all along.¡±


    Sandro rolled his eyes and locked his gaze on Francis. ¡°Why are you tongue-tied? Will you tell me what¡¯s wrong, or do I need to find out for myself?¡±


    ¡°O-of course!¡± Francis sputtered, nodding hastily. ¡°The thing is¡­¡±


    ¡°Arabe is missing,¡± ze cut in.


    Sandro shifted his gaze from ze to Francis. He chuckled, and then hisughter intensified into a bellyugh. ¡°I must admit, that¡¯s the most hrious thing I¡¯ve ever heard,¡± Sandro mumbled, patting his chest as he struggled to contain his amusement.


    ¡°It¡¯s no joke,¡± Francis said in a small voice. ¡°She¡¯s nowhere to be found.¡±


    Sandro moved past Francis and strode towards the clinic. He pushed the door open, stepping into the room where he had left Arabe the previous night. His eyes narrowed as he stared at the empty bed.


    ¡°Francis!¡±


    ¡°Y-yes, Signore?¡± Francis stuttered, standing by the door and exhaling a shaky breath.Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    ¡°Is this some kind of joke? Where is she?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Francis replied.


    Sandro swiftly closed the distance between them and pushed Francis against the wall. ¡°What do you mean you don¡¯t know? I left her in your care!¡± Sandro barked, pressing his elbow against Francis¡¯s neck.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± Francis gasped out. ¡°I-I came to an empty room. She must have escaped during the night!¡±


    Sandro scanned the spacious room, and his gaze fell upon the CCTV cameras in the corner of the ceiling. ¡°Check for any footage! She wouldn¡¯t have left on her own. Someone must have helped her.¡±


    Sandro looked at ze just in time to see him shrug. He released Francis from his grip and approached ze. ¡°I swear, if you¡¯re found guilty, I¡¯ll extract your heart without a second thought. Recing you won¡¯t take me more than a second!¡±


    ze shut his eyes, took a deep breath, and then opened them to meet Sandro¡¯s gaze. ¡°You think I¡¯d ever betray you? Why the hell am I your Beta, then?¡±


    ¡°As far as I¡¯m concerned, I don¡¯t know what to believe anymore. It seems you¡¯re looking for an opportunity to stab me in the back when I¡¯m not looking!¡± Sandro retorted.


    ¡°But I¡¯ve always been looking out for you. I even managed to get her information to you before you caught up with her, but you treated her badly.¡±


    ¡°How I treat a captive and a sinner is none of your fucking business!¡± Sandro¡¯s voice thundered in ze¡¯s face.


    ¡°I did nothing,¡± ze mumbled, raising his hands in the air and giving a half-shrug. ¡°I know nothing.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a warning. If you¡¯re seen in any footage with her, you¡¯ll be fucking dead.¡± Sandro shoved him against the wall and walked away.


    ¡°Signore¡­¡± Francis began, addressing Sandro.


    Sandro turned to Francis. ¡°Did you see anything?¡±


    ¡°I saw nothing. She was lying in the bed, and that was all. The camera was off somehow. I didn¡¯t know how. Maybe I identally turned it off after checking on herst night.¡±


    Sandro grimaced and kneaded his temple. He was furious. That bitch! If he found her again, he¡¯d definitely kill her.


    ¡°What do we do? She¡¯s not in any condition to be out on her own. I mean, she¡¯s hurt and needs a lot of rest,¡± Francis said, wincing as he rubbed his neck.


    He knew Arabe would be experiencing even more pain than he was feeling at the moment. She had left, and he didn¡¯t me her. If he had been tortured like that, he would have done the same.


    However, it puzzled him how she had disappeared without a trace on camera. Despite the maximum security, no rms had gone off to alert anyone.


    Francis was convinced that someone had assisted her escape, but he couldn¡¯t fathom who would dare defy Sandro¡¯s authority.


    ¡°I¡¯ll find her,¡± Sandro dered, breaking the silence. He stepped toward the door and turned to look at both men. ¡°Go back and gather the pack members. Let them prepare for a funeral because I¡¯m returning with her corpse!¡±

 Chapter Eighteen

    It waster in the evening when Sandro returned from his search. He kicked the door to his room open and headed straight for the bar. Uncapping the white rum, he poured it generously into the highball ss before him. Grimacing as the liquor scorched his throat, Sandro muttered, ¡°Where could she possibly be?¡±


    He had revisited the house from which he had taken her, only to find it empty. He had even gone to the ce where she worked, but nobody had seen her since the day he took her. Sandro shook his head. The more he dwelled on her sudden disappearance, the stranger it felt to ept that she might have escaped without any assistance.


    His instincts kept pointing toward ze as the possible culprit.


    Despite being privy to everything that was happening, ze remained tight-lipped. ¡°That traitorous bastard! I¡¯ll rip out his heart!¡±


    Sandro downed the remaining white rum and ced the ss on the bar counter before storming out of his room.


    He forcefully pushed open the door to therge hall, drawing all eyes towards him. A meeting was in progress, but he disregarded it entirely. His sole focus was on finding out where Arabe had gone, and he believed ze was the only person capable of providing an answer.


    Grabbing ze off his seat, Sandro dragged him to a corner of the room. Ignoring the stares drilling into his back, Sandro maintained a firm grip on ze.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Didn¡¯t you see¡­?¡± ze began, but his words faltered as Sandro¡¯s fist met his jaw.


    ¡°Are you out of your mind?!¡± ze staggered backward, his voiceced with anger.


    Sandro snorted, retorting, ¡°I could ask you the same thing. Where the hell is she?¡±


    Yanking ze off the ground, Sandro mmed him against the nearest wall. His hand pressed into ze¡¯s chest, and his gaze turned steely. ¡°Where did you take her?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t take her anywhere!¡± ze yelled, pushing Sandro¡¯s hands away. ¡°Why are you using me of something I know nothing about? What does she have to do with me?!¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s connected to you in more ways than you¡¯d like to admit. I saw how you acted around her from the very start. You seemed like old friends reuniting. And the way you gaze at her, it¡¯s as if she¡¯s your mate. Not to mention how you¡¯re always quick to defend her,¡± Sandro retorted, his voice charged with frustration.


    ze shot back, his tone defensive, ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean anything! Damn it! I can stand up for whoever I damn well please. I¡¯ve defended Janice countless times, and I don¡¯t see you having an issue with that!¡±


    The mention of Janice¡¯s name caused her cheeks to redden, and she lowered her gaze to the table. A nudge from Francis brought her attention back to the conversation.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Francis whispered concern in his eyes. ¡°Is there something between you two?¡±


    Janice shrugged, whispering, ¡°It¡¯s aplicated story, and now isn¡¯t the time to discuss it. We need to stop whatever¡¯s about to happen.¡±


    ncing at the other pack members, they nodded and rose from their seats.


    ¡°Arabe is under my protection. She¡¯s mine, and she has no business interacting with you at all! She shouldn¡¯t beughing with you,¡± Sandro asserted fiercely.


    ¡°Can you even hear yourself?¡± ze grunted. ¡°She¡¯s not a damn ything. She¡¯s a human being with feelings. She¡¯s not a beast like you and-¡±


    ¡°Screw you!¡± Sandro bellowed, throwing another punch at ze¡¯s nose.


    Pain shot through Sandro¡¯s fist as it connected with ze¡¯s nose, but he paid it no mind. He grabbed ze by the cor, shoving him against the wall before lunging at him.


    ¡°Quit hitting me, damn it!¡± ze managed to dodge the iing attack.


    ¡°I¡¯m your Alpha, and I can do whatever I damn well please with you!¡± Sandro¡¯s foot connected with ze¡¯s gut, causing him to groan and cough up blood.


    ¡°Stop,¡± Janice¡¯s voice trembled as she spoke. Her hands clenched at her sides, her body shaking.


    She could see the pain in ze¡¯s eyes despite his efforts to conceal it. There was something off about why he wasn¡¯t fighting back. She knew ze¡¯s strength was on par with Sandro¡¯s, but Sandro had the upper hand in strategy.


    Furthermore, she sensed that ze wasn¡¯t retaliating because of Sandro¡¯s position as his superior.


    ze¡¯s grunt jolted her out of her thoughts, and her eyes widened as she observed him writhing on the floor, clutching his stomach.


    ¡°Stop it!¡± Janice¡¯s voice was firm as she pushed Sandro away from ze.


    Sandro groaned, his frustration evident, and he turned to re at her. ¡°You little brat!¡±


    He advanced toward her, but Francis intervened, positioning himself between Sandro and Janice.


    ¡°Leave her out of this, Sandro!¡± ze¡¯s voice trembled as he spoke.


    ¡°You need to calm down. Yes, Arabe is missing, but taking your anger out on all of us won¡¯t bring her back. I¡¯ve been ming myself all day, and I doubt that¡¯s helping the situation,¡± Francis rambled.


    Sandro¡¯s response was curt, ¡°Then do what needs to be done!¡±


    He stormed out of the room, his re drilling into ze before he left.


    Once Sandro was gone, Francis released a sigh of relief and turned to Janice. ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Janice murmured, her voice shaky. She took a deep breath and approached ze, who was still on the floor.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± ze rasped, struggling to stand. His hand went to his side, and he realized he had broken two ribs. Leaning against the wall, he let out a steady breath.


    ¡°You look like hell.¡± Janice said.


    ¡°Thanks to your lovely Alpha,¡± ze muttered, his eyes opening to meet hers.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have intervened. He could have hurt you,¡± ze added.


    Janice rolled her eyes, retorting, ¡°Sandro won¡¯t hurt me.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know what he¡¯s capable of when his animal instincts take over.¡±This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    ¡°I still believe he wouldn¡¯t hurt me,¡± Janice insisted softly.


    Though she had been shaken by Sandro¡¯s outburst and deathly re, she knew he wouldn¡¯ty a finger on her. Somehow, he had never raised his hand against her, even when he was furious.


    She didn¡¯t quite understand why he treated her differently, but she was grateful that he wasn¡¯t as terrible to her as others believed.


    ¡°Let me help you,¡± she offered as she saw ze struggling toward the exit.


    ze nodded and allowed her to grasp his hand as they walked out of the room together.

 Chapter Nineteen

    ¡°Tell me the truth, ze. Did you know about Arabe¡¯s whereabouts?¡± Janice inquired, gently cing an ice pack on his broken ribs. She yfully flicked his head and chuckled at his wince.


    ¡°What¡¯s that for?¡± ze red, massaging his temple.


    ¡°I wanted to check if it needs a bandage. And now I have my answer.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll manage,¡± he said, removing her hand from his head. ¡°I can heal myself, remember?¡±


    ¡°Oh, right. I keep forgetting that. Sometimes I forget you¡¯re a pure-blood werewolf.¡±


    Janice bit her lower lip, feeling a flush on her cheeks from the contact of his hand. She grimaced and turned away.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know where Arabe is,¡± ze spoke up.


    Janice¡¯s head shot up, brows creased. ¡°Then why was Sandro hitting you if you don¡¯t know where she went? He¡¯s too impatient.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that in front of him. Thest thing I want is to see you punished,¡± ze warned.


    ¡°Sandro will never punish me!¡± Janice retorted, sighing. ¡°But what he did to Arabe is awful. She doesn¡¯t deserve what he did; she only wanted a peaceful life. But I know that¡¯s impossible with Sandro around.¡±


    ¡°I hope she manages to get far away from him. He¡¯s being needlessly cruel. He seems to relish her suffering,¡± ze rasped, stretching. His muscles popped as he moved, but his ribs still throbbed.


    Healing would take a few hours because he was a pureblood werewolf. Those with one human parent possessed the same ability, but they often took longer to heal.


    Janice shook her head. ¡°I hope she¡¯s safe, given her condition. And maybe Sandro will stop acting like a jerk if he doesn¡¯t find her.¡±


    ze shrugged but remained silent.


    After Janice finished applying ointment to his bruises, even though it wasn¡¯t necessary, he allowed her to do it to avoid her protests.


    zey on her bed, staring at the ceiling. He wasn¡¯t angry that Sandro had hit him. Maybe he deserved it for what he did, but then again, perhaps it was for the best.


    Closing his eyes, he snapped them open and fixed his gaze on the clock. Then he shot out of bed.


    ¡°Shit,¡± he mumbled, grabbing his clothes and hastily putting them on. He winced as he slipped into the bloodied shirt. He had promised Arabe he¡¯d return after reporting in at the De Luca Vi. He hadn¡¯t anticipated it taking this long, and he began to wonder if she was alright since she hadn¡¯t contacted him yet.


    Furthermore, with Alessandro searching for her, he worried about the possibility of him stumbling upon her location. However, it was unlikely. The journey from Thalia¡¯s ce to the De Luca Vi was only three hours, and despite the proximity, Arabe was unlikely to be spotted.


    He was even more concerned about leaving Thalia alone with Arabe than the thought of Sandro discovering her hiding spot. Rushing toward the door, his hand reached for the handle, but the door creaked open before he could grip it.


    ¡°Are you heading out?¡± Janice asked as she entered the room carrying arge tray.


    ¡°Yes,¡± ze muttered, attempting to exit the room.


    ¡°Why not eat before you go? What¡¯s the hurry? Is it something urgent?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s important,¡± ze replied curtly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think anything is as crucial as having a meal. Plus, you don¡¯t seem to have much strength left in you. How will you cope if you¡¯re attacked?¡±


    ¡°I can manage,¡± ze grunted, then shot her a re.


    ¡°I¡¯m just worried,¡± Janice shrugged. ¡°I can take this back to the kitchen if you¡¯re not interested¡­¡±


    ze¡¯s stomach rumbled as the aroma of the food on the tray reached his nose.


    ¡°I¡¯ll eat,¡± he mumbled, his eyes narrowing at Janice as she set the tray in front of him. He noticed her smile widening, and as she settled into a plush seat near the coffee table, ze tilted his head, observing her.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You seem happy.¡±


    There was something about Janice that he liked. Despite her often annoying him, he appreciated her cooking. She was the best cook in the house, even though she wasn¡¯t quite on par with Thalia. Among the De Luca household members, she stood out. She had a knack for putting things together, a skill that set her apart.


    ¡°I¡¯m happy all the time,¡± Janice rolled her eyes. ¡°But how did you notice? You¡¯ve never mentioned this before.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not blind.¡±


    ¡°Of course you¡¯re not,¡± Janice replied, rolling her eyes. She rested both hands under her chin and watched as he devoured his food. A smile graced her lips as she sighed. He looked incredibly attractive every time she saw him, and she doubted whether he had any idea of how much he affected her.


    ¡°I¡¯m finished.¡±


    Janice snapped out of her daydream, her gaze shifting to see him wiping his mouth with a napkin. She nced at the tray, noticing it was nearly empty.


    ¡°Wow, you have quite an appetite.¡±


    ¡°Is that a problem?¡±


    ¡°Oh no, I find it sexy,¡± Janice blurted out. She bit her lower lip and blushed as his eyes met hers.


    ¡°I mean, it¡¯s perfectly fine to have a healthy appetite, and I¡¯m d you enjoyed the meal,¡± she rambled, mentally scolding herself.


    ¡°You¡¯re a talented cook, and I doubt there¡¯s anyone who wouldn¡¯t enjoy your food,¡± ze said, his gaze flicking back to the wall clock.


    ¡°I need to head out.¡±This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Janice nodded, standing up.


    ¡°Let Sandro know I¡¯m going on patrol.¡±


    She nodded again and watched as he left the room. Once he was out the door, she hurried to the window and peered through the curtains.


    Janice sighed as ze put on a ck hoodie. Her heart raced in her chest as he turned. Their eyes met, and a blush tinted her cheeks.


    ¡°He saw me,¡± she mumbled, opening the window.


    ¡°And so sexy!¡± she groaned as he winked at her.


    Her core tingled, and she returned his smile before he disappeared from view.


    ¡°What am I doing?¡± Janice plopped onto the bed, stretching her arms out, then pressed a hand to her pounding chest.


    ¡°I can¡¯t shake this feeling. He¡¯s taken over my thoughts and sanity. Janice, get a grip!¡± She scolded herself, snapping her fingers in front of her.


    But neither her brain nor her heart paid any attention to her words.

 Chapter Twenty

    As evening fell and a longing for fresh air filled her mind, Arabe stepped onto the porch of the grand house and entered the garden, her breath escaping in a sigh as she gently locked the door behind her. For the first time since her arrival, she stood before the house, staring in awe at its beauty, which surpassed even her imagination. Her gaze swept from the towering ss windows to the elegant red brick walls of the bungalow.


    From her room¡¯s window, she had caught glimpses of the breathtaking outside view, sparking a growing desire to explore. Despite ze¡¯s warning to remain within the safety of the house due to the presence of Sandro, his soldiers, and associates who might be lurking about, she could no longer abide by the restriction. Besides, she doubted Sandro would venture into the tranquil environment. The solitude was ratherforting, in stark contrast to the noisy surroundings she had grown ustomed to before her abduction by Sandro.


    The leaves rustled softly underfoot as she stepped into what appeared to be a small garden. She made her way to the central fountain, pausing nearby. A sage-colored fence partitioned the garden, marking a clear boundary between the greenery and the house. Arabe took a deliberate deep breath, inhaling the sweet scent of roses that wafted on the breeze, momentarily closing her eyes and savoring the sensation.


    As the wind tousled her hair around her face, she reopened her eyes, only to startle as theynded upon arge dog. The animal emitted a low growl, revealing blood-stained teeth as it bared its aggression towards her.


    Arabe¡¯s face twisted in a grimace as she stumbled backward, surprised she hadn¡¯t noticed the dog¡¯s presence earlier. If she had, she might have made a swift escape. Her mind raced to the idea of fleeing indoors, but the dog swiftly positioned itself in her path. A gasp escaped her lips as she instinctively jerked, losing her bnce andnding awkwardly on her bottom.


    Her eyes widened as the dog closed the distance, its rapid movements contrasting with its imposing size.


    Arabe had never encountered a dog of such immense size before, nor had she ever felt fear towards these animals, until now.


    ¡°Stay away from me!¡± Arabe¡¯s voice erupted in a shout as soon as her vocal cords responded. The dog appeared momentarily taken aback, halting its advance and cocking its head before letting out a haunting howl that pierced the sky. ¡°Fuck!¡± Arabe seized the opening and bolted back into the house, her exmation of expletives trailing in her wake.


    ¡°Ouch.¡± Arabe winced, a grimace forming on her face as her hand collided with the sharp edge of a ss vase, the impact tearing into her flesh. She quickly grabbed a tissue to stem the blood that welled from the wound. As she turned, she inadvertently crashed into a solid yet surprisingly warm figure.


    A screech tumbled from Arabe¡¯s lips, her arms iling as she instinctively tried to distance herself from the unexpected presence. However, a firm hand reached out and sped hers, steadying her.


    ¡°It¡¯s me!¡± ze¡¯s voice cut through the haze of her panic. ¡°You look terrified.¡±


    ¡°A¡­ a dog!¡± Arabe gasped, her breathing in ragged bursts.


    ¡°Deep breaths, Be, deep breaths,¡± ze instructed, his hand soothingly caressing her back.


    Arabe followed his guidance, inhaling shakily and then exhaling slowly. She repeated the process several times, gradually feeling her racing heart settle. Her gaze remained fixed on ze, who was intently observing her.


    ¡°What happened?¡± ze¡¯s voice was filled with concern as he questioned her again, his tone softer now that she had regained someposure.


    ¡°I saw a dog in the garden, and it seemed like it was about to attack me,¡± Arabe admitted in a hushed voice.


    ¡°I explicitly told you to stay within the house. When will you start listening?!¡± ze¡¯s frustration burst forth in a shout, his re directed at her.


    ¡°The room started feeling suffocating,¡± Arabe murmured, her voice small.This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    Her lower lip caught between her teeth, and Arabe averted her gaze, feeling the intensity of his re bore into her.


    ¡°Are you hurt? Did ite close to you?¡± ze¡¯s voice was rougher now, his hand lifting her chin to meet his gaze.


    Arabe flinched, meeting his eyes with her own wide ones. She shook her head and released a shaky breath. ¡°No, it didn¡¯te near me. It just scared me.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± ze responded curtly. ¡°I want you to-¡±


    His words trailed off, his focus sharpening on something behind her. Puzzled, Arabe furrowed her brow and turned around, only to collide with ze once more. Her eyes fell upon the dog once again.


    ¡°Please, make it go away!¡± she pleaded, gripping his shirt tightly as her body trembled and her breathing turned rapid. ¡°Please!¡±


    ¡°Arabe, breathe!¡± ze growled, his voicemanding.


    His gaze shifted from her to the creature that sat calmly in the middle of the room. Thalia, as Arabe presumed, was not a mere dog; she was in her werewolf form.


    Despite thebel of ¡°dog,¡± Thalia bore no resemnce to the canine form; her stature was imposing, her golden fur radiated in the light, and her dark eyes shimmered with an intelligence that transcended mere animal instinct. ze could feel her anger and annoyance reverberate through their shared mental connection.


    ¡®What¡¯s wrong with you?!¡¯ Thalia¡¯s voice hissed in his mind. ¡®Why did you intervene?!¡¯


    ¡®Let her be.¡¯ ze retorted as he expelled a sigh and cast a scowl. ¡®She hasn¡¯t harmed you in any way.¡¯


    ¡®She¡¯s trespassing in my territory and acting like she owns the ce!¡¯


    ¡®Fine.¡¯ ze¡¯s re intensified. ¡®I¡¯ll leave the house with her. If you can¡¯t tolerate her presence, then maybe you don¡¯t want me here either!¡¯


    Thalia¡¯s mental response carried a sense of defiance. ¡®Why are you so worked up about me not wanting her here? Is she your mate or something?!¡¯

 Chapter Twenty-one

    ¡°Mate?¡± ze mused aloud.


    He hadn¡¯t considered the possibility of Mate being with Arabe. Arabe belonged to Sandro, and ze had never assumed he could have her, even though he had experienced peculiar feelings while he was around her. He attributed his protective nature to her fragility and constant need for help, not thinking much of it.


    ¡°Do you like her?¡± Thalia inquired again.


    ze snapped out of his thoughts, his gaze shifting toward her. He noticed that she had reverted to her human form. His attention then turned to Arabe, who remained in his arms. Her arms were wound around his neck, and her chest pressed against his. The proximity caused his heart to flutter, and his stomach twisted. He inhaled deeply, catching her scent, which made him emit a low groan.


    ¡°I knew the moment you tried to keep her away from me and him,¡± Thalia chimed in.


    ¡°Enough, Thalia,¡± ze retorted, his re intense.


    Startled, Arabe tightened her grip on ze.


    ¡°You can look now,¡± ze whispered.


    ¡°No, please, I¡¯m scared of it,¡± Arabe whimpered.


    ¡°Poor you,¡± Thalia taunted. ¡°All humans are fragile and cowards!¡±


    ¡°Thalia,¡± ze muttered, his narrowed gaze revealing his irritation.


    ¡°Keep your human mate away from me. The next time I see her wandering around like a helpless mutt, I won¡¯t hesitate to rip her heart out and present it to you on a silver tter.¡±


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t dare!¡±Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    ¡°Of course!¡± Thalia grinned. ¡°It¡¯s a jest, but we both know my capabilities.¡±


    Thalia skipped out of the room, leaving ze fuming and ring at the spot she had upied moments ago.


    ¡°Such a nasty brat,¡± ze muttered, his voice low as he seethed at her audacity.


    ¡°I made you fight with your sister again. I¡¯m such a horrible person,¡± Arabe sniffled, trembling in ze¡¯s arms.


    ¡°You did nothing wrong,¡± ze reassured her, his frown softening. He withdrew slightly from their embrace.


    ¡°Are you crying?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Arabe shook her head, attempting a smile that failed to appear.


    Despite her effort to hold back her tears, they streamed down her cheeks. She sniffled and coughed before biting her lower lip.


    ¡°That¡¯s tears sliding down your cheeks. Tell me, did the dog, by any chance, do anything to you?¡± ze asked, his tone serious.


    He didn¡¯t trust Thaliapletely, aware of the limits she could push. While he believed she wouldn¡¯t kill Arabe, he knew she was capable of inflicting torment upon her.


    ¡°It did nothing,¡± Arabe said, her voice shaky.


    ¡°Then why are you crying?¡±


    ¡°Something must have gotten into my eyes,¡± she mumbled, rubbing her eyes to emphasize her point. ze shook his head, recognizing her lie, but he decided not to press her further, respecting her reluctance to confide in him. The absence of bruises on her skin made him suspect that Thalia had likely not caused her tears and that her distress was caused by something else entirely.


    ¡°I want to go inside,¡± Arabe dered after a pause. She met ze¡¯s gaze and let out a sigh. ¡°The dog did nothing. I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re looking at me as if I¡¯m lying. You don¡¯t believe me, I know that¡­¡±


    ¡°I believed you,¡± ze assured, holding the door open for her to enter. ¡°I¡¯m just curious to understand why you started crying, and unfortunately, I can¡¯t read your mind, which can be quite frustrating.¡±


    Arabe frowned. ¡°You¡¯re not a mind reader, are you? Besides, why would you want to do that? It¡¯s kind of creepy.¡±


    ¡°At least then, I¡¯d know how to help you feel better.¡±


    Arabe shook her head and began, ¡°I woke up after eating with a pounding headache. It felt like a part of my brain had been wiped away, and I was struggling to make sense of anything. I¡¯mpletely confused!¡±


    ¡°Shhh,¡± ze hushed, pulling her into a gentle embrace.


    ¡°Something is wrong with my mind. Someone tampered with it, and I see numerous bruises on my skin, but I have no recollection of how I got them. I need to understand what¡¯s happening, ze,¡± Arabe choked out.


    As ze released her from his grasp, he gazed into her red-rimmed eyes. She appeared shattered, and he felt helpless, not knowing the cause of her distress. Her father¡¯s actions had consequences, but he believed she shouldn¡¯t be the one suffering for them. He wished he could take away her pain, make her feel better and happier, just like the first time he saw her through her office window.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to be alright, I promise. I¡¯ll do whatever it takes to make you feel better,¡± ze reassured.


    Arabe nodded, her breathing gradually steadying. She still felt disoriented despite his assurance, but knowing he was willing to support her meant everything in that moment.


    For a moment, Arabe pushed aside her troubles and focused on ze¡¯s words instead.


    As evening descended, ze once again entered Arabe¡¯s room. She turned at the sound of the door opening, a wide smile stretching across her lips.


    ¡°Hey! I thought you had left,¡± she beamed, her eyes sparkling.


    ¡°I can¡¯t leave without catching a glimpse of your lovely face,¡± ze stated.


    He winced inwardly, shaking his head mentally. He wasn¡¯t entirely sure why he had said it, but Arabe was undeniably beautiful. She held a natural allure that set her apart from the others without needing to put in excessive effort.


    Furthermore, he was curious about her reaction, and he found satisfaction in the blush that crept up her cheeks. His words seemed to have impacted her despite her attempts to remain unaffected.


    Arabe rolled her eyes yfully. ¡°Come on, that won¡¯t impress me. I prefer a man who¡¯s direct.¡±


    ¡°Who said anything about trying to impress you?¡± ze smirked, tilting his head slightly.


    Arabe¡¯s blush deepened, and she instinctively covered her reddened cheeks with her hand. ¡°Stop.¡±


    ¡°Stop what?¡± he rasped, taking a step into the room.


    ¡°Stop smiling,¡± she mumbled.


    ¡°Do you find my smile cute?¡± ze asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Arabe nodded, stealing a nce at him through her longshes. ¡°And it¡¯s dangerously making me like you.¡±


    ze froze momentarily. His heart raced as her words sank in. She had confessed to feeling something for him, and a part of him wished it were true. Yet, he remained convinced that she was merely engaging in their yful banter. She couldn¡¯t truly be in love with him, and he certainly wasn¡¯t in love with her.


    But the strange sensation within him contradicted his logical thinking.

 Chapter Twenty-two

    ¡°Bitch!¡± Sandro grunted as he grabbed a fistful of the blonde¡¯s hair while she knelt before him, giving him a blowjob.


    She moaned, a grin stretching across her thin lips as she withdrew from his intimate area. ¡°You enjoy that?¡± she asked, licking her lower lip and smirking.


    ¡°Just get it over with,¡± Sandro rasped, guiding her mouth back to his erect member. He pushed himself entirely inside her mouth, causing her to gag.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    The blonde, whose name he hadn¡¯t bothered to ask for since she was only meant to be a fleeting satisfaction, trembled as he thrust into her warm mouth. Sandro paid no attention to her reactions; he continued relentlessly until he climaxed, releasing into her open mouth.


    ¡°That¡¯s delicious,¡± she purred, licking her lips and swallowing thest remnants of his release.


    Moving toward him, she reached for his loose pants, but he swatted her hand away. Sandro red at her. ¡°That¡¯s enough for now.¡±


    ¡°You promised multiple climaxes. Was it all a lie to avoid seeming weak?¡± she taunted. ¡°Feeling inadequate, are we?¡±


    Sandro¡¯s re intensified, and he grasped her neck, applying a slight choke. ¡°I give the orders here,¡± he grunted, ¡°and you¡¯ll find outter whether I¡¯m weak or not. It¡¯s too early for that judgment.¡±


    She shrugged, wincing as he released his grip on her neck. Rising from her kneeling position, she strippedpletely. ¡°If you¡¯re interested, you can join me in the bathtub,¡± she suggested with a wink, giving her backside a yful squeeze before sauntering into the bathroom.


    ¡°Puttana,¡± Sandro muttered once she was out of sight. He grabbed his vibrating phone from the nightstand, scowling at the screen.


    ¡°De Luca,¡± Sandro answered. He narrowed his eyes as he heard shuffling on the other end.


    ¡°Are you having sex with your wife while talking to me, Giuseppe?¡±


    ¡°N-No,¡± Giuseppe stammered, hastily zipping up his pants. He shook his head, ncing at his wife Ca, who was reaching for the leg of his brown cks.


    ¡°Stop,¡± he whispered sharply, ring at her.


    ¡°We only did it once,¡± Ca mumbled.


    Sandro listened intently to the conversation on the other end and let out a frustrated sigh. ¡°Where is she?¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t find her,¡± Giuseppe replied.


    ¡°Then find her, damn it!¡± Sandro¡¯s voice exploded through the phone.


    Giuseppe winced and quickly pulled the phone away from his ear before cing it back a momentter. ¡°I¡¯ll do that, Signore.¡±


    Just as he was about to end the call, Sandro interrupted him. ¡°And do something about your wife. I don¡¯t want to hear her irritating nagging every time I¡¯m on the phone with you!¡±


    ¡°Understood, Signore,¡± Giuseppe nodded, even though Sandro couldn¡¯t see him.


    After the call ended, he grimaced and turned to Ca. ¡°What the hell? You almost cost me my job!¡±


    ¡°There are plenty of jobs out there for you. You have a degree, so I don¡¯t understand why you¡¯ve chosen to be ackey for that so-called rich brat,¡± Ca retorted, rolling her eyes.


    Giuseppe sighed and shook his head. His wife didn¡¯t grasp the nature of his job. While he didn¡¯t hide it from her, he believed she was too oblivious toprehend. She seemed to think being involved with the mafia was a normal career without understanding the dangers that apanied it. Furthermore, he hadn¡¯t joined because he wanted to; it was the impressive pay and his belief that Sandro had his back, even if he didn¡¯t openly disy it.


    ¡°Am I getting some action, or are you nning to ignore me likest week?¡± Ca¡¯s voice snapped him back to the present.


    ¡°I thought you forgot aboutst week.¡±


    ¡°How could I? Every time I see you, it reminds me of you ignoring me and rushing out of the room like you were on fire.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± Giuseppe replied.


    He was well aware of her implication. Last week involved an urgent matter concerning Arabe as well. ze had called him to convey a message to Sandro, but he doubted Ca would understand the significance.


    ¡°I¡¯m not interested in knowing about your business. Just make sure you provide good sex and keep the moneying in. I guess we¡¯re good that way,¡± Ca dered, uncovering her body.


    Giuseppe chuckled, torn between relief that Ca wasn¡¯t curious about his activities and a sense of unease. Yet, he reasoned it was better for her to remain oblivious. Keeping her in the dark would spare him the anxiety of worrying about her stumbling into danger she didn¡¯t understand.


    ____


    Sandro tossed the phone aside and took a deep breath, his brow furrowing as he pondered Arabe¡¯s whereabouts. He couldn¡¯t pinpoint her exact location. While his instincts hinted that she wasn¡¯t far, at the same time, she seemed distant. The thought of her consumed his waking moments, frustratingly intruding even into his dreams.


    The blonde emerged from the bathroom, wearing nothing. She approached him, turning to disy her alluring figure, and provocatively moved her hips. Sandro gritted his teeth as arousal surged within him. An intense desire took hold,pelling him to spring out of bed.


    He seized her hand and pulled her towards him, silencing whatever words she might have had with a forceful kiss. His hand explored her backside, kneading it as he guided her to the bed. Shedding his own clothes, he didn¡¯t hold back.


    ¡°Alessandro,¡± she purred, a coy smile ying on her lips.


    ¡°Turn over,¡± Sandro rasped. ¡°I want to take you hard and fast.¡±


    Complying, she positioned herself on all fours, clutching the duvet as he yfully smacked her buttocks. A grin spread across her lips, and she bit down on her lower lip, reveling in the sensation.


    She nced back at him, but her regret was instant as Sandro seized her hair and thrust into her with urgency. Her body trembled as he entered her, his substantial length prating her deeply.


    ¡°W-Wait¡­¡± she gasped, her breath catching as he began to move.


    Sandro¡¯s guttural sounds filled the room as he thrust forcefully, lost in the intensity of the moment. Her pleasure was apparent as her body quivered, her inner muscles clenching with release. Yet, he wasn¡¯t finished.


    ¡°Just a little longer,¡± he rasped, the air heavy with their desire.


    She shook her head, gripping the duvet tighter as her knees weakened, threatening to give way. Her skin tingled, and a wave of heat coursed down her spine. Despite the difort caused by his length and roughness, she found herself enjoying his actions, reluctant for him to cease even as she teetered on the edge of unconsciousness.


    Sandro¡¯s body responded as her vagina clenched around him, his teeth grinding together as he grasped her backside. As his climax approached, he swiftly withdrew from her, spilling his seed onto her skin. ¡°That was amazing!¡± Blondie eximed, copsing onto the bed beside him.

 Chapter Twenty-three

    Sandro winced as he emerged from the blue convertible car. He tucked his hands into the pockets of his blue denim jeans and then withdrew them to caress the three-day-old beard on his chin. Inhaling deeply, he exhaled slowly, his nostrils ring as a floral fragrance drifted into his nose. He turned around, narrowing his eyes as they settled on a curvaceous, leggy brte. She was d in a burnt orange metallic miniskirt that hitched up every time she moved.


    His gaze traveled down to the belly ring, barely covered by the floral crochet crop top she was wearing. A bright smile graced her oval face, and she pushed the aviator sunsses down her sharp, straight nose.


    ¡°Well, isn¡¯t this a surprise,¡± she purred. Her voice carried the husky quality he remembered from thest time he was with her.


    ¡°Alessandro,¡± she added, drawing out his name in a way that sent a shiver down his spine. He still had a reaction to her, and he wondered if that would ever change.


    ¡°Thalia,¡± Sandro mumbled as she approached him. Her arms enveloped him, and a soft sigh escaped her lips as her chest pressed against his.


    ¡°It¡¯s been quite some time,¡± she remarked, releasing the embrace but remaining close.


    As she assessed him, she noted that he looked remarkably simr to the way he did five years ago-just taller and more muscr. Thalia couldn¡¯t help but wonder if he had aged at all, considering how much she herself had changed since theyst met.


    Sandro discreetly checked out her perfectly proportioned backside, entuated by the skirt. He realized that few of the women he had encountered managed to look even more attractive upon reuniting.


    Thalia, he believed, was in a category of her own, standing out from the rest.


    ¡°Do you reside in the neighborhood?¡± Sandro inquired.


    ¡°Oh, no,¡± Thalia replied. ¡°I¡¯m just here for a visit.¡±


    ¡°Visiting one of your many clients, I presume?¡± he quipped.


    Thalia rolled her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not a prostitute, Sandro. Our history doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯ve been intimate with every man I¡¯ve crossed paths with.¡±


    Sandro scowled.


    ¡°Then enlighten me about why you left me if not for being with older men? You seemed to be open to anything that came your way,¡± he spat out, his pent-up emotions from five years ago resurfacing unexpectedly.


    In that moment, Sandro realized he hadn¡¯t truly moved on from the events that had transpired between them all those years ago. He had convinced himself that he was over it, but this encounter shattered that illusion.


    Thalia sighed, suppressing her anger as best she could. Meeting Sandro had proven to be a mistake, as he was prone to hurling hurtful usations at her. No matter how she exined herself regarding the circumstances of their breakup, he remained skeptical.


    ¡°I didn¡¯te here for any of that, and I had no idea you¡¯d be here. If I had known, I wouldn¡¯t have even shown up!¡± Thalia retorted.


    Sandro¡¯s grip tightened as he pulled her back when she tried to move past him.


    ¡°Let go of me!¡± Thalia yelled, struggling to break free, but his hold was unyielding.


    Drawing closer, Sandro¡¯s face was inches from hers, his voice softer this time. ¡°Where have you been?¡±


    ¡°Why does it matter where I¡¯ve been? What business is it of yours?¡± Thalia shot back.


    ¡°Where the hell have you disappeared to? You smell just like Arabe!¡± Sandro¡¯s voice took on a harsh edge.


    ¡°Who is Arabe?¡± Thalia stammered, taken aback by his sudden intensity.


    Sandro¡¯s gaze remained locked on her for a few tense seconds, ring. Thalia felt as if he could tear her heart out with a single pull.


    ¡°You¡¯re hurting me,¡± Thalia managed, her eyes welling up with tears.


    Sandro blinked, his demeanor shifting as he registered the tremor in her voice. Clearing his throat, he wiped away his anger and noticed the unshed tears glistening in her eyes.


    Thalia wasn¡¯t Arabe. She couldn¡¯t be. But then why did they share a simr scent up close? The confusion gnawed at Sandro, who struggled to find a satisfactory exnation.


    Reluctantly, he released Thalia¡¯s hand and ran his fingers through his hair. ¡°I apologize.¡±


    Silence hung in the air for a moment before she broke it. ¡°What was that all about, and who is Arabe?¡± Thalia questioned.


    ¡°She¡¯s nobody,¡± Sandro muttered, not offering any more information. And she didn¡¯t press him further. Instinctively, she realized that delving deeper could jeopardize not only herself but also her brother.


    It was safer to feign ignorance than to risk getting entangled in a dangerous situation she didn¡¯t fully understand.


    ***************


    Arabe rolled her eyes, tossing the remote control onto the leather couch in front of her before pushing herself up and stretching her limbs. She walked over to the door and peered out of the window.


    ¡°Not back yet,¡± she muttered in frustration.


    Her phone vibrated almost immediately, and she nced at the screen.


    ¡°Thalia.¡± Despite their strained friendship, at least they were in a state of tolerance now. Thalia had be less harshpared to the first two days Arabe had been in the house. Arabe figured that Thalia had epted her presence, at least temporarily.


    Putting the phone to her ear, Arabe spoke. ¡°You won¡¯t being home tonight?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Thalia¡¯s voice came through. ¡°But I need you to grab something for me.¡±


    Arabe furrowed her brows. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Just a few groceries I bought. It¡¯s right around the corner from the house.¡±


    Arabe peered from the window again, noticing the moon in the sky. She pondered whether leaving the house was a good idea. ze had issued strict warnings against it, and Arabe wasn¡¯t keen on disobeying him. However, she didn¡¯t want to decline Thalia¡¯s request either.


    Thalia had a vtile temper, and Arabe believed that a misstep on her part could trigger an adverse reaction.


    ¡°Are you still there?¡± Thalia¡¯s voice snapped Arabe out of her thoughts.


    ¡°Yeah, I am. But there¡¯s an issue. I promised ze not to-¡±


    ¡°ze, my so-called brother. He won¡¯t do anything to you.¡±Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    Arabe nodded, even though Thalia couldn¡¯t see her. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be there in three minutes. It¡¯s pretty chilly out, so I¡¯ll grab a jacket.¡±


    After the call ended, Arabe reached for the pink fleece jacket that ze had given her. She slipped it on and pulled the hood up as well.


    Arabe grimaced as she stepped out of her cozy room, thankful for the jacket¡¯s warmth. Lately, the nighttime temperatures had been colder than usual, precisely when Thalia tended to head out. ze, on the other hand, rarely stayed in the house, and when he did, it was only during the day-never at night when Arabe could use his help.


    Arabe¡¯s ears twitched at the distant howl. She scanned her surroundings-behind, in front, to the left, and to the right-as she walked through the dimly lit alley toward Thalia¡¯s designated meeting spot. An unsettling sensation prickled her skin as though she were being observed. She nibbled on her lower lip, her hand retreating into her jacket pocket. Her pace quickened, heart pounding when she heard a sudden footfall. The eerie ambiance outside could have been ying tricks on her senses, but she remained wary.


    Despite the eerie atmosphere, Arabe was convinced she wasn¡¯t imagining things. ¡°Help me, sweet Jesus,¡± she whispered, continuing her journey until she reached the location Thalia had specified. She furrowed her brow, standing alone in the deste street. Thalia was nowhere to be seen, and there was no grocery in sight.


    Retrieving her phone from her jacket pocket, Arabe watched as Thalia¡¯s name shed on the screen. ¡°Were you trying to prank me? It¡¯s freezing out here!¡±


    Thalia¡¯s retort came without hesitation. ¡°Well, you deserve it, and I won¡¯t apologize if you freeze your ass off.¡±


    Confusion crept over Arabe. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t realize you were so gullible. Now I know, and I¡¯m amused you fell for it.¡±


    ¡°Thalia!¡± Arabe¡¯s exmation held a mix of realization and frustration.


    Thalia had no intention ofing, nor had she gathered any groceries for Arabe. The cunning witch had manipted her into venturing out for some unknown purpose.


    Arabe¡¯s anger simmered. ¡°What¡¯s your damn pro-¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re my problem, bitch. Stay away from my brother. Sweet dreams.¡± Thalia¡¯s voice dripped with malice before abruptly ending the call, punctuated by a taunting, kissy sound.


    ¡°That witch!¡± Arabe seethed, whirling around just as a low growl rumbled behind her.


    ¡°What now?!¡± Arabe¡¯s frustration was cut short as her gaze met the fierce eyes of a predatory beast. Unlike the friendly dog she had encountered before, this creature exuded a terrifying and immense presence. The longer she stared, the more she realized her predicament.


    ¡°Stay back!¡± Arabe¡¯s hands instinctively pushed forward as she fought to regain herposure.


    Her phone ttered to the ground as she instinctively moved backward, attempting to increase the distance between herself and the advancing creature.


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t!¡± She choked out the plea, her heart racing, and she gasped as her backward momentum abruptly ceased when her body collided with someone.


    Startled, she turned to identify her unexpected savior, but before she could focus, a cloth was pressed over her nose. Panic surged as the scent of the cloth overwhelmed her senses, and her vision began to blur at the edges. She struggled against the encroaching darkness, stumbling backward, only to find herself caught by the firm grip of the stranger¡¯s hand.

 Chapter Twenty-four

    Thalia sped her hand over her mouth, suppressing a scream, as she watched from a distance. cing her trembling hand on her pounding chest, she bit her lower lip anxiously.


    The scene unfolded before her eyes: Arabe was being dragged away from the road and into a waiting ck van. Thalia couldn¡¯t help but notice the pain etched across ze¡¯s face. He appeared ready tomit violence. However, Thalia understood the unforgiving nature of both the mafia and the Moon Howlers pack, led by Alessandro.


    Both factions had no tolerance for betrayal, and those found guilty were executed without hesitation. This fate had befallen Arabe¡¯s father, and Thalia feared it might also await her brother. She cared for ze and sensed his affection for Arabe, but she didn¡¯t want him to risk his safety for her.


    ¡°Let go of her hand,¡± ze¡¯s voice came out as a gruff grunt.


    Thalia snorted at his words. ¡°It¡¯s for the best,¡± she mumbled to herself. Once the coast was clear, she slipped out of her hiding spot and jogged back home. As soon as she entered, she closed the door behind her, letting out a shaky breath.


    Thoughts of Sandro, also known as Alessandro, upied her mind. After a recent encounter, she had received a threatening call warning her not to aid Arabe. She realized the strength of the scent she had picked up earlier, and it had been a close call; Sandro had been watching her intently. Their past romantic rtionship held no sway with him. He was capable of ending her life in an instant, without a second thought.N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    Shivering, Thalia wrapped her arms around herself, grateful that Sandro hadn¡¯t discovered her involvement in sheltering Arabe. Still, she felt a twinge of guilt. Maybe she shouldn¡¯t have taken the risks she did, but she couldn¡¯t stand the thought of either herself or ze getting hurt.


    Her phone vibrated, drawing her attention. She nced at the screen and read, ¡°Meet me at the De Luca Vi as soon as you wake up.¡±


    ¡°What does he want now?¡± Thalia muttered, ring at the message¡¯s content. She tossed her phone aside, but it buzzed once more.


    ¡°Now what?¡± she asked, irritation evident in her voice, as she answered the call.


    ¡°Ensuring you received my text,¡± Sandro¡¯s voice came through the phone.


    Thalia rolled her eyes, retorting, ¡°I did, but¡­¡±


    ¡°No ¡®buts,¡¯ darling. You don¡¯t object when I ask for something,¡± Sandro interjected.


    ¡°Are you my father?!¡± Thalia scowled, though he couldn¡¯t see her expression.


    ¡°I can punish you,¡± Sandro¡¯s tone turned stern.


    ¡°Goodness!¡± she hissed. ¡°I¡¯ve done nothing to you. Do you go around punishing anyone you encounter?!¡±


    Silence hung on the other end before he spoke again. ¡°You¡¯re concealing something from me. You need to be here tomorrow. Running won¡¯t help, it¡¯ll only provoke me further and lead to irrational actions.¡±


    ¡°F**king get angry, I don¡¯t care!¡±


    ¡°Careful, honey,¡± Sandro warned, and Thalia could almost picture the smirk on his face. ¡°I seldom let people defy me without consequences.¡±


    She sighed in frustration. ¡°Meeting you today was a mistake. We¡¯re not together anymore, and you can¡¯t control my life as if we¡­¡±


    ¡°Bastard!¡± Thalia gritted her teeth as he abruptly ended the call. Flinging her phone across the room, she copsed onto the bed. She pondered how he had obtained her number; she was certain she had changed everything after leaving him. But then again, he was Alessandro De Luca-able to obtain anything he desired with a snap of his fingers. Resigned, Thalia recognized she couldn¡¯t escape him even if she tried; it wasn¡¯t an option.


    She concluded that it would be best to hear him out. She didn¡¯t need to anticipate his words because everything would likely revolve around Arabe.


    ____


    Sandro¡¯s hand struck Arabe¡¯s face, causing her head to whip backward. Groaning, she bit her lower lip and raised her eyes to meet his gaze. Her eyes were red-rimmed, blood trickling from her nose and a cut on her lip. Sandro seized her throat, his grip tightening, and she gasped for breath.


    ¡°Where the f*ck were you? Who did you go to?!¡± His voice thundered with anger.


    Arabe winced as he shoved her backward. Shutting her eyes, she gasped for a staggering breath, then opened them again.


    ¡°Would you rather die than answer my question?¡± Sandro¡¯s tone was harsh.


    Arabe¡¯s head lolled weakly as she managed a nod.


    ¡°Kill me,¡± she slurred, her words slumping. ¡°I¡¯ll find freedom in death.¡±


    Sandro moved to her side and gripped her hair, winding it around his hand to pull her face closer.


    ¡°I¡¯ll turn your life into a living nightmare,¡± he rasped.


    The door to the torture room swung open, revealing Thalia¡¯s entrance. Her gaze flickered to Arabe, who seemed on the verge of copsing from the relentless torment.


    Turning her attention to ze, her eyes met his clenched fists. His muscles tensed as he fixed a piercing gaze on Arabe.


    Sandro walked toward Thalia, halting right in front of her.


    ¡°Alessandro,¡± Thalia addressed him.


    He studied her for a moment, then grabbed her hand, pulling her toward him. Before she could react, his lips closed over hers, a forceful and sudden kiss.


    ze¡¯s eyes narrowed. The desire to break Sandro¡¯s grip on Thalia surged within him. He was aware of the history between the two, but he refrained from intervening, aware that Sandro remained ignorant of their current rtionship. Revealing that now would onlyplicate matters.


    ¡°You seem to enjoy my kisses. So why this resistance?¡± Sandro chuckled, a taunting note in his voice.


    He yfully pped her backside and walked over to where his shirt hung in the corner of the room.


    Thalia¡¯s re was intense. ¡°We¡¯re not together anymore. How many times do I have to remind you of that?! We¡¯re done!¡±


    With a swift movement, Sandro closed the distance between them and seized her hand. His grip shifted to her chin as he sneered down at her.


    ¡°I told you not to raise your voice to me, darling. Does my anger arouse you? Does that turn you on?¡±


    ¡°You sicken me,¡± she spat, her voice dripping with disdain. But despite her show of defiance, she refrained from pushing him away or erupting in anger. Underneath her facade, she was gripped by fear of him.


    She no longer recognized the man standing before her. He was barely recognizable as the Sandro she once knew.


    Her mind churned with questions about what could have led him down this path, as the person facing her now seemed like aplete monster.


    He had transformed into a brutal individual who seemed to derive enjoyment from causing pain and suffering to others.

 Chapter Twenty-five

    ¡°I like what you think of me,¡± Sandro grinned, winking at ze as he walked towards Thalia. With each step, she retreated two steps backward.


    ¡°I hate you,¡± she said firmly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so, darling,¡± Sandro mumbled, his tone almost teasing. ¡°Have you forgotten so soon?¡±


    Thalia scowled. ¡°I do hate you, Alessandro. I can¡¯t believe I was with a man like you.¡±


    Sandro chuckled, brushing off her words. This wasn¡¯t the first time he had heard such feelings from her. Arabe had echoed simr words to him, but he didn¡¯t let them bother him. He turned his gaze toward Arabe, who remained in the same spot he had left her, a satisfied smirk ying on his lips at her current state-helpless and fragile, just as he desired.


    His attention returned to Thalia. ¡°A lot has happened since you left. But I don¡¯t think now is the time for catching up.¡± He shrugged into the id shirt he held.


    Thalia felt relief that he was wearing something. It allowed her to look at him without the intrusive thoughts of him tearing his clothes off for a spectacle.


    ¡°Are you acquainted with her?¡± Sandro inquired, his eyes searching Thalia¡¯s.


    Thalia looked down briefly before meeting Sandro¡¯s gaze. ¡°I don¡¯t know who she is.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure, Thalia? I¡¯m quite perceptive when ites to lies and fear.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know her, and I¡¯ve never met her until today,¡± Thalia replied, catching a glimpse of ze¡¯s audible exhale. She wondered if he had feared she might say otherwise. The consequences of doing so were clear to her.


    ¡°Why do I sense deception?¡± Sandro¡¯s voice was assertive. ¡°And why can¡¯t you meet my gaze when you speak?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to find in your eyes.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± Sandro smirked. ¡°I suppose you need to look at my face to see whatever you¡¯re seeking.¡±


    ¡°Your face is bothersome,¡± Thalia retorted with a huff.


    ¡°But you¡¯ve always loved staring at me. Even while I¡¯m inside you, you enjoyed¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop!¡± Thalia¡¯s face turned crimson. She shifted her gaze to ze, who remained expressionless, his attention fixed on the still-unconscious Arabe.


    ¡°We need to do something for her. She might die,¡± ze blurted out after a lengthy spell of staring at Arabe¡¯s bloodied face.


    Sandro shrugged. ¡°She was meant to die, anyway.¡±


    ¡°But she¡¯s not dead. She needs treatment urgently,¡± ze¡¯s hands clenched in frustration.


    ¡°Who are you to dictate what I should do with her?¡± Sandro¡¯s brow arched, eyes narrowing as he locked a re onto ze.


    ze seethed, a low growl escaping him. His anger was directed at Sandro for the harm he had inflicted on Arabe, at Arabe for venturing out of the safety of their home, and most of all, at himself. He had promised her safety but failed to provide it. He had let her down, and the voice of his wolf, Red, seemed to revel in his failure. ¡®She is yours, but you couldn¡¯t protect her.¡¯


    Shaking his head, ze countered the voice. Arabe wasn¡¯t his; she belonged to another. Yet, his wolf¡¯s persistent reminder echoed Thalia¡¯s words about Arabe being his mate. Nevertheless, he had let her down.


    Exhaling heavily, ze locked eyes with Sandro. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. She¡¯s injured and might not survive without help. I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t want her to die immediately. She can entertain you in various ways. You need to save her.¡±


    ¡°Smart move. She used to be my ything, and this time, I¡¯ll make it even more torturous for her. You can take her to the infirmary,¡± Sandro dered before turning his attention to Thalia.


    ¡°Stay the night.¡± He brushed his fingers against her cheek and ced a kiss on the corner of her lips before exiting the room.Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    ¡°Ugh,¡± Thalia grimaced, wiping her mouth. ¡°Such a detestable person!¡±


    As soon as Sandro departed, ze hurried to Arabe¡¯s side.


    ¡°Arabe, please, stay with me,¡± he choked, his voice trembling as he held her in his arms.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Cole. I should have been-¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my fault,¡± ze interjected, blinking back the threatening tears, his gaze shifting to her pulse.


    Faint, nearly fading, her pulse told a worrisome tale.


    Lifting her carefully, ze hurried out of the torture chamber and toward the infirmary.


    ___


    Arabe winced, her head throbbing, her eyelids seemingly weighed down. But that wasn¡¯t all; her chest felt constricted, and her hands moved sluggishly.


    Turning her head slightly, she spotted ze beside her bed. ¡°B-ze,¡± she managed to whisper.


    ze jolted awake at the sound of his name, bleary eyes widening as they met Arabe¡¯s. She slowly rose from the bed.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake!¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Arabe nodded, trying to lift her head.


    A relieved breath escaped ze, and he stood from his chair, positioning a pillow behind her for support, gently tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.


    His touch left a tingling sensation on her skin, and she blushed.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Arabe¡¯s voice broke his reverie.


    ¡°Sandro happened,¡± ze mumbled. ¡°But the gruesome details aren¡¯t important right now. Making sure you¡¯re alright is.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Arabe insisted as he ced his palm on her forehead.


    ¡°You¡¯re not,¡± ze disagreed. ¡°I need Francis to run some tests on you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m okay, ze. It¡¯s just-¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not!¡± ze¡¯s exmation was forceful, his hand pping hers away as it tried to grip his.


    ¡°Why in the world did you leave the safety of the house? Why do you keep getting into trouble?¡±


    ¡°Why can¡¯t you listen to me for once? I¡¯m trying to help you, but you¡¯re making everything so damn difficult!¡±


    Arabe clenched the bed linen, biting her trembling lower lip.


    Her eyes filled with tears, and she sniffled, gazing up at him. ¡°Why are you ming me for this?¡±


    ¡°Who else should I me if not you?¡± ze¡¯s voice was heated. ¡°You had one crucial task-to stay indoors!¡±


    ze clenched his teeth and tugged at his hair, his scowl aimed at her. ¡°Why did you leave the house, Arabe? Why do you insist on hurting yourself?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not trying to hurt myself,¡± she replied softly. ¡°I didn¡¯t just leave without reason. Thalia called, asking me to pick something up, and it all went downhill from there.¡±


    ¡°Thalia called you out at that hour despite the clear instruction not to jeopardize your life? That¡¯s beyond belief,¡± ze scoffed.


    ¡°She did, but I realized it was a trap. She wanted me away from you. I don¡¯t know why she despises me so much.¡±


    Tears streamed down her cheeks as her body trembled. The disdain Thalia held for her was obvious and unhidden. Memories of the torture room and Sandro¡¯s actions flooded her mind. He had nearly ended her life twice without remorse. She believed that ze and Thalia¡¯s arrival had saved her from whatever sinister n he had devised.


    ¡°Hey,¡± ze¡¯s voice drew her attention.


    Her gaze shifted back to him.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for being so harsh,¡± he murmured, his thumb caressing her knuckles. He gently squeezed her hand, bringing it to his lips for a tender kiss.


    A sigh escaped him as her sobbing grew more pronounced. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to shout.¡±


    ¡°I suppose I deserved everything that happened,¡± Arabe mumbled, her voice heavy with regret.


    ¡°Maybe.¡± The door creaked open, and Thalia walked in.


    ¡°Thalia!¡± ze growled, striding angrily towards her.

 Chapter Twenty-six

    ¡°What¡¯s happening here?¡± Thalia demanded, yanking her hand free from ze¡¯s grip.


    ¡°You look like you¡¯re about to kill someone,¡± she remarked.


    ¡°Because I am about to kill you!¡± ze fumed, teeth gritted, and a furious re directed her way. ¡°Why the hell did you do that? I trusted you, out of all people, to keep her safe!¡±


    ¡°What on earth are you talking about?¡± Thalia asked, brows furrowing as she folded her arms defensively. ¡°You drag me out here to shout at me without even exining what¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°You damn well know it¡¯s about Arabe. Why did you trick her into leaving? Why are you so determined to ruin her life? She hasn¡¯t done anything to you!¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯d prefer her to ruin yours?¡± Thalia sneered, shoving him.


    ¡°You¡¯d rather let that woman destroy everything you¡¯ve worked for?! She¡¯s not worth it, Cole.¡±


    ¡°You have no right to do that to her, Thalia. I¡¯ll be the one to decide if she¡¯s worth it or not! You don¡¯t see me meddling in everything that concerns you.¡±


    Thalia grabbed ze¡¯s hand, forcefully yanking him back.


    He crashed into the wall, a sharp crack indicating a cracked rib. Slowly, he rose to his feet.


    His gaze narrowed, fists clenched. ¡°What the hell was that for?!¡±


    He lunged towards her, shoving her against the nearest wall. His elbow caught her neck before he attempted a headlock. But Thalia anticipated his move, quickly gripping his hand and twisting it behind his back.


    ze winced, hunched over.This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    ¡°Getting soft, Cole? No one has ever broken free from your headlock before. This is a first for me, and I¡¯m starting to think it¡¯s the human bitch making you lose your damn mind.¡±


    ¡°Enough, Thalia!¡± ze roared, frustration palpable in his voice. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hurt you because you¡¯re my sister, and this has nothing to do with Arabe. Just stop antagonizing her!¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s nobody, and I¡¯ll continue to remind her of that if you don¡¯te to your senses!¡± Thalia spat back.


    ¡°Watch your mouth-¡±


    ¡°Well, well, what do we have here?¡± Sandro¡¯s voice cut through as he leaned against the doorway.


    ¡°A squabbling pair of siblings?¡± He raised an eyebrow before smirking. ¡°I find those rather entertaining. Unfortunately, you two aren¡¯t rted.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s none of your damn business,¡± Thalia retorted, trying to walk past him.


    ¡°I can never get enough of your attitude. Oddly, it makes me want to teach you a lesson in ways that¡¯ll blow your mind,¡± Sandromented.


    ¡°Let go of me!¡±


    ¡°You used to be my ything, Thalia. Do you remember what I told you on our first night together? Maybe I should refresh your memory.¡±


    Thalia shook her head, her gaze darting to ze. A flush reddened her cheeks as she stared at the ground.


    ¡°Please, Alessandro, release me.¡±


    ¡°Not until youply with my request,¡± he replied.


    ¡°And what might that be?¡±


    Sandro leaned in, grinning at ze as he did. ¡°Be mypanion for the night, dear.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Thalia shouted, shoving him. ¡°You¡¯re repulsive, and I would never agree to such a thing!¡±


    Sandro clicked his tongue. ¡°Wrong choice of words.¡±


    He advanced toward her, grasping her hand and pulling her closer to him.


    His lips hovered dangerously close to hers, and Thalia inhaled sharply.


    A shiver ran through her as desire ignited inside her.


    ¡°Stop,¡± she managed, hating the weakness in her voice.


    Sandro gripped her chin, his grin widening. His sea-green eyes darkened. ¡°You¡¯re not over me, are you? I can see the wanting in your eyes¡­¡±


    ¡°Let her go!¡±


    Sandro tilted his head, his gaze shifting to ze. ¡°Is there something going on between you two that I¡¯m unaware of?¡±


    ¡°Are you sleeping with him too?!¡± Sandro exploded. He shoved Thalia against the wall and turned to face ze.


    Grabbing ze by his shirt cor, he hurled him across the room.


    ¡°Son of a bitch!¡± ze¡¯s voice snarled as he hit the wall. ¡°We¡¯re not sleeping together.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not!¡± Thalia yelled, stepping in front of Sandro as he moved menacingly toward ze once again.


    ¡°Why should I believe you? You¡¯ve been with damn near everyone I know.¡±


    Thalia bit her lip, shaking her head. Her gaze darted to ze, who looked ready to take Sandro down if given a chance.


    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± she mouthed to him.


    ze shrugged, wincing and clutching his side.


    Thalia knew ze wasn¡¯t furious with Sandro on her behalf. He had never fought anyone over her, and today was no different. His fight was for Arabe.


    Suddenly, Thalia jolted, pping Sandro¡¯s hand away as he reached for hers.


    Stepping closer to him, she held his gaze intently. ¡°You have the ability to know if I¡¯m telling the truth. So damn well, search for it!¡±


    Sandro growled, gripping her waist and pulling her toward him.


    His eyes glinted, staring into hers.


    ¡°See anything?¡± Thalia asked after a moment.


    Trying to nudge him when he didn¡¯t respond, she found his grip only tightened.


    ¡°In my room at eight tonight,¡± Sandro muttered. ¡°Wear nothing underneath, ande in your sexiest attire.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a whore,¡± Thalia protested.


    ¡°You¡¯re my whore,¡± Sandro corrected, finally releasing her. He groaned. ¡°You see what you do to me?¡±


    Thalia blushed, her eyes darting to his pants.


    His erection strained against the denim, and she wondered if it didn¡¯t cause him pain, looking that hard.


    ¡°Cheap whore,¡± ze¡¯s voice echoed through the private link that connected him and Thalia.


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to save your reckless ass!¡± Thalia red once Sandro had left.


    ¡°Well, think about saving yourself, sister,¡± ze¡¯s voice responded, apanied by a roll of his eyes. ¡°Tonight, it¡¯s just you in the Alpha¡¯sir.¡±


    Thalia sighed. ze was right. She needed to consider her choices before heading into Sandro¡¯s room tonight. There was no way she could decline his invitation, and escape was not an option either.


    But there was one thing she was absolutely certain of: she wouldn¡¯t yield to whatever he demanded.


    She would stand her ground, even if it meant facing death.


    At least she would be saving her dignity before meeting her end.

 Chapter Twenty-seven

    ¡°Hey,¡± ze called as Arabe¡¯s gaze shifted from her phone screen to him by the door. He stepped further into the room and settled on her bed, where he had been just moments ago. His intense gaze locked onto her.


    ¡°What?¡± Arabe¡¯s hand went to cover her face, suddenly self-aware of her appearance. A blush crept up her cheeks, and she grimaced. It was her first time caring about how she looked around ze. She hadn¡¯t previously minded her bed hair or being in her pajamas. But now, she wished she looked her best.


    ¡°Quit staring,¡± she mumbled; though she couldn¡¯t see him, she could still feel his gaze on her.


    ¡°How do you know I¡¯m still staring? You¡¯ve covered your face,¡± ze replied.


    ¡°It¡¯s strange, but I can sense the intensity of your gaze. Even if I¡¯m asleep, I can feel you staring at me.¡±


    ze chuckled and gently removed her hand from her face, intertwining his fingers with hers. He took a deep breath, feeling a tingle as their skin met. Heat surged within him, causing him to wince as his heart raced.


    ¡®She¡¯s ours,¡¯ Red whimpered.


    ¡°No,¡± ze muttered. Red was mistaken; Arabe wasn¡¯t his. She would never be. But how could he exin the feelings that stirred inside him whenever he was with her? It was peculiar as if the moon goddess had bestowed Arabe upon him as a mate.


    ¡°If a re could kill, I¡¯d be dead by now.¡± Arabe smoothed the crease on his forehead, causing ze to jerk slightly. He tried to pull his hand away, but she held onto him firmly.


    ze furrowed his brow.


    ¡°You were deep in thought. What were you thinking about?¡± she asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± he rasped, his gaze moving from their intertwined hands to her beautiful face. She was wless, even with the sprinkling of freckles on her skin. It added to her beauty. Her baby blue eyes sparkled, and a faint smile curved her rosebud lips.


    ¡°Are you ever going to let go of my hand?¡±


    ¡°Are you ever going to stop staring at me?¡± she countered.


    ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± ze mumbled.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve bewitched me.¡± He chuckled as she arched a brow. ¡°I sometimes wonder if you¡¯re an unconfirmed witch.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean?¡± Arabe frowned, unconsciously caressing his knuckles.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry your pretty little head about that. Just focus on recovering.¡±


    Arabe tsked and then red at ze. ¡°You¡¯re way too evasive for my liking.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s for your own good. Not knowing everything is what keeps you safe.¡±


    ¡°But it won¡¯t keep me safe from Sandro.¡±


    ze shrugged and sighed. ¡°I should get you something to eat.¡±


    ¡°Stay here,¡± Arabe clutched his hand tighter.


    ze gave her a questioning look.


    ¡°You make me feel safe, and I like holding your hand.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll only be for a few moments. I already asked Janice to arrange a meal for you,¡± he said, hoping she would release her grip.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I taught you enough of a lessonst time about staying close to her.¡±


    ze stiffened, his back muscles tensing, and he ground his teeth before casting a re at Sandro.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    Arabe shook her head, gripping his hand as he got up.


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t leave me alone with him!¡± Her voice trembled.


    The memory of Sandro whipping her the first time shed through her mind, along with the excruciating pain she enduredst night. She didn¡¯t want to suffer any more, but she was certain there was no escape. She felt utterly trapped.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon,¡± ze promised. He let go of her hand and moved towards the door.


    He exchanged a steady look with Sandro, who held his gaze for a moment before leaving the room.


    ze stood by the door, taking a deep breath as he swallowed the lump in his throat. Arabe, he thought, wondering how much more punishment she could endure.


    ¡°Please, stay strong for me,¡± he said, stumbling toward Janice¡¯s room as he heard Arabe scream his name.


    Arabe shot out of bed the moment ze left, ripping the IV line from her hand.


    She rushed toward the door, but Sandro grabbed her by the neck, pulling her back sharply. He dragged her forcefully to the bed, shoving her onto it without concern for any potential injury. He loomed over her, scowling. ¡°Do you think anyone would help you if you tried to run away? I¡¯m the boss here, and you¡¯ll do as I say.¡±


    Arabe¡¯s heart raced, and she shivered as his grip tightened on her chin. Reaching out to the bedside table, she tapped it and grasped the first object within her reach. She thought it was a fork and, without hesitation, she used it to stab him.


    ¡°Bitch!¡± Sandro grunted, grabbing her hand and pinning it above her head. He secured her hands with a nearby rope he found on the floor. Grimacing, he removed the fork from his back, his gaze falling on the bloodstains before tossing it aside.


    Sandro seized Arabe¡¯s neck, growling. ¡°How about you recover quickly? I have a feeling you enjoyedst night.¡±


    Struggling to speak, Arabe choked out, ¡°You¡¯re being cruel.¡±


    ¡°Tell that to someone who¡¯d kill me if they had the chance,¡± he retorted. Releasing her, he hopped off the bed, his back arching as he stretched with a groan.


    Arabe yelled in his face, ¡°I¡¯m not a monster like you, and I¡¯m not consumed by revenge. I have a purpose in this world!¡±


    Sandro¡¯s grip tightened as he yanked her hair, his lips near her ear. ¡°The more you scream at me, the worse your punishment will be once you leave here.¡±


    ¡°What do you want from me?¡±


    ¡°I already told you, Cara Mia,¡± Sandro sat on the remaining space of her bed, caressing her face. ¡°I told you and your damned father, ¡®I won¡¯t rest until I see your body six feet under, beneath my foot.''¡±


    His eyes glinted with a golden hue as he stared at her, and Arabe trembled, seeing the danger that lurked within them.

 Chapter Twenty-eight

    Thalia hesitated as she opened the door and stepped into the dimly lit room. Her eyes narrowed as she surveyed her surroundings.


    Despite the darkness, her werewolf senses allowed her to navigate with ease. Utilizing her secondary eyes, designed to see clearly in the dark, she moved forward. Such heightened senses weremon among werewolves and certain other supernatural beings.


    Spotting Sandro at the bar nestled in a corner, Thalia¡¯s attention was drawn to his back, his muscles flexing as he reached for a champagne bottle.


    ¡°You¡¯re early,¡± he remarked, his tone dripping with surprise.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t exactly leave me much choice,¡± Thalia retorted, rolling her eyes.


    Seating herself on a leather couch positioned at the room¡¯s center, she crossed her legs and cast a quick nce at the dress she was wearing, making sure it was appropriate.


    The silver knee-length dress, short-sleeved and form-fitting, entuated her curves. She believed this was the only aspect of herself that might captivate him, having carefully chosen a neckline that revealed nothing, ultimately settling on a round neck. It was an unusual choice for her but surprisinglyforting in Sandro¡¯s presence.


    Sandro swirled his champagne ss, taking a sip before moving towards Thalia. Folding her arms across her chest, she met his gaze head-on.


    ¡°I admire your defiance,¡± Sandro smirked, studying her intently.


    ¡°Your approval is not my concern,¡± Thalia shot back, her tone unyielding. ¡°I want to know why you brought me here.¡±


    Approaching her, Sandro took her hand in his, guiding her to stand before a vanity mirror.


    ¡°Thalia, my dear,¡± he whispered, his tone dripping with intimacy, ¡°Why in the world are you wearing this atrocious dress instead of the one I gave you?¡±


    He yfully nibbled her earlobe, his hands caressing her breasts. Thalia¡¯s body quivered, her lips caught between her teeth as his proximity sent a shiver down her spine-unwanted moisture pooled between her legs.


    ¡°Betrayal,¡± she muttered, ring at her own reflection in the mirror.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    ¡°Go with the flow. You could use some action anyway,¡± Cass, her wolf, whispered in her mind.


    Thalia¡¯s hands clenched. Cass often had the most audacious suggestions. She couldn¡¯t fathom why she was drawn to someone as ruthless as Sandro, desiring him as a mate when there were kinder men around. It was as if her desires were the opposite of what she herself wanted.


    ¡°This needs to stop. It¡¯s been five years since we ended things, and I¡¯ve moved on. Whatever you¡¯re attempting won¡¯t work,¡± Thalia dered, her determination evident.


    Trying to extricate herself from his grasp, she struggled, only to find his grip tightening.


    ¡°Yet here you are, not exactly pushing me away if you didn¡¯t want my touch,¡± he retorted, his gaze locked on her in the mirror.


    Thalia¡¯s expression twisted in difort. Lust burned in his sea-green eyes, their usual hue darkening with want. She knew they wouldn¡¯t return to their normal color unless he found release.


    She understood the primal nature of werewolves when it came to intimacy  their behavior differed markedly from that of humans. Emotion often drove them, particrly after triggering their curse. Only those who hadn¡¯t triggered their transformation maintained a semnce of rationality, but not always.


    ¡°Tell me you don¡¯t want me,¡± Sandro demanded, his voice a raspy plea.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want you,¡± Thalia stated firmly, her gaze meeting his through the mirror.


    Gasping as he spun her around, she tried to shove him, but he effortlessly pulled her against him.


    His lips captured hers, a nibble on her lower lip making her wince. He seized the opportunity to slip his tongue into her mouth. His hand, previously in her hair, slid to her backside, squeezing.


    ¡°Sandro¡­¡± Thalia moaned.


    ¡°We¡¯re both in need; denying it won¡¯t change that. I see how badly you want me,¡± he said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t-¡± Thalia¡¯s protest faltered as his hand moved down her thigh, widening her eyes as he reached her panties, already soaked with her desire.


    Sandro¡¯s smirk lingered as their kiss broke. ¡°I¡¯ve been telling you you want this,¡± he remarked, his tone dripping with confidence.


    Thalia¡¯s moan escaped as he began rubbing her through her panties. She clutched his hand, biting her lip to stifle her response.


    ¡°This,¡± he continued, his touch evoking a reaction from her, ¡°it¡¯s proof you¡¯re craving me inside you right now.¡±


    She whispered, ¡°No, you¡¯re just imagining things.¡±


    In one swift motion, Sandro scooped her up, prompting her to shriek and pound his chest at the sudden movement.


    ¡°Put me down!¡±


    ¡°Keep your voice down,¡± Sandro admonished, his tone low. ¡°We don¡¯t need everyone knowing we¡¯re up to something. I don¡¯t mind, but your dignity is at stake.¡±


    ¡°Dignity?!¡± Thalia scoffed as he deposited her onto the bed.


    ¡°Not that I¡¯d mind you screaming my name while I take you,¡± he retorted, ¡°but I don¡¯t want it to seem like I¡¯m forcing you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s new, Sandro. You never cared about others¡¯ feelings,¡± Thalia retorted.


    ¡°Perhaps,¡± he chuckled, a dark edge to his amusement.


    As Thalia gazed at him, she realized she didn¡¯t truly understand the man before her. He was both a monster and capable of human-like gestures. He had kept so much hidden that not even his family(Pack members) knew the real him. He was even more mysterious than ze, and she wondered how people managed to coexist with him.


    ¡°Enough talking,¡± he dered abruptly. ¡°Let¡¯s get down to business.¡±


    Without warning, he descended on her, tearing her dress. Thalia emitted a startled shriek, instantly silenced as his hand covered her mouth.


    The hunger she had seen in his eyes earlier returned full force.


    ¡°I want to taste you,¡± Sandro growled, lowering himself before her and parting her thighs.


    Thalia shook her head instinctively, knowing she had lost this battle as his face pressed against her thigh.


    Arching her back, she clutched the duvet as his finger reced his tongue¡¯s presence. Sandro hastened his pace, swiftly discarding his shirt with a practiced hand.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Thalia hissed, her eyes widening as he entered her slickness.


    She couldn¡¯t understand how he managed to swiftly shed his pants, though she refrained from voicing her thoughts aloud to avoid stroking his already considerable ego. Her desire for him was undeniable, even if unspoken.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be this tight,¡± Sandro grunted.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be this massive,¡± Thalia retorted, a moan escaping her as she entwined her legs around his waist, inviting his movements.


    Sandro closed his eyes, but almost instantly, an image of Arabe¡¯s supple form wriggling beneath him surfaced in his mind. He clenched his jaw, his fingers wrapping around Thalia¡¯s neck as he growled, ¡°Bitch.¡±


    ¡°Sandro!¡± Thalia gasped, her hand gripping his. ¡°You¡¯re choking me!¡±


    ¡°I did promise I¡¯d make your life hell,¡± he taunted, a smirk ying on his lips. ¡°And I¡¯m not nning on going easy anytime soon.¡±


    Struggling to breathe, Thalia attempted to remove his iron grip, finding it nearly impossible. It was clear he was deriving some twisted satisfaction from her suffering, and if she didn¡¯t intervene, her chances of survival seemed slim.


    ¡°Sandro!¡± she managed to say with authority, nudging him urgently.


    His trance broken, he released her neck abruptly, gasping for air as he let go of her. Thalia furrowed her brow, perplexed as he withdrew from her, his hand clutching his neck.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± she inquired, stepping off the bed and moving toward him, unconcerned about her own nudity.


    ¡°Don¡¯te any closer!¡± Sandro snarled, his posture defensive and predatory.

 Chapter Twenty-nine

    Sandro was panting heavily. His sea-green eyes narrowed, and he winced as a muscle in his back suddenly popped.


    ¡°Shit!¡± he eximed.


    He hurried across the room, seeking refuge in the corner farthest from Thalia.


    Leaning against a pir, he grabbed the chain from the floor, wrapping it around his body and securing it with a lock.


    ¡°Alessandro?¡± Thalia shot him a puzzled look as he tightened his grip on the chain.


    ¡°Stay back,¡± he repeated slowly.


    However, she did the opposite of his request.


    Thalia pushed aside the curtain and gazed at the sky. ¡°It¡¯s not even a full moon yet. Why are you shifting? I thought you could control your transformations at will.¡±


    She red at Sandro, waiting for a response. With a sigh, she continued, ¡°You need to stay calm, Sandro. You have the ability to control this.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s different,¡± Sandro winced, his knees giving way. He copsed to the floor and assumed an all-fours position. ¡°You have to leave the room!¡±


    ¡°How can I when I don¡¯t even understand what¡¯s happening to you? You¡¯re confusing me!¡± Thalia retorted.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to understand,¡± Sandro grunted. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hurt you. Just get out and shut the door!¡±


    Thalia flinched at the harshness of his tone, trembling slightly. Her gaze met Sandro¡¯s, and she noticed his once beautiful sea-green eyes darkening.


    This was unlike the berserker wolf¡¯s red with golden rings or the normal wolf¡¯s ck with flecks of gold.


    This was the ckest of ck-a freaking vantack. The more she stared, the more it drew her in.


    Thalia shook her head and bit her lower lip.


    ¡°Sandro!¡± she shouted as his transformation began.


    ¡°Leave now!¡± he growled, straining against the chain that restrained him.


    Thalia was stubborn, but Sandro never expected her to stay, even when faced with death.


    Sandro was well aware of the situation. He understood that his only potential savior was the moon goddess herself. She had ced the curse not only on him but also on his entire lineage.


    Six years ago, he had assumed that the curse had passed, given that no signs of it had surfaced until now.


    If Thalia remained in the room, he would end up killing her. Even if he didn¡¯t want to, his wolf would force his hand.


    Thalia bit her lip once again, clutching her dress and pantsid out on the floor. She nced at Sandro onest time before darting out of the room, wrapping herself in a duvet without bothering to change her clothes.


    In the hallway, she collided with ze, who grabbed her hand and pulled her into his room.


    His eyes moved over her figure, and he tilted his head. ¡°I guess he did have some control over you after all.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t judge me,¡± Thalia retorted. ¡°I did it because I wanted to, not because of him.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s reassuring to know he didn¡¯t force himself on you. By the way, shouldn¡¯t you be with him right now? Or did he anger you again?¡± ze took a cigarette from a box on the coffee table and ced it between his lips.


    ¡°That¡¯s the issue,¡± Thalia said, perching on the unmade bed.


    ¡°Something¡¯s off with Alessandro,¡± she continued. ¡°He¡¯s different with those ck eyes. It¡¯s unlike any wolf I¡¯ve ever seen, and he seemed both menacing and vulnerable.¡±


    ¡°Sandro, vulnerable? I can¡¯t quite believe that. I think he¡¯s messing with your mind,¡± ze muttered. He lit the cigarette, took a drag, and exhaled a puff of smoke.


    Thalia shook her head. ¡°He¡¯s not, I swear. Something is genuinely wrong with him. He¡¯s not acting like himself.¡±


    ze frowned at Thalia, his gaze fixed on her. He wondered what had changed for her to defend Sandro now.


    Not long ago, she had spoken ill of him, but now her stance was different.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go see for myself,¡± ze said.


    ¡°No,¡± Thalia insisted, shaking her head. ¡°Stay away from him. Right now, I don¡¯t think you should go anywhere near him.¡±


    ¡°Why? I¡¯m his Beta, and I should be by his side at all times.¡±


    ¡°Not this time.¡± Thalia red, rushing to the door and blocking the entrance with her arms.


    ¡°If you¡¯re concerned about me, don¡¯t be. I¡¯m strong enough to handle him.¡±


    ¡°No, Cole, the man in the room isn¡¯t Alessandro. He¡¯s more like a monster.¡±


    Right on cue, a howl reverberated through the house, causing Thalia to shiver. ¡°Can you hear that? It¡¯s Alessandro!¡±Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    ze moved towards the curtain and gazed at the sky.


    ¡°I reacted the same way when I saw him transforming. It¡¯s strange, and his eyes weren¡¯t their usual color. Instead, they turned vantack.¡±


    ¡°Shit!¡± ze eximed, hurrying toward the door. ¡°Thalia, move away from the door.¡±


    He grabbed her hand, but she stood her ground.


    ¡°I won¡¯t let you leave this room, Cole. You¡¯ll have to fight me to get out.¡±


    ¡°I can save him. He¡¯ll die if he¡¯s left alone!¡± ze yelled in frustration, tugging at his hair.


    ¡°Is there something you¡¯re not telling me about him?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, but you have to stay here while I go out,¡± ze said, urging her aside.


    Thalia narrowed her eyes at him as he rushed out of the room, letting out a sigh. She couldn¡¯t have stopped him even if she had tried.


    She only hoped he wouldn¡¯t get hurt in his attempt.


    ___


    ¡®Cursed wolf.¡¯


    ¡®You¡¯ll die in agony.¡¯


    ¡®You¡¯re weak, and I¡¯ll soon take control of your body!¡¯


    ¡°Stop!¡± Sandro roared.


    He clutched his ear and shook his head. His body tingled, and sweat covered him. He red in the direction Thalia had left earlier, wondering what he might have done to her if she hadn¡¯t left.


    His ears rang from the multitude of voices inside his head, causing him to wince.


    ¡°Please, stop,¡± he howled in pain while struggling to break free from the chain.


    Yet, he knew it was futile. The chain had been ensorcelled with magic, and only the spellcaster could undo the enchantment.


    The chain cut into his skin as he strained even harder to break its grip.


    The door creaked open, and ze entered.


    ¡°Sandro!¡± He held up the syringe he had brought along.


    Sandro bared his teeth as ze approached.


    ¡°Rx, wolfie. It¡¯s just the temporary cure I brought for you. I didn¡¯t realize it was time already.¡±


    Sandro snarled, ¡°I can¡¯t control this!¡±


    ¡°You can,¡± ze insisted, drawing nearer. He grasped the syringe, filled to the brim with blood.


    ¡°Just try to stay calm,¡± ze murmured, crouching down in front of him.


    Sandro let out a howl as he felt a prick in his side, swatting at ze with his w.


    For a few moments, his eyes glinted. Then, he copsed to the ground, convulsing before they shut.

 Chapter Thirty

    Sandro gasped for air, struggling to get out of bed. He collided with the wall, wincing as a crack echoed through his ribs.


    ¡°I¡¯m dead?¡± he croaked, his gaze sweeping across the brightly lit room. He was certain his room was usually darker and wondered where he had ended up.


    ¡°Maybe it would have been easier if you were. It could have saved us a lot of trouble,¡± ze said casually, lounging on the sofa with a winess in hand.


    ¡°Where am I?¡± Sandro rasped, his voice strained.


    Ignoring the question, ze continued, ¡°If you were dead, your tainted heart would have probably sent you to hell by now. But here you are.¡±


    ¡°Well, Mr. Know-It-All, if I¡¯m not in hell, then where the heck am I?¡± Sandro retorted, ring at ze.


    ¡°You¡¯re in your room, genius,¡± ze shot back, matching Sandro¡¯s re.


    Sandro nced around the room, conceding that ze was right. It was indeed his room, just much brighter than usual. The curtains had been drawn, adding a chill to the air.


    Despite his normally high body temperature, a shiver ran down Sandro¡¯s spine. But the cold wasn¡¯t solely responsible; he recalled the events of a few moments ago. It had been a brush with death, and he knew he might not have survived if ze hadn¡¯t been there.


    Sandro understood that he wouldn¡¯t die immediately. It was only after he transformed and embarked on a forbidden killing spree, as outlined by the curse, that death would im him.


    ¡°You saved me,¡± he murmured, raking a hand through his hair. ¡°I thought you wanted me gone.¡±


    ze studied him for a moment before shaking his head. ¡°No, I don¡¯t. I¡¯m your Beta, after all. Thest thing I want is for you to be dead.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t trust this day, Beta. Remember the Lycan Pack?¡± Sandro cautioned.


    ¡°I¡¯m not Beta Reese,¡± ze retorted, his re sharp. ¡°And this isn¡¯t anything like the Lycan pack. If I wanted you dead, I wouldn¡¯t have given you the shot.¡±


    Sandro winced as a twinge shot through his side. The area where ze had injected the syringe still throbbed, but the difort was a small price for returning to his normal state.


    ¡°I thought we were out of shots. I used thest one a few weeks back andpletely forgot about it amidst all the chaos,¡± Sandro admitted.


    ¡°You were probably too stressed, but I managed to get one from the clinic yesterday. Found bloodpatible with yours,¡± ze exined.


    Sandro nodded, sinking into a chair and allowing his gaze to drift towards the ceiling before he closed his eyes.


    ¡°What about Thalia?¡± Sandro asked suddenly.


    ¡°In my room,¡± ze replied.


    Sandro¡¯s eyes snapped open, and he scowled. ¡°Doing what? You do realize we¡¯re together, right?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not ¡®together¡¯ like that,¡± ze rified.


    He cringed internally at the assumption Sandro was jumping to about him and Thalia. ze could easily clear the air by revealing their familial rtionship, but he had reasons to keep it hidden. Sandro was a master at extracting information, and ze was convinced there were things best left unsaid.


    ¡°Thalia came to me for help, that¡¯s all,¡± ze exined.


    ¡°If I catch you with her, I¡¯ll turn your fur into a doormat!¡± Sandro warned, his tone serious.


    ¡°You should be more concerned about exining to her what she saw when she found you in that state,¡± ze advised a hint of amusement in his voice.


    ¡°That¡¯s not important. She doesn¡¯t need to know what¡¯s going on. Her job is to be with me and keep me warm. Nothing else.¡±


    ze¡¯s fists clenched, and he winced, cursing silently. What a jerk! He wished he could punch some sense into Sandro and make him realize how disrespectful he was to his sister, but he held himself back.


    He could only simmer in anger, hoping that one day Thalia would move on from Sandro, as she had imed. The door creaked open, breaking ze from his thoughts, and he looked at Thalia, who was fully dressed. She pressed a hand to her chest, taking two deep breaths before locking eyes with him.


    ¡°I think we¡¯re under attack,¡± she stated calmly.


    Surprisingly, Sandro was the first to react. ze had expected him to be weakened from yesterday¡¯s ordeal and the injection, but he appeared revitalized. Sandro hurriedly dashed out of the room, leaving ze and Thalia behind.This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    ¡°Are you sure about that?¡± ze inquired.


    Thalia nodded, raising her hand to show a smear of blood. ¡°I took down someone trying to sneak up on me.¡±


    ze realized with a start that her hand was dripping with blood. He could tell she had ripped out the intruder¡¯s heart, a tactic she often used inbat.


    Stepping closer, he gently gripped her trembling hand. ¡°Are you okay? I shouldn¡¯t have let youe here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± she mumbled. ¡°It¡¯s just my first kill in a while. I need to get used to it again. After all, this is who I am, and I can¡¯t change that.¡±


    ze nodded, pulling her into a hug without caring about his shirt getting stained. He stroked her back soothingly, providingfort in the midst of the chaos.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be okay,¡± ze repeated, his voice gentle. ¡°I think it¡¯s best if you stay back until we¡¯re sure it¡¯s safe.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere,¡± Thalia retorted, nudging him yfully. ¡°And I¡¯m holding my own just fine, so you don¡¯t have to treat me like a kid.¡±


    ze let out a sigh but held his tongue. ¡°Just promise not to take unnecessary risks. If we¡¯re facing a tough opponent, I don¡¯t want to see you getting hurt.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m practically invincible. With one of the most powerful Betas and the Alpha by my side, who would even dare touch me? No one,¡± Thalia boasted, and in this case, she was speaking the truth.


    ze and Sandro were unparalleled fighters, ruthless and skilled in theirbat tactics. They rarely showed mercy, and even against adversaries twice their strength, they found ways to level the ying field.


    ¡°Stay behind me,¡± ze instructed.


    Thalia arched an eyebrow but didn¡¯t argue. She knew he was just looking out for her, though it made her feel a bit vulnerable. Nevertheless, she acknowledged that this was her first real battle, and she didn¡¯t want to mess it up.

 Chapter Thirty-one

    Sandro hurried towards the infirmary while ncing around to avoid being caught unaware. He hadn¡¯t spotted any signs of the intruders, as Thalia had mentioned, but the sound of yelling outside indicated that the other pack members were keeping them busy.


    Inside, he found Arabe curled up on the bed. Looking at her, he released a breath he hadn¡¯t realized he was holding.


    It was odd, but when Thalia had warned about the attack, his first thought had been of Arabe. Despite still feeling the ache from the aftermath of the injection, he felt the urge to watch over her. Perhaps it was his wolf¡¯s influence, as Lace had been acting strangelytely, doing things he normally wouldn¡¯t do. His wolf had even been having some unsavory thoughts about Arabe and seemed agitated whenever she was nearby. While he couldn¡¯t deny her scent was alluring, he believed he had been with far more captivating women.


    Arabe¡¯s skin tingled, and she shifted slightly, sensing Sandro¡¯s presence in the room. He was the only one who could make the hair on her body stand on end. The fear he often stirred within her due to his presence surged, and she cautiously sat up on the bed. Pulling the duvet ze had given her the day before to cover herself, she regarded him warily.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± she inquired.


    ¡°You¡¯re quite rude,¡± Sandro remarked as he entered the room.


    ¡°You¡¯ve earned however I choose to speak, and you certainly don¡¯t have the right to dictate my tone,¡± Arabe retorted, ring at him and crossing her arms defensively.


    ¡°I¡¯m relieved you¡¯re safe,¡± Sandro said.


    ¡°Oh, please,¡± she rolled her eyes. ¡°That¡¯s the most absurd thing I¡¯ve ever heard. You never seem relieved when I¡¯m fine, and I doubt you care about me.¡±


    ¡°To be honest, I¡¯m relieved you look fine because only I have the power to end your life. I wouldn¡¯t want anyone else toy a finger on you, let alone hurt you.¡±


    Arabe rolled her eyes, his words hardly surprising. He had already made hisck of care clear to her. She had allowed herself a brief moment of thinking he might care about her well-being. Perhaps she had been expecting too much. ze was maybe the only one who felt that way about her. He was the one who stood by her even during her darkest moments. He was far better than Sandro.


    Yet, she couldn¡¯t exin why she felt more drawn to Sandro than to ze. It might be because she had be ustomed to his torment, and those strange feelings might stem from that torture.


    Sandro¡¯s ears perked up as he heard more yelling from outside. He realized Arabe was unaware of the ongoing situation, as the Clinic was distant from the main building. The enemies would need to infiltrate the entire building before reaching the clinic. However, he doubted that would happen, considering he was still alive.


    ¡°Just stay in the room,¡± he instructed, moving back towards the door.


    ¡°You can¡¯t tell me what to do.¡±


    ¡°Are you forgetting who I am so quickly? It seems I¡¯m going soft on you, Be.¡±


    Sandro swiftly moved to her bedside, gripping her neck and pinning her to the bed.


    Arabe gasped, struggling to free her neck from his grasp. He was too quick; she couldn¡¯tprehend how he had reached her side in the blink of an eye.


    He was clearly skilled in torture, probably practicing to react faster in such situations.


    ¡°Stop!¡± she managed to choke out.


    ¡°What did I say about yelling or talking back? You need more lessons,¡± he retorted, his hand pressing harder against her neck. Her eyes bulged, and she convulsed on the bed, struggling as the pressure intensified.


    She thought she might die like this, with her headstone bearing the cause of death as choking. That was if she ever received a proper funeral. More likely, her body would be discarded somewhere it would never be found, or even if discovered, it would be unrecognizable.N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    Arabe squeezed her eyes shut, preparing to take what she believed might be herst breath, when the door suddenly flung open.


    ¡°We have more important matters at hand,¡± ze¡¯s voice cut in.


    ze!


    ¡°Bastard!¡± Sandro grunted, releasing her neck.


    Arabe shot out of bed, her knees wobbling as she stumbled towards a corner of the room. She gripped her sore neck, wincing at the pain. Tears blurred her vision as she looked towards ze and Sandro.


    ze¡¯s gaze met hers, and though her vision was blurry, she felt his stare. Her skin tingled even though she looked away.


    Arabe flinched as a hand brushed her neck. ¡°It¡¯s me,¡± ze reassured, squatting in front of her. ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    She nodded, biting her lip to hold back tears. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t arrive sooner,¡± ze expressed regret.


    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault,¡± Arabe whispered.


    ¡°It is. If I had been here, he wouldn¡¯t have hurt you like-¡±


    She tuned out his words, ovee with anger. Clenching her fists, she suddenly smacked him hard on the cheek and shoved him away.


    ze¡¯s eyes widened as he stared at Arabe, his voice tinged with surprise, ¡°What was that for?¡±


    ¡°Stop making excuses for him! You are you, and he¡¯s Sandro! He¡¯s cruel, a freaking monster. Quit pretending he¡¯s better than he really is!¡±


    ze let out a sigh. He didn¡¯t understand the reason for her sudden outburst, but he didn¡¯t hold it against her. He could sense she had been bottling up a lot inside.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Arabe¡­¡± he offered.


    ¡°Just leave me alone!¡± she yelled, pulling away from him as he tried to grasp her hand. ¡°Just f*ck off! I hate it here. I hate everyone!¡±


    ze stood up and cautiously moved towards her despite her earlier protest. He embraced her in a hug and gently stroked her back.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay to cry,¡± he murmured reassuringly. ¡°You¡¯re going to be okay.¡±


    ¡°How can I be okay?¡± she choked out.


    ¡°You will be,¡± ze said with conviction. He guided her towards the bed and helped her sit down. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back. Don¡¯t leave the room.¡±


    Arabe nodded, curling up into a ball on the bed, her tears flowing freely.

 Chapter Thirty-two

    ¡°Shit!¡±


    They¡¯d go into the main building!


    Sandro shoved a hand through his hair as he heard one of his pack members through enhanced hearing.


    He hurried through the narrow hallway and booted the door.


    An intruder moved past him, yanked him back, shoved him into the wall, and plucked out his heart almost immediately.


    Sandro flung his lifeless body across the hall, and he sneered. ¡°I guess he didn¡¯t see thating.¡±


    Then he turned to the rest, ¡°What are you waiting for? Come at me all at once!¡±


    The attackers stumbled backwards as he decapitated another member from their group head.


    Sandro chuckled darkly, and he smeared his lips with the blood in his hand before crouching.


    His once sea-green eyes glowed the colour of ember, and he growled.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± a blond from the attacker said. His eyes narrowed, and he staggered backwards as realization dawned on him. ¡°He¡¯s the fucking leader. He¡¯s ck Sandro!¡±


    ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    The blond, Eric, red at the dark-haired boy, Melvin.


    ¡°We are doomed.¡± A russet-haired boy, Jace, asserted as he sidled to Eric.


    They were aware of the reputation of Sandro, although it wasn¡¯t long before they joined the Lycan Night pack.


    His name often incited fear, even though they hadn¡¯t seen him. Being up close was a distinct feeling entirely, and Jace wished to be swallowed whole by the ground because, at least, he¡¯d be saved from the cruel fate about to happen to him.


    And he was certain if he knew they wereing to attack him, he¡¯d have opted out and not egged them on.


    ¡°Oh, gentlemen,¡± Sandro mumbled. ¡°I think you¡¯d only be doomed and wish you hadn¡¯te to attack my territory if you didn¡¯te clean about what brought you here and who sent you to invade my house!¡±


    The trio gazed at each other and creased their brows.


    ¡°No one¡¯s talking yet?¡± Sandro clucked his tongue and snapped his fingers. ¡°I guess you¡¯d prefer to see me in action, then.¡±


    ¡°Good thing I¡¯m here,¡± ze said.


    Sandro stared at ze, and he nodded before darting forward.


    The fightsted only a few seconds, and ze believed even if their number multiplied, it¡¯d be the same.


    They weren¡¯t powerful enough, and he was sure only Thalia, even as she didn¡¯t fight all the time, could face them off without a fuss.


    A few secondster, Sandro stopped to assess the lifeless bodies thaty sprawled on the floor. And he realized they had wiped them all out.


    His eyes left the bodies, and they flickered to ze and then to Thalia.


    He narrowed his eyes at her as she wiped off the blood still dripping from her hand.


    ¡°Why the fuck are you here? I told you to stay back!¡± He shouted.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a doll!¡± Thalia red at him. ¡°Perhaps you can say that to your toy and not me. And you are not my father. Stop telling me what to do and what not.¡±


    ¡°Thalia!¡± Sandro said in a low voice.


    ze turned to Thalia, who was nearest to him, and he murmured, ¡°Let it go. Don¡¯t get him angry any further.¡±


    She red but said nothing. Swirling, she stormed out of the room, leaving ze with Sandro.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t women ever listen to instructions?! They do their own fucking thing all the damn time!¡±


    ¡°Did you get the information you wanted from them?¡± ze asked, ignoring his outburst.


    He moved towards a werewolf whom he believed was still alive and turned him over.


    cing a finger at the pulse near his neck, ze shot a look at Sandro.


    ¡°His breath is faint.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s of no use,¡± Sandro said, removing his revolver.


    ¡°No, wait!¡± ze yelled. ¡°We can get some information out of him if we make Francis check him.¡±


    Sandro cocked his gun and pointed it at the head of the man. He released his grip on the trigger and shot him.


    ¡°He won¡¯t say shit.¡± He grunted.


    ¡°Bloody hell!¡± ze eximed, staggering back. ¡°I could have been dead. You need to warn me!¡±


    ¡°You saw me pull out the gun, and I believed you didn¡¯t think I was going to y with it!¡±


    ¡°SOB,¡± ze mumbled under his breath.


    ¡°Let the associate do the clean-up, and we need to meet. There was no way they could have known about her. A spy is in here.¡±


    ¡°They were here for Arabe?¡± ze asked as he stepped out of the room. ¡°What for? She¡¯s done nothing wrong.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what for, but I overheard one saying she was the Rose.¡±


    ¡°The Rose?¡± ze knitted his brows. ¡°I¡¯m confused here.¡±


    ¡°Well, I am as well.¡± Sandro retorted.


    The Rose was the key to the establishment of the Rosette dynasty. She was a treasure, and through her, they could get a lot of things.


    Aside from that, it was said that she was a shield and no supernatural being could prate her mind, no matter how hard they tried. Her blood could create armies of extremely powerful hybrids when used with the werewolves¡¯ blood. Also, it contains healing properties.


    A lot of people had been looking for The Rose, and none had been able to find her until now.


    But it was weird. Arabe couldn¡¯t be the Rose. He was sure of that.


    She had no special power, and her father was a nobody. He was a spy and traitor.


    He didn¡¯t believe Arabe could have any association with the Rosette household.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way she is. That isn¡¯t true.¡± ze said.


    Sandro shrugged. He didn¡¯t believe it, either.


    Yet, he had some strange feeling in his gut about her.


    .


    .


    ¡°They attacked us today.¡± Sandro paused. His eyes moved around therge meeting hall, then back to the map on the board.


    ¡°By a neighbouring pack. The Lycan Night pack.¡±


    ¡°Lycan Night?¡± A voice murmured.


    ¡°That¡¯s a freaking dangerous pack.¡±


    ze nodded. They were lucky they had beaten them without strengthening themselves. The werewolves that were sent were mere recruits and not powerful ones.


    ¡°But someone leaked a piece of information out, and that enabled them to infiltrate us unknowingly. We have a spy among us.¡±


    Janice snorted. ¡°Who¡¯s silly enough to be a spy here? Goodness, he or she wants a death wish!¡±


    She creased her brows and stared at Francis.


    ¡°What?¡± she mouthed.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Francis asked. He stared at his fingers and at her again.


    ¡°Of course.¡± Janice rolled her eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s time for us to discuss. We need to concentrate on what is going on.¡±


    Francis nodded, but he continued to watch her, even without saying anything to her.


    ¡°I¡¯d like everyone in the pack to keep watching. Especially the guards. I want the freaking spy revealed in less than twenty-four hours.¡±


    ¡°Noted, Signore.¡±


    ¡°Besides, I¡¯d like to take back my identity as the Alpha henceforth. Notwithstanding, I¡¯m still the boss of this gang, and anyone who goes against me¡­¡± Sandro paused.


    He made sure they each were staring at him.


    ¡°You know what will happen.¡± He chuckled.


    Everyone chuckled as well, except ze, who didn¡¯t find it funny because he knew underneath the smile on Sandro¡¯s face was a dangerous man.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    ****


    An hourter, Sandro stared at ze as he stepped into the meeting room again. He nted his head and tilted his brow. ¡°Any progress.¡±


    ¡°None yet,¡± ze mumbled. ¡°But I¡¯m certain we¡¯ll get him or her soon.¡±


    Sandro let out a breath. ¡°Goodness, I¡¯ll fucking snap her neck or break his fucking balls!¡±


    He stood up and stepped towards the door. ¡°Watch more. They should catch anyone acting suspicious!¡±


    He left the room, leaving ze to himself.


    ¡°Arabe is Rose? Rose from the Rosette family? How possible is that?¡±


    ze mused. He furrowed his brows and ran a hand through his hair.


    He wondered if Arabe knew who she was all along and decided to deceive them all.


    Because as far as he was concerned, she was the traitor, John¡¯s only daughter, and the only child he ever had. She had no mother, much less any other siblings.


    But why were they attacked?!


    He wondered if he¡¯d ever get an answer to his question.

 Chapter Thirty-three

    The door creaked open, and Arabe leaped out of bed. She hurried to the corner of the room and crouched down.


    From inside, she could hear the sounds ofmotion, which Francis had warned her about before he left again. Like ze and Sandro, he had cautioned her not to venture out of the room. His genuine concern for her well-being was apparent, just like ze¡¯s.


    However, she couldn¡¯t help but wonder if the attackers intended to do her harm, simr to what they had done to ze and the others. She doubted whether Sandro and his men possessed the strength to fend them off. Francis had described these assants as a powerful enemy.


    With her face covered, she trembled as the footsteps drew nearer. ¡°Please,¡± she whispered, clearing her throat as her voice barely reached her ears. ¡°Please, don¡¯t hurt me.¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯re the Delicate Rose from the Rosette dynasty?¡±


    Arabe¡¯s head snapped up, her blue eyes meeting Sandro¡¯s sea-green gaze. He narrowed his eyes at her, snarling. She caught a glimpse of two canines that resembled fangs before they vanished again.


    ¡°Well, darling, you¡¯ve stepped into the devil¡¯sir, and I¡¯m here to drain your bloody blood to create an army!¡± Sandro let out a wicked chuckle, which soon escted into a full-blownugh.


    ¡°W-what?¡± Arabe stammered, confusion etched across her face as she stared at him. He returned her gaze, and she detected something inexplicable in his eyes, something she couldn¡¯t quite fathom.


    It was the same dark re he had given her the first time he mentioned making her his ¡°sex ve.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Quit fooling around, Delicate Rose!¡± Sandro bellowed. He pped his hand against the wall and kicked at the table in the center of the room.


    Arabe flinched, shrinking further into the corner and swallowing down the lump forming in her throat. She clutched her throat and wheezed, her gaze returning to him as he advanced toward her. ¡°Please¡­¡±


    Sandro grabbed her hand, pulling her up abruptly. He pressed her against the wall, raising both of her hands above her head. ¡°How does it feel to manipte me? I hope you relished it while you could.¡±


    His mouth inched dangerously close to her ear, his warm, minty breath brushing her face.


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t understand you!¡± Arabe¡¯s voice quivered. She licked her lower lip and met his gaze. ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re talking about.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not surprised. Your family has always excelled at hiding their intentions. Deception runs in your blood. No wonder you¡¯re skilled at misleading me and others.¡±C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    Despite the vulnerable position he forced her into, she still shot him a defiant re, anticipating the oue.


    ¡°You can¡¯t barge in here and use me of things I don¡¯t know. Does it give you pleasure to torment me at every chance you get? Does that make you happy?¡±


    Sandro released her hand, his grip now around her neck. Arabe gasped her attempts to w at his face growing feeble as her breathing became strained. She bit her lip and squeezed her eyes shut. After a moment, she reopened them, a glimmer of something in her gaze.


    Sandro groaned, his hold loosening as pain surged through him. ¡°What did you do, you bitch?¡±


    Arabe gasped, her breath raspy as she bent over, her hand on her racing heart. She shot a fleeting look at him.


    ¡°I asked, what¡¯s happening to me?¡± Sandro yelled, attempting to yank her up, only to be thrown backward. He collided forcefully with the door, nearly breaking it.


    ¡°Are you some sort of witch?¡± He squinted at her, his eyes narrowing.


    Arabe shook her head as she heard him wince.


    ¡°You¡¯re not being truthful with me.¡± Sandro¡¯s voice was strained.


    ¡°I¡¯m being honest. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on.¡± Arabe¡¯s voice trembled. She wiped tears streaming down her cheeks.


    She examined her hand, revealing several cuts, and she couldn¡¯t help but wonder about the state of her neck, which had suffered the most. Sandro remained on the floor in an awkward position for a moment before finally standing. He nced at Arabe, shaking his head, and after a while, he left the room, leaving her to watch him go.


    Frowning, Arabe surveyed her surroundings and then returned her gaze to the door.


    ¡°What just happened?¡± she asked herself, receiving no answer. The confusion only deepened, but she found some relief in the fact that he had released her. She had seen the dangerous look in his eyes and shuddered to think what might have urred if he hadn¡¯t been thrown back.


    Additionally, he had referred to her as the ¡°Delicate Rose.¡± The term sounded familiar, but she couldn¡¯t recall where she had heard it before.


    Sitting on the bed, she took a deep breath, her neck still throbbing, and her breath remained shallow. Yet, she was alive, and that was what mattered.


    .


    .


    A few minutester, Sandro entered ze¡¯s room. He paused as he noticed Thalia there, his gaze flicking between her and ze, a mixture of surprise and annoyance in his eyes. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    Thalia shrugged. ¡°Nowhere else to go. Who knows, the intruders might be setting a trap for me. I¡¯d rather not fall into it.¡±


    ¡°They wouldn¡¯t dare,¡± Sandro growled. ¡°My room is spacious enough for you to stay in. I don¡¯t want you around-¡±


    ¡°Me,¡± ze interjected. ¡°I¡¯m well aware. You¡¯re always worried your women might find me more appealing than you. Can¡¯t me them, though. After all, I¡¯m the gentleman they¡¯d usually pick over the bad boy.¡±


    Sandro scowled. ¡°No woman I have my eyes on would choose you over me.¡±


    ze shrugged. ¡°Maybe, but in Thalia¡¯s case, I¡¯m not interested in her. She irritates me.¡±


    He hadn¡¯t forgotten what she had done to Arabe. While she was his sister, he couldn¡¯t overlook how she had deceived Arabe. He wished there was no familial tie between them, making it easier to confront her.


    Thalia shot a re at ze. ¡°Believe me, I find you equally repulsive. Just being in the same room as you makes me want to throw up.¡±


    She twisted her mouth and mimicked gagging for emphasis, her gaze shifting from ze to Sandro, who nodded in agreement.


    ¡°I¡¯m not here for your bickering,¡± Sandro interjected, a perplexed expression on his face. ¡°I keep having this odd feeling that something¡¯s going on between you two, some sort of rtionship. But maybe I¡¯m mistaken.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re definitely mistaken,¡± Thalia asserted, approaching him.


    ¡°What¡¯s your purpose here if not for her?¡± ze inquired.


    ¡°We were tricked,¡± Sandro exined. ¡°She-¡±


    ¡°Is it wise to discuss this in front of her?¡± ze interrupted. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t only the pack members be privy to information about the pack¡¯s well-being? Who¡¯s to say she¡¯s not a spy?¡±


    ¡°Idiot!¡± Thalia hissed through clenched teeth. She withdrew her hand from Sandro¡¯s grip and headed toward the door.


    ¡°I don¡¯t even understand what you¡¯re talking about, and I have no interest in gathering information that I¡¯m sure won¡¯t matter,¡± Thalia retorted, clearly agitated.


    Sandro pulled her back gently. ¡°Wait.¡±


    He wrapped his arms around her protectively. ¡°She¡¯s with me and should have been part of this pack a long time ago. She prefers roaming around to settling in onemunity. And she wouldn¡¯t dare betray me. If she did, I¡¯d eliminate her.¡±


    ze held back the words, ¡°I¡¯d never let that happen,¡± stopping himself from saying what was on the tip of his tongue. He couldn¡¯t allow Sandro to harm his sister, the only person he had left.


    .


    .


    In the dining room, ze sat close to Thalia. The three of them were the only ones present in the room.


    ¡°Is she the one?¡± ze inquired.


    Sandro shook his head. ¡°No, she¡¯s not. There¡¯s nothing special about her.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure about that? Maybe she just needs time to open up and share her story. You should try being a bit more understanding towards her.¡±


    ¡°How can I be understanding with someone who constantly defies me?¡±


    ¡°Did I tell you something strange happened with her today? She¡¯s a witch, and I need to eliminate her before she does anything.¡±


    ¡°Arabe, a witch?¡±


    Sandro nodded, extending his hands toward ze. ¡°She did this.¡±


    ze¡¯s mouth fell open, and his eyes widened as he stared at the ugly markings on Sandro¡¯s hand.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to kill her. I don¡¯t know what else she¡¯s capable of.¡±


    ¡°I think we should give her some time,¡± ze suggested. ¡°Maybe she¡¯s not ready to reveal her true nature to us willingly.¡±


    Sandro scoffed, scowling at ze, who simply shrugged. ¡°Fine, then. I¡¯ll give her less than a week. If I don¡¯t uncover anything about her by then, I won¡¯t hesitate to end her.¡±


    ze nodded. ¡°You have the freedom to decide.¡±


    However, ze¡¯s true thoughts diverged from his spoken words. If Arabe wasn¡¯t the Delicate Rose, was she really a witch?

 Chapter Thirty-four

    ze strode into the room. He stood by the entrance and frowned as he glimpsed Arabe¡¯s trembling body.


    He heard her sniffled as he got to the foot of the bed, and he gripped her hand.


    ¡°Hey,¡±


    Arabe flinched and, instinctively, she pped his hand away.


    As soon as her eyesnded on his, she bit her quivering lip. ¡°ze!¡±


    She climbed down from the bed and jumped into his arms.


    ze stilled. His heart jammed in his chest at the sudden movement.


    Arabe had never hugged him willingly before until now and his eyes flickered to the door as he heard footstep.


    He heaved a breath, as soon as he saw the door was locked.


    He didn¡¯t want to be caught off guard by Sandro or anyone else, and thest thing he wanted was for her to get in trouble.


    ¡°This is too much for me. I don¡¯t know what is going on any more.¡± She sobbed. Her hand scrunched his shirt and he patted her back.


    ze let in a deep breath, her vani-strawberry scent wafted into his nostrils and he let out a breath slowly.


    ¡°Hey, Hey¡­¡± ze said, caressing her back as she whimpered.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Please, make this go. Make it go away.¡±


    ¡°You will be fine. I promised to make you feel better, just trust me, okay?¡± He murmured.


    Arabe released her grip on him and stared into his eyes, ¡°Why is this happening to me? I didn¡¯t ask my father to be in this. I don¡¯t even know what he did to warrant this punishment and worse, I do not even have only one enemy!¡±


    ¡°Who is the other one?¡± He asked. He walked her towards the bed and ced her gently on it.


    ¡°Tell me, Be.¡± He rasped. ¡°Is there someone treating you badly aside from him?¡±


    ¡°Your sister, Thalia. She hates me so much.¡±


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t.¡± ze let out a breath. Thalia wasn¡¯t much of a threat in the present situation. Rather, she was the easiest to scuffle with. Not that he needed to scuffle with her before she stopped harassing Arabe.


    ¡°She freaking does! Why¡¯d she do that if she didn¡¯t hate me? I mean, she is meant to be on my side and protect me like you do, but she instead threw me to the bad guys the instant she got. She hates my fucking gut.¡±


    ¡°Thalia doesn¡¯t hate you.¡± ze repeated. He knew all that was going on, and he believed he was partly to be med. If he wasn¡¯t watching out for Arabe, Thalia would have been a better person to her.


    Although he was older than her, she had always looked out for him. Besides, he believed it was due to the secret they were desperately trying to keep from Sandro, it was the reason Thalia let her get caught.


    ¡°Then why did she do it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I was not there to protect you. The instant I saw who we were after, I couldn¡¯t go against the people with me. Something awful will happen to us if I did and the least I could do to help you again is set another n which is in order.¡±


    Arabe nodded. She trusted him, and she believed whatever n he had was good for them.


    She wiped her face with the back of her palm and grinned up at him. Her brows knitted together as she noticed him watching her.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Delicate Rose.¡± ze said.


    That name, again. Arabe mused. She shivered as she recalled the murderous look on Sandro¡¯s face. She didn¡¯t know the reason they referred to her like that, and he didn¡¯t provide her answer instead.


    But she believed ze will.


    ¡°It¡¯s you right? Delicate Rose of the Rosetta empire?¡± ze asked, searching her face.


    ¡°If at all that is a real name, I do not know who that is. I¡¯m quite confused.¡±


    ze eyes narrowed at her. ¡°Are you certain you don¡¯t know who that is? I can¡¯t be mistaken. Even the paintings I had seen and the description, all points at you, and you look exactly like her.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps, someone in this world looks so much like me.¡±


    ze stared at her intently. Then he let his shoulder sagged.


    ¡°Sandro asked the same from me and even if I lie to everyone, I won¡¯t lie to you. You need to trust me, I¡¯m not her.¡±


    ¡°I believe you.¡± He said almost immediately.


    Arabe was a nobody, and there was no way she¡¯d suddenly be the treasure they were looking for. It must have been a mistaken identity. He was sure of that, and she never lied to him.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Arabe sighed, sitting back on the bed.


    ¡°For?¡±


    ¡°Believing in me.¡± She said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll always believe you no matter what.¡±


    Arabe¡¯s heart warmed and her cheeks reddened. She averted her gaze, biting her lip as he stared at her.


    ze chuckled. ¡°You need rest. I¡¯ll be backter. And don¡¯t do anything dangerous. Just yell for me if someone is troubling you.¡±


    Arabe nodded and watched as he walked towards the door, then out of the room. She doubted, if she yells for him when she was in trouble, he¡¯d appear. He was the one always sent out to do the most dangerous work.


    Moreover, he was still under Sandro¡¯s roof and impossible for him to help her whilst he was still alive.


    The door opened immediately. Arabe¡¯s head snapped to it.


    ¡°Did you leave something?¡± She asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to tell you to back off, bitch.¡± Thalia replied as she stepped inside.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Stay the fuck away from my men!¡±

 Chapter Thirty-five

    Arabe red at Thalia as she stepped into the room.


    ¡°You stupid bitch.¡± Thalia sneered. ¡°I don¡¯t know what they ever saw in you. A fucking lowly human.¡±


    She moved to grip her hair but Arabe was quick to notice and she pped her hand away.


    ¡°What the fuck is your problem? You don¡¯t juste in here to swear at me and assume whatever you want. I don¡¯t even know what you are talking about!¡± She mmed back.


    ¡°Oh, so now you can curse at me and pretend you are clueless about what I am on about?¡± Thalia scowled. She twisted her lips in disgust. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t me you. It¡¯s the men who gave you the audacity to do so.¡±


    ¡°You can cuss and I can¡¯t?¡± Arabe retorted. She crossed her arms on her chest. ¡°What are you from and who the hell do you think you are?¡±


    She was tired of how Thalia treated her. As if she wasn¡¯t human!


    She was tired of her nagging and constant usations.


    Moreover, she was tired of her feeling too entitled. She believed all the men were made for her and even stopped her from having a close rtionship with her brother.


    ¡°Just let me be. I am having a shitty morning already and I don¡¯t want to add your nastiness to top it.¡±


    Thalia stepped forward. ¡°Excuse you, bitch?!¡±


    ¡°I said what I said,¡± Arabe said. She matched the re on Thalia¡¯s face with one of her own.


    ¡°Stop talking back at me, low life.¡±


    Arabe sighed. She turned to the other side of the bed ignoring her.


    ¡°Do not fucking ignore me when I talk to you and you know who I am referring to. You will mean nothing to them. Cole will never like a whore, used by Sandro. And you are just a ve to the Mafia Lord. You mean nothing to him.¡±


    ¡°I do not have such a thing you have in your mind for the people you are talking about. I don¡¯t even like them.¡± Maybe she liked ze, but definitely not Sandro.


    And admitting she liked ze in front of Thalia was like adding insult to injury.


    Moreover, Sandro was thest person she¡¯d ever like as far as she was concerned except she was bewitched.


    And he as well had no such feelings for her. He was only using her to kill her afterward. She was counting the days she was under the De Luca roof. It was a surprise she was still alive to witness all that was going on.


    ¡°Leave them the fuck alone and stop seeking attention when you are not needed.¡±


    Arabe¡¯s frown deepened and try to understand what she meant by that because she felt nothing for both men. Maybe ze but she was unsure of her feelings for him.


    Thalia told her she was a sex toy and that was what she was meant to be. A daughter of a betrayer and a toy to be used.


    Tired of hearing about her father being a betrayer without having enough reason Arabe jetted out of bed about to attack but Sandro opened the door and Thalia let out an ear-splitting screen whilst holding her face.


    Sandro narrowed his eyes as he took the stance Arabe was in. He turned to Thalia and tilted his head.


    ¡°See what the witch you brought in did to me?! What did you see in her? Why not kill her straight away?!¡± She shouted, pointing to her flushed face.


    Arabe scowled. Thalia¡¯s face was red and she could see some scratches on it.


    But she knew she didn¡¯t do it. Heck, she never got to her side before Sandro opened the door to the room.


    ¡°You did this?¡± Sandro asked.


    ¡°Of course not!¡± Arabe eximed. ¡°I didn¡¯t even get close to wanting to harm her.¡±


    She red at Thalia who discreetly stuck out her tongue as Sandro wasn¡¯t watching.


    ¡°Why should I believe you?¡± Sandro asked, walking towards her.


    Arabe stepped backward, her leg mming into the leg of the bed and she stumbled into it.


    Sandro pinned her to the bed and snarled, ¡°Tell me, Tesoro, why should I believe you?¡±


    Arabe gasped as his hand caressed her cheek and she shuddered. ¡°I didn¡¯t do it.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a liar!¡± Thalia fired. She red at Arabe. It wasn¡¯t because of what she said but because of the position, she was on the bed with Sandro. It infuriated her.


    And the urge to yank Sandro away from her streamed through her. But she could only stand by the door and glower.


    Sandro¡¯s lip moved dangerously close to Arabe¡¯s ear. He groaned inwardly as his dick stiffened and his wolf was another thing.


    It purred and whimpered as he inhaled her scent.


    ¡°Stop it!¡± Sandro growled.


    ¡°Stop what?¡± Arabe asked. She licked her bottom lip and her gaze flickered to his lips.


    It even looked better up close and she couldn¡¯t brush off the thought of it showering wet kisses on her body.


    ¡°You feel it too?¡± Sandro creased his brows searching her face.


    ¡°I feel nothing. I just want you to leave me alone. Let me go because I am not my father and I don¡¯t know the agreement you both have between you.¡±


    That snapped something inside Sandro and he was brought back to his senses.


    He climbed down from the bed and ran a hand through his air.


    She was an enemy. Yet, he didn¡¯t know the reason he was fucking reacting to her. He didn¡¯t know the reason his skin tingled and his heart beat faster in her presence. He didn¡¯t know why he kept on having nasty thoughts about her body.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    Although he had fucked her before now, it didn¡¯t stop him from wanting her more.


    ¡®She¡¯s your mate.¡¯ Lace said.


    ¡®She¡¯s a fucking nobody.¡¯ Sandro shouted. He red at himself through the mirror and winced as he felt a twinge at his side.


    And at the same time, Arabe winced, holding her side.


    ¡°No!¡± Sandro shook his head. ¡°This can¡¯t be happening.¡±


    His eyes shot heavenward and he stared at Thalia who had confusion written over her face.


    ¡°What is happening?¡±


    Sandro plucked Arabe from the bed and shoved her into the nearest wall.


    Arabe winced. ¡°Why are you this violent? I could have broken a rib!¡±


    ¡°What are you doing to me?¡± He thundered, his eyes shing golden, earning a whimper from her as he gripped her neck.


    ¡°P-Please stop!¡± She wheezed.


    But he didn¡¯t listen. It was as if she was talking to a block of wood.


    She yelped as he hauled her and flung her across the room. Arabe moaned when her head smacked into the door.


    Her ears rang and she sniffles, trying to shove off the haziness at the back of her eyes.


    But it was futile. Blood. The metallic crimson liquid wafted into her nose and her hands tilted to her eyes level.


    She widened them as she glimpsed the blood coating her hand.


    Then her eyes grew heavy and her head lolled.


    ¡°She¡¯s dead?¡±


    That was thest thing she heard before falling unconscious.

 Chapter Thirty-six

    Janice bit her lips as she paced the clinic corridor.


    Her eyes flickered to Thalia, then to Sandro as they stepped out of the room.


    She had been standing at the door for only God knows how long. She heard the conversation from the beginning because she had been there but she couldn¡¯t enter to save her.


    She scrunched up the clothe changed she had taken from ze as Thalia snorted.


    She red at her and the urge to pull on her glossy hair filled her.


    For as long as she could remember, she and Thalia had never been friends.This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    It was not the first time they were seeing each other but they went way back and she had always been the bitch she was.


    She was even bitchier now with Sandro and she wondered what he saw in the witch to still be with her.


    ¡°Thalia¡­¡±


    ¡°Not now, Janice.¡± Sandro held his hand out, halting her.


    Thalia scoffed. ¡°Not now? I¡¯m certain you enjoyed the shit that happened back there. You enjoyed showing your macho side and might I say, you will be a sad man for a long time. She fucking did nothing to you!¡±


    ¡°Janice!¡± Sandro barked, storming towards her. Janice was aware she shouldn¡¯t question him. She shouldn¡¯t talk back because no one ever does.


    Even though he overlooked what she did sometimes, she was beyond pissed.


    But she doubted Sandro felt anything. He¡¯d rather be mad at her than be questioned.


    Sandro pushed her into the wall and Janice nced at Thalia on time to see the smirk on her face.


    ¡°That fucking bitch is the wrong one! I don¡¯t know why you enjoy punishing innocent people. She is not her fucking father, you know.¡±


    ¡°Shut the fuck up!¡± Sandro thundered. ¡°You have no right to tell me how to treat a ve. I didn¡¯t ask you to be with her to get attached to her.¡±


    ¡°I chose to¡­¡±


    ¡°This is thest time you should question me.¡± Sandro interrupted and released his hand from her neck as she began to wheeze.


    ¡°Now, get the fuck out of my sight.¡±


    Janice nodded and scampered into the opened door.


    Her lower lip quivered as she saw Arabe sprawled on the floor with blood surrounding her.


    She groaned, covering her nose as the delicious scent teased her nose.


    Janice shut her eyes and let out an exhale. ¡°I can do this.¡± She mumbled over again, moving cautiously towards her.


    Then she halted in the middle of the room, ¡°No, I can¡¯t.¡± She choked out a sob and covered her eyes with her hands.


    ¡°Someone, please help.¡± Her voice was merely above a whisper. She wondered if anyone would hear her.


    There was no one around the vicinity. Even Francis, she didn¡¯t know where he went.


    Despite how sharp the hearing of werewolves were, she believed they needed to be close to hear what she was saying except she was in a mind-link and no one was near she could link her mind to.


    ¡°Please, help me.¡±


    ___________


    The hair at the nape of ze¡¯s neck tingled. He furrowed his brows and winced as he felt a sharp pain at his side.


    He turned his body towards the clinic and narrowed his eyes.


    ¡°Did you notice anything?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± He grunted, staring at Julian- a blond omega.


    ¡°Oh.¡± Julian said. ¡°You look as though you might need a rest. You¡¯ve been here for almost a day and you only took a minute break which is some minutes ago. Also, you look as if you are in pain.¡±


    ze glowered at him. He didn¡¯t know when he could decipher someone emotion. But, he was freaking right.


    Something doesn¡¯t feel right and he wonder if Arabe was okay.


    and Janice whom he sent to her, he hadn¡¯t seen her since.


    His ringing phone snapped him out of his thought.


    ¡°Help, ze. She might die!¡±


    ¡°SOB!¡± ze cussed and dashed towards the entrance.


    Julian frowned and shrugged, removing what he was doing.


    ¡°A-Arabe.¡± Janice stuttered. She moved her hands to Pat her hair slowly which the other hand covered her nose.


    ¡°Where are you ze?¡± She turned to the door and heaved a breath as he burst into the room.


    ¡°What happened?¡± ze asked, out of breath.


    His eyes took in the state of Arabe on the ground and he growled.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that matters at the moment. Please help me move her. She didn¡¯t move and I don¡¯t know if she¡¯s dead. I¡¯m kind of useless when near blood.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it.¡± He said. Although it would be a bit of a struggle but he was trying to save her and letting his aversion for blood take over night make it worst.


    ze pulled Janice away, and she gripped the handle of the bed to support her jelly-like leg.


    She inhaled deeply and puffed it out slowly. ¡°Please, be okay.¡±


    Her eyes flickered to ze and she saw him winced but he was even better than her.


    He seed in moving her to the bed and she dashed to the bathroom to get water and towel to wash off the blood on her forehead.


    ¡°Be, please stay with me.¡± ze gripped her hand which was cold to his touch.


    He ced his finger on her neck to check for a pulse, it was faint and he surged out of the chair he sat.


    ¡°That bastard will pay for messing up with her!¡±


    Janice intercepted him as he got to the door. ¡°And then what? Preferred to be killed?¡±


    ¡°Get out of my way, Janice.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t not until you get your act together. You should know I feel like doing the same in your mind to the bitch who started this but he almost killed me.¡±


    ¡°Who was with him?¡± Even as he asked, he doubted he needed an answer as he knew who it could be.


    ¡°Thalia, that witch.¡± Janice grimaced.


    ze clenched his fists as narrowed his eyes.


    ¡°She ced her in this state.¡±

 Chapter Thirty-seven

    ¡°I heard what happened and came as soon as I could.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± ze mumbled, standing from where he sat to enable Francis to take over. But he still held her hand.


    ¡°You did well by cleaning her up and I can¡¯t imagine the pain she is going through.¡± Francis grimaced as he eyed the blood on the floor.


    ¡°Janice did.¡± ze said. He tightened his grip on Arabe¡¯s hand. ¡°Will she be okay? I don¡¯t know, I feel this is thest time I¡¯ll see her and she neither had a good life¡­ She¡¯ll die in pain.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯ll be fine,¡± Francis assured. ¡°She is stronger than you think.¡±


    ¡°She is,¡± Janice affirmed, letting out a staggering breath.


    ze puffed out a breath and nodded. He dipped his hand into the pocket of the leather pants he donned and brought out the cigarette box.


    ¡°Please, no,¡± Francis said, shaking his head. ¡°I have a patient here.¡±


    ¡°I keep forgetting it¡¯s a no-smoking zone,¡± ze grunted out. His eyes strayed to Janice. ¡°When shees awake, call me.¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± Janice said. she watched as he strode out of the room. The urge to pull him back and embraced him filled her.


    But she twisted her fingers together and reluctantly, she gazed back at Arabe.


    Janice caressed her hair slowly whilst one of her hands closed on Arabe¡¯s hand. She sighed staring up at Francis.


    ¡°What?¡± She asked as she noticed his eyes on her.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Francis said. ¡°She¡¯ll be fine though. You don¡¯t have to look like that.¡±


    Janice shook her head. ¡°Not that, I¡¯m just trying to understand her sin.¡±


    ¡°You know Sandro.¡± Said Francis with a shrug. ¡°Whatever he does seems right to him but it¡¯s the opposite. And I hope he changes soon.¡±


    ¡°Not if that witch is still with him.¡± Said Janice. She grimaced as she recall the smug look on her face.


    Francis finished stitching up Arabe¡¯s head where she mmed on the wall, He ced the suture with him on the table and heaved a breath.


    He licked his bottom lip, ncing at Janice as she leaned on the bed.


    Janice frowned. Her skin tingled as she felt Francis¡¯s eyes bore holes into her body. She didn¡¯t know the reason he had been staring at her. But she felt somewhat uneasy.


    Moreover, the tingling feeling that his gaze left behind was weird. She didn¡¯t know what it means.


    She stood abruptly and walked to the door.


    ¡°wait!¡±


    Janice halted and swirled. She tilted a brow as Francis stepped towards her.


    ¡°Will you be freeter? I¡¯ve been wanting to talk to you alone but I¡¯ve been unlucky.¡± He chuckled, then coughed as she continued to stare at him nkly.


    ¡°It is fine if you are busy, I mean you don¡¯t need to make out time for m¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m on patrol today. I¡¯m helping Jude.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Francis mumbled. ¡°It is fine then.¡±


    He turned to move back to the corner of the room, and Janice gripped his arm.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think discussing things while looking for a spy is ideal. I mean you know how Sandro is this day. It¡¯s ideal when it¡¯s settled we talk.¡± She shed him a bright smile and he nodded.


    Janice grimaced inwardly as soon as she stepped out of the door. She wonder why she was often awkward when with him. Also, the feelings within her when with him hadn¡¯t stopped.


    Rather, it intensified. But she was still finding meaning to it as her wolf had been silent on her.


    She rubbed her mmy palms on the dress she donned as she walked towards ze.


    The reason she didn¡¯t want to stay with him wasn¡¯t that she was busy. Heck, it was a lie to get her away from him. She was d it worked.


    Also, she believed she might have done or said something stupid if she stayed another second in the room.


    Moreover, she couldn¡¯t help but wonder the reason he was wanting to talk to her. Maybe it was the development happening around the town because he looked serious about it.


    ze straightened as he felt Janice¡¯s presence. He tossed the almost-finished cigarette stick with him and narrowed his eyes at her.


    ¡°Is she awake?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± She shook her head.


    ¡°Then why are you here?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? I came here to watch.¡± Janice rolled her eyes.


    ¡°You should fucking be with her and not here!¡± ze shouted. He stood to his feet and Janice¡¯s hand shot to grip him.


    ¡°Excuse you?¡±


    ¡°Arabe is in danger and she needs someone beside her. If she sees no one when shees awake, she might get scared and¡­¡±


    ¡°And what?¡± Janice¡¯s nostril red as he trailed off. ¡°And what? You are going to watch her?!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s none of your business.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my business!¡± Janice red at him. ¡°As much as I hate what Thalia put her through, she is right. You are fucking going crazy over a mere human! She isn¡¯t even yours. Why trying to jeopardise your life for her?!¡±


    ¡°She isn¡¯t just any human!¡± ze screamed, frustrated at her.


    ¡°Oh yeah?¡± Janice folded her arms in front of her. ¡°She¡¯s supposedly the Rose but no freaking evidence had been seen and you should listen to your sister. Stay the fuck away¡­¡±


    ze halted, his eyes widening. He grasped Janice and tugged her into him. ¡°What did you say?¡±


    ¡°Listen to Thalia and stay away from her!¡±


    ¡°Not that,¡± ze growled. ¡°You said, sister.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that? Of course, you are siblings. I know that you and Thalia are rted..¡±This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    ze pped his hand over her mouth and tugged her towards the empty warehouse in front of them.


    Janice licked her lips and shivered slightly as his grip tightened on her. Her body tingled and her nipples were taut as they reacted to him. Even her centre was coated with her juice and a moan threatened to slip out of her mouth as he shoved her into the wall.


    ¡°How did you know? How long has it been?!¡± He snarled into her face.


    Janice giggled. ¡°Ever since she was here and I thought you brought me here for something kinky and not that¡­¡±


    ze red at her. He released his grip on her. He created a distance between them and shoved his hand inside his hair.


    Then he turned to her again, ¡°No words about this to anyone. No one must fucking know we are rted. Else, I¡¯ll kill you!¡±


    ¡°Why are you hiding¡­¡± Janice trailed off as he stormed out of the room.


    She groaned, ncing at herself. The fact that he was mad at her didn¡¯t make her body want him less. Instead, it made it worse.


    She didn¡¯t care about the rtionship he had with Thalia and it was not in her ce to start narrating to people as well.


    At the moment, what she cared about the most was ze bedding her, fucking her senseless whilst he ced her in all positions she could ever imagine.

 Chapter Thirty-eight

    ¡°You need toy low.¡± ze mumbled, staring at Sandro as he walked towards them.


    ¡°What for?¡± Thalia asked.


    ¡°She knows.¡±


    ¡°Who? And about?¡±


    ¡°Janice knows our rtionship.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about that and¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey darling.¡± Sandro wrapped his hand around Thalia waist pulling her into him.


    She giggled, wrapping her arms around his neck.


    ¡°You missed me?¡±


    ¡°You know I do.¡± Sandro whispered and Thalia shivered at the feelings it incited in her.


    His minty breath and the feel of her mouth on her centre was all that invaded her mind.


    A few seconds ago, she had been in his room writhing as he pleasured her. She was acting as his whore and she doubted she could do anything about it or anything to change it.N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    Funnily she enjoyed being with him. Although she didn¡¯t know if he feel the same way or he was just using her as he deemed fit.


    Still, she didn¡¯t want to let go and wanted more of him.


    ¡°Be in my bed naked tonight. And I¡¯m taking you to the red room.¡±


    Thalia moaned. Her cheeks reddened as ze¡¯s eyes narrowed on her.


    The thought of being in the red room turned her on. Even though ze was shooting her a disapproving nce.


    She didn¡¯t care. She had never been to the room before and she knew it was were Sandro kept his whore. The women who gives him the utmost pleasure and he act they act as his submissive whilst in there.


    Thalia wanted that. She wouldn¡¯t think twice to do what he says and she wondered the naughty things they would do as several list came up in her head.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be ready.¡± she mumbled.


    Sandro squeezed her backside before pping it.


    Thalia gasped out. She flushed as her eyes flickered to ze who shrugged.


    When Sandro walked away from them he shook his head.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to know about your affairs. Can you keep me or better still, don¡¯t do anything nasty in front of me. Whenever he¡¯s near, you can take all the nastiness to his room.¡±


    Thalia rolled her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t act like you wouldn¡¯t do the same if it was Arabe.¡±


    ¡°Arabe will never cheapen herself that way.¡± ze retorted, walking away before she could respond.


    ¡°Idiot.¡± She said, ring at the spot he stood a while ago.


    *********


    ¡°I hope you didn¡¯te to berate me again?¡± Janice tilted her brows as ze stood in the doorway to her room.


    ¡°How¡¯s she?¡±


    Janice creased her brows and she stood to her feet. ¡°Are you here to ask me about Arabe¡¯s health or youe to check on me?¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s Arabe?¡±


    She rolled her eyes as he asked again. Sighing, she sat back on the bed. ¡°Do you like her? What¡¯s with this possession about her? Even Sandro, I do not think he enjoys punishing her. He¡¯s fucking obsessed with her.¡±


    ze scowled. He didn¡¯t know why she was acting like Thalia suddenly. His centre preferred to be the centre of attention and she wants the world to revolve around her fucking ass all the damn time.


    He was tired of her and he was sure as if she wasn¡¯t rted to him, he¡¯d have punished her for what she did from the beginning to Arabe.


    Yet, he doubted if he could. He had never hit a woman and he didn¡¯t know what could ever make him want to.


    ze turned to leave.


    ¡°Wait.¡±


    He turned and stared at Janice who had walked to the centre of the room.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t answer my question.¡± She said. She gazed at the floor, then back at him.


    She glimpsed the icy nce he was tossing her way and she wondered what for. Before Arabe¡¯s arrival in the back, ze was receptive and barely snaps at her.


    But now, she doubted if she knew the person he was.


    He was cold and snaps at everything.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t answer mine either.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because I don¡¯t know if she¡¯s doing okay or not.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by you don¡¯t know? I kept her in your care.¡±


    ¡°Maybe I chose not to.¡± Janice red. ¡°I can¡¯t keep watching all the time. I have things doing as well.¡±


    ¡°That is the most important job given to you at the moment. You only needed to watch over her but you chose to be selfish and¡­¡±


    ¡°As if you are the one to talk.¡± Janice snarled, interrupting him. Her eyes shed and she stormed towards him.


    ¡°Enough about the brat. What has gotten into two of you? And even Sandro. I think y¡¯all need to break out of the spell she ced in you. We have fucking threats, fucking battles staring at us and ready to to consume us. Yet, all the Alpha and Beta can think about is a mere mortal.¡±


    ¡°A fucking insignificant human!¡±


    ¡°Enough!¡± He growled, gripping her hand.


    ¡°Let me go!¡± Janice shouted as his grip tightened.


    ¡°Not until you take back all the nonsense you just spewed out of your mouth. Everyone is special¡­¡±


    ¡°Not Arabe.¡± Said Janice. ¡°She¡¯s a nobody.¡±


    ze shoved her into the wall. Rage simmered inside of him and he narrowed his eyes.


    He swooshes towards her and grasped her from where she sat on the floor, he pushed his elbow into her neck and growled.


    ¡°See what I said? She¡¯s making you go mad for no reason!¡±


    ¡°Fuck you.¡±


    ¡°That sounds exciting.¡± Janice gasped. She grimaced and tried to breath through her mouth as he pushed his hand on her neck mouth. But the movement she made with her mouth made it look as if she was a fish dying from being brought out of the water.


    ¡°I¡¯ve be wanting for you to fuck me¡­¡± She licked her lips, and bit on the lower one gently. ¡°I don¡¯t think it is too much to ask seeing as I am hot if you don¡¯t mind the drab outfit I wear most of¡­¡±


    ze have had enough of her words. He didn¡¯t want to hear any more of the nonsense she was spewing out of her mouth.


    The urge to m her into the coffee table whilst releasing all his pent up frustration filled him.


    But he shoved the unwanted thoughts aside and concentrated on staring at her face.


    ¡°You don¡¯t believe me?¡± Janice asked. ¡°I willingly strip in front of you all the time even though you refuse to stare at me while at it.¡±


    ¡°I want to hear no more.¡± He rasped, releasing his grip on her.


    Janice fell to the ground, clutching her neck. She wheezed, coughing and her eyes flickered his.


    ¡°Why are you¡­¡±


    ¡°No more about her.¡± ze warned. His beautiful toffee eyes shed golden with each re he tossed her way.


    Janice contemted on going against his word to offend him more or stop. She settled on thetter.


    Heaving out a breath, she stood to her feet. Her mouth opened to talk but Thalia interrupted her.


    ¡°Hey brother.¡± She shed a smile towards Janice, ignoring that she was in the room and the secret she and ze were trying to keep.


    Not only that, but she ignored the scowled on his face and shrugged as he stood to his feet.


    ¡°And the slut who¡¯d never cease to stop hunting him down.¡±


    ¡°Bitch.¡± Janice said and stared Thalia in the eyes as she moved into the room.

 Chapter Thirty-nine

    ¡°Don¡¯t make this worse than it seems.¡± ze said. He stared at Janice as she red at him and then at Thalia.


    ¡°Just let it go.¡±


    Thalia shrugged her hand off. ¡°Why do you keep moving around brats? At first, it¡¯s the bitch in aa, then this¡­¡± She wrinkled her nose. ¡°This omega in front of me.¡±


    ¡°Omega is a werewolf too,¡± Janice said.


    ¡°Talk about the ves and lowlifes.¡± Beamed Thalia. ¡°And you omega shouldn¡¯t talk to me because I am way above you.¡±


    ¡°Thalia,¡± ze mumbled as Janice stepped towards him. Thest thing he wanted was for everything to get dirty.


    ¡°Just because you fuck the Alpha doesn¡¯t mean you are above anyone.¡±


    ¡°What did you just say?¡±


    ¡°Everyone knows about you fucking the Alpha. Your annoying voice keeps us awake all night!¡±


    Thalia narrowed her eyes and moved towards Janice. She didn¡¯t believe what she was saying because Sandra¡¯s room was soundproof. There was no way she could have heard all the things she says whilst he was inside her.


    She flushed and bit her tongue before ring at Janice.


    ¡°At least he wants me and we both enjoy fucking each other. You should look for someone interested in you and stop pushing yourself on my brother. He doesn¡¯t want you and you should know I¡¯ll never allow whatever sick thoughts you have in your head about him!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you enjoy being a bedwarmer or a recement?¡± Janice taunted.


    As both drew night each other, ze held out his hand. ¡°Stop it.¡±


    ¡°Fuck off.¡± Thalia red at him, pping his hand away. ¡°I freaking want to smack her face and break her stupid perfect nose.¡±


    Janice scoffed. ¡°And you think I¡¯d watch you do so to me? This omega doesn¡¯t let anyone tramples over her and leave the same way.¡±This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Please, Thalia, just let it go. Don¡¯t let this escte into something else.¡±


    Despite the plea, Thalia shoved him sideways. ¡°Tell your whore she needs to learn how to watch her tongue. And stop telling me to stop because she¡¯s the wrong one!¡±


    ¡°You should learn how to watch yours first.¡± Janice shot back.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± Thalia swirled and walked past ze into Sandro¡¯s arms.


    ¡°It¡¯s your Beta¡¯s bitch trying to take a jibe at me.¡±


    ¡°I guess both of you are alike after all,¡± Janice muttered to herself but ze heard her.


    His body stiffened as Sandro walked into the room, he gripped Janice¡¯s hand, standing in front of her protectively.


    He saw the twinkle in Thalia¡¯s eyes and he scowled.


    She was enjoying everything. Now he believed what Arabe said about her being maniptive.


    Janice gripped the hand of ze¡¯s leather jacket and her skin tingled at the contact of his fingers with her bare skin.


    She grimaced and flushed as heat flooded inside her. Also, she felt her core beginning to dampen.


    She tried to move away from him to alleviate the desire building inside of her as she knew he wouldn¡¯t ept to bed her, but he pulled her into him more and she let out a sigh.


    Her nipples tingled and she concentrated on what was happening rather than on the feel of his hand on her.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were fucking her.¡±


    ze continued ring but said nothing. Janice snorted. ¡°is that the story she told you? I can¡¯t believe you let this whore y with your head all the time. Where is your sense of reasoning? Oh, perhaps, you flushed it down the drain.¡±


    ¡°Hush.¡± ze rasped and she shrug. ¡°He deserves to hear that and more. He¡¯s been behaving like an ass for a while and no one seems to tell him the truth.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s been an ass for as long as I remember and you saying anything won¡¯t make him try to change, you¡¯ll only get punished.


    Sandro left Thalia¡¯s side and stepped towards Janice. ze got in between and he held out his hand.


    ¡°move.¡± Sandro halted in front of him.


    ¡°she smacked her head somewhere. She doesn¡¯t know what she is saying.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to him. He¡¯s trying to protect the whore.¡±


    ze shot Thalia a dirty look and she shrugged.


    He sighed. ¡°Please Sandro, I think she is the least of your problem. You should¡­¡±


    ze grunted as he got shoved backwards. Sandro yanked Janice¡¯s hand, mming her into the wall and before ze could get to her, he pinned her hand with his elbow.


    Sandro sneered. ¡°Don¡¯t tempt me.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯d do what?¡±


    ¡°You want to see what I can do?¡±


    His eyes twinkled as she nodded.


    ¡°No.¡± ze shook his head. ¡°She¡¯s kidding.¡±


    Sandro ignored him and he sped her neck. His hand tightened around it. ¡°Taking you as a little sister doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t kill you. Anyone who goes against me means he or she is ready to leave the pack.¡±


    Janice coughed. Her eyes bulged and she opened her mouth to allow air in. ¡°Just fucking kill me.¡±


    ¡°Ugh. Annoying bitch.¡± Sandro said after a while. He shoved her sideways and ze caught her before she could hit the wall.


    ¡°Clean up, you have some work to do in the warehouse.¡± He said. ¡°Come on.¡± He grasped Thalia¡¯s hand striding out of the room.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± ze mumbled, touching her neck.


    He retracted his hand as she winced.


    ¡°Come on.¡± He helped her up and sat her on the chair. ¡°I told you not to get him mad. He could have killed you or worse, harmed you more than this.¡±


    ¡°But he didn¡¯t.¡± She said. ¡°I knew he can¡¯t kill me.¡±


    ze shook his head. ¡°You are just like Arabe. Both of you never listen and prefer to be dead. I fucking hate it.¡±


    Janice smiled as she glimpsed the worried look on his face. ze was worried about her. She thought he didn¡¯t care but she believed he didn¡¯t have the same feelings he had for Arabe for her.


    Nevertheless, he felt for her and she couldn¡¯t ask for more.


    At the moment, it was enough and better than nothing.

 Chapter Forty

    Her eyes roamed around the room. It was the first time in weeks since she returned to the De Luca that she was in the room.


    It was just the same way she left it.


    Arabe wrinkled her nose and sat up on the bed as she heard a knock.


    Opening the door, thinking it was Janice, she peeped. But recoiled as soon as her eyes stayed on Sandro¡¯s.


    ¡°Belle.¡±


    Sandro grinned at her. But Arabe knew the smile wasn¡¯t from within him.


    Heck, it was one of the most dangerous smiles she saw him smile often and when he did that, something often was about to happen.


    She staggered back inside as Sandro moved closer to her.


    He shut the door and stayed there, assessing her. Sandro¡¯s lips stretch out in a full smile and he inhaled before letting it out slowly.


    Arabe¡¯s scent wafted into his nostril and he furrowed his brows as his dick reacted.


    He assumed being with Thalia would wash away her thoughts from his system but it did nothing.


    Being in the presence of Arabe felt as though he was drugged over again and it annoyed the fuck out of him.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    He strode to her side, cornering her in the room.


    ¡°What do you want, Sandro? Did youe to punish me again?¡±


    She tilted her pointed chin and Sandro snorted.


    Ignoring her question he gripped her chin and ced a palm on the wall above her head.


    ¡°Tell me, Cara Mia. what are you doing to me? Are you certain you are not a witch? I can say you hit me thest time we were together and now, I can¡¯t seem to get away from you. what the fuck did you do?¡±


    He mmed his palm on the wall making her flinch.


    Arabe grimaced. she chanced a nce at him and saw the murderous look in his eyes.


    The monster was back. He look fine a few minutes ago but now he seems like someone else and each of his transformations scares her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are talking about.¡± She said.


    ¡°You fucking do,¡± Sandro growled. he gripped her hand and tugged her towards therge bed


    ¡°No, what are you doing? Please stop!¡±


    She attempted to thwart his movement by gripping the pir in the middle of the room.


    Sandro hoisted her and pushed her to the bed. then heid on it, gripping her leg as she attempted to run.


    Just like always when he wished to punish her, he tied her hand and legs before lifting himself off her.


    ¡°Let go of me, Bastard!¡±


    ¡°I thought we said something about these Bastard words. I believe you enjoy it when I push you. don¡¯t you Cara Mia?¡±


    ¡°Goodness, you are so sick.¡± Arabe spat in his face as he brought it close to her. ¡°You disgust me and I won¡¯t hesitate to shove a knife through you if given the opportunity.¡±


    ¡°You need not tell me what I know you can do.¡± Sandro chuckled. ¡°You see, that¡¯s the reason you remain here until you learn to obey me.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll never get that from me. Never!¡±


    Arabe knew her defiant side was getting the best of her. But she couldn¡¯t stop it.


    As much as she wanted to cower in fear due to his presence and let him pity her, she didn¡¯t want to give him the satisfaction that he frightens her.


    ¡°Now, let me see what I acquired.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not yours and I¡¯ll never be!¡±


    ¡°Fucking shut up!¡± Sandro barked, smacking her hard on the cheeks.


    ¡°I¡¯m the master here and you lowly ve must not talk back. Except when asked to.¡±


    Arabe sniffled. The right part of her ear where his handnded was partially deaf and it rang. Her cheek stung and she was certain it¡¯d be red.


    She bit the inside of her cheek and winced. ¡°How long will you keep doing this to me?¡±


    She blinked back the tears in her eyes as he ripped her dress.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you kill me? Don¡¯t you feel that will be easier than punishing me? Let me die in peace!¡±


    ¡°What did I tell you the first time you came?¡±


    Sandro exhaled as her scent sifted into his nose. Fucking hot.


    He wanted to grip her that instant and unleash the beast of him in her, but he restrained himself.


    ¡°I am death, Arabe. I am known as ck Sandro for a reason and lest I remind you to stop seeking death because your death is in my hands.¡±


    ck Sandro? Arabe didn¡¯t know where she heard the name from but she heard the bearer was dangerous. Far more dangerous and shouldn¡¯t be let roaming around.


    She believed it was from the gossip in Blossom za.


    She believed when he said he was ck Sandro. He was even more mysterious than ze and might she add the aura that oozed out of him made her dizzy.


    Sandro was ck Sandro?! How had she not connected the name?


    How was she going to cope with the revtion? No wonder ze had told her not to get him mad because he knew him.


    Jesus! She was fucking doomed. For the first time in her life, she didn¡¯t know what to do.


    Rather than let her heart lead her as she often did, she did the one thing he could have done a long while ago.


    She gave up and let him use her as he pleases. But was that all she could do? Would that make her punishment less severe?


    ¡°Fuck!¡±


    Arabe moaned as Sandro fondled her breasts. She opened her thighs granting assess to her wet fold and Sandro stood, a huge grin on his face as he assessed what was in front of him.


    It felt as if it was the first time he was seeing her.


    His head felt light as if he had drunk more than he should and he let out a low groan. ¡°Tesoro. Do you know the gravity of what you are doing? You are making me go crazy for your body.¡±


    ¡°You want to fuck me, yes? Then go ahead.¡± Arabe bit her lips.


    She grimaced inwardly. She didn¡¯t know the reason she was egging him on. Maybe because she wanted it as well but she shouldn¡¯t be fucking him.


    He had taken her innocence forcefully, even taken her forcedly all the time without her consent.


    But now, she was giving him her body freely. She shouldn¡¯t fuck with the enemy! She should not fuck someone she was to plot revenge against.


    ¡°Offering me that way seems so sexy. But I have other ways to please you.¡±


    ¡°What way?¡± Arabe gasped and winced as Sandro cupped her pussy.


    She writhed and her toes clenched. He slipped two fingers inside her, stretching her wall and she tossed her head back letting out a wanton moan.


    Her eyes flitted to his and she bit her lips as a smirk formed on his face. What was he up to?

 Chapter Forty-one

    ¡°Mate!¡± Lace said.


    Sandro halted and he let out a grunt as he removed his head from Arabe¡¯s thigh. ¡°She¡¯s not my mate.¡±


    ¡°She is.¡± Assertedce.


    ¡°What?¡± Arabe mumbled as he made a move to stand.


    Sandro¡¯s gaze shifted to Arabe and he narrowed his eyes. ¡°Did you make me fuck you to hear that?¡±


    ¡°Hear what?¡±


    ¡°Oh, stop ying dumb!¡± Sandro thundered. ¡°You let me fuck you so you¡¯d hear we are mated. Tell me how it feels, bitch?¡±


    Arabe sat up with a frown on her face. She didn¡¯t know what to say and what changed had changed. Heck, she didn¡¯t know what was going on.


    She knew Sandro was not going to change his mind about killing her but he had acted human a second ago.


    He had fucked her mercilessly and even let her snuggle into him.


    She thought he was being affectionate and underneath the tough interior he often exuded, there was a guy that was a softie.


    She presumed she wished too early because he wasn¡¯t anything she had imagined.


    Sandro yanked her from the bed, not minding if she was naked. He rammed her into the nearest wall.


    Arabe gasped as her head mmed into the wall. With trembling hands, she gripped her head and her breath came out in a short gasp.


    ¡°Sandro¡­¡±


    ¡°Master to you!¡± He snarled and stormed to her. He gripped her white hair wrapping it around his hand and he yanked.


    ¡°How many more tricks do you have up your sleeve, whore? Do you think you can trick me easily? I¡¯m ck Sandro for a reason!¡±


    ¡°M-master.¡± Arabe stuttered. Her hand moved to touch her hair but he gripped the hand and twisted it to her back.


    ¡°Please, master.¡± Arabe bit her lower lip and groaned. ¡°I¡¯ll be good.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t fucking want your goodness! Perhaps, you can start by leaving my sight and never show your face  again near me.¡±


    Even as he said that Sandro was aware of how impossible it was to let her go. Despite hating her for the sin of her father, he was sure of one thing, he enjoyed her presence more than anything.


    He was fucking obsessed with her.


    It was a weird obsession as he desired to kill her as well.


    ¡°I¡¯ll.¡±


    As she try to move away from him, Sandro held her back and pushed his elbow into her neck.


    Arabe wheezed. She wed at his hand. ¡°Sandro, you¡¯ll kill me.¡±


    ¡°I believe that is what I want. You dead so I can live my life, away from your annoying face.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s your mate.¡± Lace¡¯s annoying voice came up again in his head and he forcefully shoved it down.


    ¡°Fuck off,ce. She¡¯s nothing to me. I can fucking proof it right now by snapping her tiny neck!¡±


    Arabe used the opportunity of him being disconcerted. She kneed his shin and shoved him.


    Darting to the door, she yanked the handle but it was locked.


    ¡°Get the fuck back here!¡±


    Arabe ignored him and gripped the key by the nightstand.


    ¡°I¡¯ll fucking kill¡­¡±


    She knew what he was about to say and she didn¡¯t want to stay back to see how he¡¯d do so.


    She twisted the key in the lock and her eyes widened as he moved towards her. ¡°Stay the fuck away from me!¡±


    Ignoring her words, he moved towards her in three long strides and tugged her back into the bed.


    He gripped the dress she was wearing, shredding it and he parted her thighs. One of his hands gripped her hand and he locked her legs with his thighs as he thrashed around whilst his free hand undid the zipper of his pants.


    He shifted her pants to a side and thrust into her. His mouth covered hers, drowning her cries and he shoved his hands through her white hair.


    ¡°You are a sick bastard.¡± She said muffled against his mouth. ¡°You are forcing me!¡±


    ¡°No, Cara Mia,¡± Sandro grunted whilst desperately attempting to incite a response from her.


    He flipped her and made her stay on her knees before thrusting into her again, from behind.


    His hand gripped her hair and he smacked her backside gently before caressing.


    ¡°Sandro¡­¡± Arabe bit her lower lip. Her body trembled and she heaved a deep breath. She didn¡¯t want to feel anything but as hard as she tried, she couldn¡¯t.


    Somehow she craved him. She wanted him to fuck her and used her as he desired.


    ¡°Call me master.¡±


    ¡°Master.¡± Arabe gasped. His dick pushed into her pussy more and she could feel only his balls out.


    She gripped his balls and gave them a gentle squeeze.


    ¡°Bitch,¡± Sandro grunted. His hand tightened on her hair as he went on fucking her.


    ¡®Our mate is the best.¡¯


    The annoying voice again, Sandro mused and tried to concentrate on Arabe¡¯s luscious body rather than what Lace was saying.


    ¡°She¡¯s nothing.¡±


    ¡®She¡¯s your mate and Luna queen. The woman who¡¯ll carry your children¡­¡¯


    Sandro stilled. Hastily, he slipped out of Arabe and he furrowed his brows.


    Arabe did the same as she gazed at the confusion on his face. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± She croaked out and cleared her voice.


    ¡°Are you on pills?¡±


    Arabe bit her lip and nced down. Her cheeks reddened and she berated herself for having sex without birth control.


    Agitated, Sandro moved towards her. ¡°Are you fucking on pills?!¡±


    Arabe shook her head and he wrapped the duvet around her.


    ¡°Cristo!¡± Sandro eximed shoving his hand through his hair. ¡°Do you hate me this much? Why the hell are you not on birth control?!¡±


    ¡°Because there was no need to be until you forced me. I was a fucking virgin until you had your way with me!¡±


    Annoyed he gripped her neck and pressed down on it. ¡°Why the hell do you always raise your voice at me?¡±


    ¡®Stop, you¡¯ll kill her.¡¯ Lace whimpered.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    ¡°Fucking stop it, Lace! She¡¯s the enemy and you should feel nothing for her.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Arabe asked whilst searching to see who he was talking to.


    Climbing down from bed, he clutched his body and let out an ear-splitting howl. He gripped the vest he donned, shredding it.


    Arabe trembled. She didn¡¯t know what was going on. It was her first time seeing him in this manner and she wondered if he was always that way.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Stay the fuck away from me!¡± He roared.


    Startled, Arabe stayed put where she was and watched as he fought with himself.


    ¡°Please stop.¡± She said not knowing what to do. Her voice cracked. ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll leave and nevere back. Just stop it. You are scaring me.¡±


    After a while, Sandro raised his head and gazed at her. His once sea-green eyes were red-rimmed and tears here on his cheeks likewise the cut he had inflicted on himself.


    ¡°Stay and don¡¯t leave.¡± He said.


    She gazed at him and wondered how he could easily switch emotions. He was screaming a while ago, and no, he looked as though nothing had happened. Save for the torn vest still on him.


    He walked to the door and turned. ¡°You¡¯ll be warming my bed.¡±


    Arabe watched as he stepped out of the room, she walked to the bed, sat on it and her hand covered her face.

 Chapter Forty-two

    ¡°Hey.¡±


    ¡°Jesus, ze!¡± Arabe gasped and red at him as he appeared in front of her. ¡°What the fuck is wrong with you?!¡±


    ¡°You barely cuss before. What has gotten into you?¡±


    Arabe ignored his question and walked to the wardrobe. She flung it open, rummaging through it. She was aware she¡¯d get into trouble if Sandro didn¡¯t see her in the room but she didn¡¯t intend to wear his shirt all day.


    ¡°Why weren¡¯t you in the room?¡±


    ¡°What were you in my room for?¡± She asked him. She turned and noticed he was watching her. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s weird to see you getting mad at me. Did Sandro do something? Well, I am not surprised. Did he fuck you against your will?¡±


    Arabe sighed. Her resolve broke and despite not wanting to talk about what was going on with her, she shook her head. Her lips trembled and her eyes flitted to ze.


    ze was in front of her in a second and he gripped her chin. ¡°Hey, I am sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to upset you.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t.¡± Said Arabe. Her eyes watered and she attempted to blink back the tears but they poured down her cheeks.


    ¡°Hey, hey,¡± ze murmured. He pulled her into his arms and let out a groan as her body shook.


    He didn¡¯t know asking her that would make her cry. He wouldn¡¯t have done so as he hated when she was in pain. He felt as though he was the one too.


    He could literally feel all the emotions she feels.


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t cry.¡±


    Arabe gripped his shirt as she released part of the pain she had been keeping in through the tears.


    She cried until she could not and then she recalled Sandro¡¯s warning.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t mean to break down.¡± She attempted to move out of the hug but ze held her back.


    ¡°Why are you sorry? I should be the one apologizing.¡± He said gruffly. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have asked you that question. It¡¯s quite insensitive of me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± She mumbled and proceeded to leave but he held her back again.


    Arabe tilted her brows and her eyes locked on his. She stared into his beautiful toffee brown eyes longer than she wanted and she could have sworn she was seeing them for the first time.


    It was even more beautiful than she had imagined and she couldn¡¯t stop staring at him.


    ze was beautiful and it was weird she was noticing him after a while.


    ¡°ze.¡± She mumbled as he drew close to her.


    ¡°Arabe.¡± ze let out.


    His hand gripped hers and he groaned inwardly as the connection between their skin making contact sent waves of desire through him.


    His dick was the first to respond before his heart thumped wildly.


    Her button nose crinkled and he oddly found it attractive. The corner of her lip curved up and she licked her bottom lip slowly.


    ze lost it. He couldn¡¯t control himself as much as he tried. He grasped her and pulled her into him.


    Despite her gasp, he didn¡¯t stop. His head dipped and he took her lip in a long sweet kiss.


    It was long overdue, he thought and he didn¡¯t regret that it was happening.


    Arabe¡¯s eyes widened. She stood startled in ze¡¯s arm. He was kissing her. ze was fucking kissing her.


    She gripped his shirt as he nipped her bottom lip. Her mouth opened itself and he slipped his tongue inside.


    Arabe moaned. ¡°ze.¡±


    ze halted. As he heard his name, he felt as though he was brought back to reality.


    He removed his lips from hers and kept her at arm¡¯s length.


    ¡°W-why?¡± She stuttered. She cleared her throat and flushed. ¡°Why did you stop?¡±


    She asked in a small voice. Her cheeks reddened and she averted her gaze from him. She wondered if she was acting desperate.


    She supposed she was because she wouldn¡¯t ask him such whilst he was under Sandro¡¯s roof. Heck, ze had kissed her and she enjoyed it.


    Did it make her the whore Thalia ssified her as? She wondered as she watched him walk away from her.


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry Arabe. I hope you¡¯ll forgive me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s only a kiss, silly!¡± Arabe said, attempting a joke but he wasn¡¯t having it.


    He shook his head and run a hand through his messy brown hair. He turned to her and she noticed his eyes were narrowed.


    ¡°I wanted this to be perfect. I feel it¡¯s ruined now.¡±


    ze grimaced at how weird it sounded even to his ears. He couldn¡¯t believe he was here talking about the perfect kiss to Arabe whereas all his life he never asked women before he did what he wanted with them.


    Arabe noticed the flush on his face and giggled. She believed it was hard for him to admit what he just said.


    ¡°It¡¯s not.¡± She said walking towards him.


    ze shook his head and held out his hand. ¡°Please stop. Don¡¯t make it awkward more than it seems.¡±


    With that he walked out of the room, not sparing her a second nce.


    What the hell?!


    She red at the spot he once stood in and heaved a breath. ¡°Such an asshole.¡±


    Grabbing what she came for, she walked back to Sandro¡¯s room.


    ¡°Where did you go?¡±


    Arabe lurched. She ced a hand on her beating chest and red at Sandro as he stood casually at the corner of the room.


    She didn¡¯t know why he always did that. Not only him but ze as well.


    She wondered if they liked staying in the shadow on purpose to frighten unsuspecting people or if it was part of them.


    ¡°I said where did you go?!¡± Sandro asked forcefully.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    Arabe furrowed her brows. She tilted the nightie with her in the air. ¡°I went for this. I can¡¯t sleep in this.¡±


    She gripped the shirt she donned and turned her back to him.


    Her nose wrinkled as she stayed backing him. She felt his eyes bore holes into her back and wondered why he wasn¡¯t looking away. But she wasn¡¯t expecting anything less from him because he had made her affair not private to him.


    ¡°Can you at least turn so I can change? You make me so ufortable.¡± She said in a low voice but she believe he heard her.


    Stilling as she felt him approaching her, she gripped the nightie to her nose, inhaling the sweet scent before staring at the wall.


    ¡°Be, my sweet, Arabe.¡±


    Arabe winced as he gripped her hair. His hand wrapped around her waist and he pulled her into him.


    ¡°Do you enjoy making me mad at you? Why did you leave when I asked you not to?¡± He whispered into her ear.


    Arabe shivered. Her nostrils red and she greedily inhaled his woodsy scent before berating herself.


    Sandro¡¯s hand slipped inside her shirt and cupped her breasts before tweaking her nipple.


    He bit on her earlobe and he let his hand trail down to the band of the loose trouser she donned.


    ¡°Please, Sandro.¡±


    ¡°You want me to punish you?¡± He chuckled.


    Arabe quivered. It wasn¡¯t because of the coolness in the atmosphere. It was because of Sandro. He wasughing but it didn¡¯t seem as though theughter was genuine.


    It sounded rough.


    Her fear was confirmed as he swirled her to look at him.


    His sea-green eyes zed and it was a weird golden colour she had often seen it in when he was mad at her. She was intrigued by them.


    She often wondered how his eyes were able to change quickly and she hadn¡¯te up with a good enough answer in her head.


    ¡°Your eyes¡­¡± Her hand stretched out to touch his cheeks.


    Sandro pped her hand away and he gripped it. ¡°Yes, I am fucking pissed at you for not being able to obey any of my words. I don¡¯t fucking care if I kill you this instant.¡±


    He shoved her into the bed and Arabe fell with a thud. She stood abruptly and gasped. ¡°I only went for a freaking nightie. I do not want to freeze.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need one because I prefer you naked writhing underneath me. And I have enough body heat to share with you.¡±


    Arabe flushed. She was an object. She knew that already but the way he kept on reminding her about what she was to him infuriated her.


    ¡°Now, your defiance is going to fucking kill you.¡± Sandro snapped.


    Arabe bit her lip as he fell on the bed beside her.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. ¡± She mumbled. Then yelled. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t know picking a nightie will make you want to kill me quickly. If I knew sooner, I¡¯d have done so to save myself from some of the pains I felt.¡±


    Sandro halted. He narrowed his eyes at her before shaking his head. ¡°I know what you are trying to do.¡±


    Arabe shrugged. She turned her back and slipped out of his shirt, donning it.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen all,¡± Sandro said. Despite that, he felt as if he was learning her body over again. He couldn¡¯t get enough of her. She was tight and fucking sweet.


    Considering he was her first, he¡¯d say she was the best he ever had. Not even Thalia came close to her.


    ¡°I do not care what you think. Just kill me already.¡± She said.


    ¡°I¡¯d need you here a lot longer, in between my fucking thighs. Move all the thoughts of death away because I am not killing you now.¡±


    Sandro discarded the bullet in the gun with him and tossed them outside. Then hey on the bed shutting his eyes.


    ¡°Even in my sleep, I know what you do. Trying to run away is dangerous.¡±


    Arabe sighed. She shoved the thought of escape away from her mind. She didn¡¯t know how he knew she was moving. Perhaps, her steps were too loud.


    But then, she had no choice. She couldn¡¯t escape herself even if she was able to.


    She was scared of what Sandro would do to her and waiting on ze might take forever until he got a n in order. But he believed it was better to walk with only a leg.


    Creating a boundary between Sandro and her, shey on the bed staring at the ceiling. Her lip curved up in a grin as she thought of the kiss with ze.


    He had termed it awkward. But she knew better. Or perhaps, that was what her brain was interpreting it as because she doubted he felt nothing.


    Nheless, he had mentioned he intended to make it perfect. That was enough for her to know she wasn¡¯t the only one into the kiss.


    Her hand went to her lip and she imagined ze kissing her.


    It was soft and sensual. Maybe if it had gone on further, she might let him fuck her.


    But that would make her feel like a whore. She already felt like one. Sandro was fucking and she enjoyed it. Now she wanted ze to do the same.


    Jesus, Arabe, such a dirty thought from a goody-two-shoes like you. She mused and giggled.


    But that didn¡¯t stop her from having further naughty thoughts about him whilst she slept.

 Chapter Forty-three

    Arabe awoke the next day to an empty bed. She heaved a breath and stretched her arms out before sitting up.


    She rubbed at her bleary eyes and winced as they ached.


    Climbing down from the bed, her feet smacked the cooled floor and she pped a hand over her head as she suddenly felt light-headed.


    ¡°Oh, man.¡± She staggered and luckily, she was near the window to grip the curtains.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with me?¡± She frowned, cing her palm on her temple. She winced as she sensed how warm it was.


    ¡°Please, no.¡± She mumbled over again as she stepped towards the vanity. Staring at her reflection in the mirror, she grimaced as someone else stared back at her.


    Her eyes were red and her eyelid was puffy. Sweat dribbled down her forehead and the more she scrunched it up, the more her head pounded.


    She didn¡¯t feel sick yesterday. But why was she suddenly ill?


    She seldom got sick but whenever it was about to happen, there was always a warning sign.


    However, nothing of such happened.


    The door opened and her eyes flickered to it. She noticed Sandro standing there watching her and her mouth moved but she doubted she was saying anything.


    Sandro tilted his head as he stared at her. ¡°What is wrong? Are you ill?¡±


    ¡°Sandro¡­ ?¡± Arabe mumbled.


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    As he stepped towards her she peered into his eyes. He looked like Sandro but he didn¡¯t seem like him. Sandro never asked how she felt or how she was doing. It was surprising he looked worried and asked about her health.


    Perhaps, she was hallucinating. She grimaced, clenching the white sink before staring at him again.


    He still stood there, looking worried.


    She wasn¡¯t buying it.


    Arabe shook her head and she let out a groan.


    ¡°Your body is warm.¡±


    Sandro tortured her all the time. He didn¡¯t care about how she felt. It was all a lie to get into her pants but the way he gripped her hand gently made her feel otherwise.


    ¡°What happened to you?¡± She let out. Her voice was hoarse. ¡°You never cared about me. Why do you suddenly care?¡±


    Her blurry vision stared at him. Despite not seeing him clearly, he didn¡¯t look as though he was enjoying her plight.


    Leading her to the bed, he let hery on it and he ced his hand on her head. ¡°How long have you been sick?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Sick?¡± Arabe mumbled. ¡°I¡¯m not sick. I want to stand.¡±


    ¡°Very well.¡± He said, helping her up again.


    Was she dreaming? Arabe frowned. How was he kind to her? She was his freaking sworn enemy and the woman he wanted to kill by all means!


    ¡°Who are you and where is Sandro?¡±


    An amused smile curved up Sandro¡¯s lip. ¡°That is thest thing you need to be worried about now. I need to take you to Francis.¡±


    Without further discussion from her, he carried her bridal style and strode out of the room, leaving her speechless.


    ********


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    Francis stared at Sandro as he caressed Arabe¡¯s cheek, then at Janice who stood snarling at him.


    ¡°Believe the shit he does at your risk. He¡¯s a piece of crap.¡±


    ¡°Maybe he¡¯s sorry for all that he did to her,¡± Francis said.


    ¡°Sandro is a bastard and he can never be sorry.  Don¡¯t tell me you are falling for this. I know Arabe is an airhead and will believe he turned good for her which we all know is a lie.¡±


    ¡°I can hear you.¡± Sandro red at Janice.


    ¡°I know.¡± She shrugged.


    Sandro sighed, ignoring her and staring at Arabe. He gripped her hand. ¡°Will you be fine?¡±


    ¡°This is weird,¡± Arabe mumbled, staring at their intertwined hand. ¡°Why are you doing this? I¡¯m an orphan and I have no one to give you ransom if that¡¯s where you are aiming at.¡±


    Sandro tossed his head back and let out a peal ofughter. ¡°Whatever do I need your money for?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Arabe said in a small voice. ¡°Just stop acting weird.¡±


    ¡°Helping you is acting weird?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°Seeing as you never helped me before now.¡±


    Sandro nodded and heaved a breath. ¡°Very well.¡±


    He stood from the bed and stepped towards Francis who jerked, dashing away from where Janice stood.


    Janice tsked, rolling her eyes. She stepped away from the door towards Arabe.


    ¡°I¡¯m leaving you in her care,¡± Sandro said.


    Francis nodded hastily. ¡°Yes.¡± He let out, ignoring the glint in Sandro¡¯s eyes.


    He let his eyes move towards Arabe and he shook his head. ¡°Is she hurt anywhere? I mean any physical injury?¡±


    ¡°Are you insinuating I hit her?¡± Sandro raised a brow.


    ¡°I-I didn¡¯t say that!¡± Francis stuttered. His eyes flickered to Janice who was watching him and she shrugged.


    ¡°Help me,¡± Francis mouthed.


    Janice rolled her eyes.This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    ¡°Did you call your girlfriend here to help you?¡± Sandro chuckled.


    ¡°I¡¯m not his girlfriend.¡± Janice retorted faster than Francis would have wanted.


    Hurt shed in his eyes briefly but it didn¡¯t go unnoticed by Sandro.


    Thetter parted his back, ¡°Women are like that sometimes. Watch Arabe. I¡¯m sure you won¡¯t want to get on my bad side.¡±


    Sandro said and stepped out of the room.


    Janice stared at Francis. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it that way.¡± She started.


    Francis wondered if she didn¡¯t. He couldn¡¯t tell if she was lying or not as he was unable to read her thoughts.


    Moreover, she had never really fancied him as he did to her, he believed.


    ¡°I guess I won¡¯t be the first to be rejected this way and definitely won¡¯t be thest either.¡±


    Francis shrugged and moved away from Janice.


    Janice grimaced. ¡°Me and my big mouth.¡±


    ¡°If you are done, can you help me with this? She needs to take some drugs and it is only the flu she caught, thankfully.¡±


    Janice sighed. She moved to where Francis stood and gripped the paper he stretched out to her. Perusing it, she creased her brows.


    ¡°Why are you giving her all these and were we not warned never to go to the Rosette empire to get any of these?¡±


    The Rosette empire wasn¡¯t just a household, it was a hugepany that sells anything. From drugs to ammunition and literally, anything could be found there.


    However, it was somewhat costly.


    And the downside was, they never sold it out to just anyone. Only people who had the password could enter through the gate.


    Janice wondered how whoever had gotten the drugs got past the gatekeepers and the questions always tossed at people.


    He or she must be intelligent and good at disguise.


    Yet, she knew there was only one person and that was ze.


    ¡°It is the boss¡¯s order.¡± Francis let out. ¡°He¡¯s trying to get something from her. I believe that is the reason he¡¯s acting up.¡±


    ¡°Goodness, I¡¯ll kill him if he tries shit.¡± Janice scrunched up the paper in her hand and stalked out of the room.


    ¡°What was that about?¡± Arabe asked. She had been watching them whisper but she didn¡¯t want to interrupt their conversation as he wanted to know what they were talking about. But their voices were too low, making it difficult for her.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Francis shed her a smile. ¡°How do you feel?¡±


    Arabe breathed out. She rolled her eyes as she felt he was evading her question. Nheless, she answered him. ¡°Good, I guess.¡±


    Francis nodded. ¡°You¡¯ll be okay.¡± He assured.


    Arabe smiled at him as he left the room. She gotfortable on the bed and wondered where ze was. She had sent Janice to fetch him whilst they were discussing. Now, she doubted he was anywhere around the De Luca¡¯s building.


    Because he should be the one by her side.


    Her mind wandered back to Sandro¡¯s odd behaviour, then to ze and then to the kiss.


    Her cheeks reddened and she shut her eyes before opening them.


    As soon as she did, the door went ajar and her eyes collided with the zing brown orbs of ze.

 Chapter forty-four

    ze grunted as he mmed his fist into the punching bag in front of him. Sweat dribbled down his forehead and he shoved his hair back.


    His eyes narrowed and his ears perked up as he sensed someone approaching.


    His muscles tensed up and he swirled, putting his hands in front of him in defence, ready to attack whoever was approaching him.


    But no one was there.


    He red as the wind drifted into the room and he sniffed the air.


    The hair at the back of his neck prickled and he hissed as the process started over again. It was not the first time he felt this way.


    It had been an urrence ever since he knew who he was. A fucking demon wolf.


    His life was a lie and he tried his best to live based on the lie. Else, he¡¯d be out of the pack in no time if anyone found it.


    It wasn¡¯t something bad, but everyone assumed he was a pure werewolf, rather someone with tainted blood.


    A hybrid and not just any hybrid, he had the blood of his father, the demon overlord running through him.


    ze didn¡¯t want to believe no one was watching him as Thalia had said. She told him it was all in his head but he doubted that.


    He assumed he was the most alert member in the pack aside from Sandro whose powers included stealth.


    ze could feel an enemy a few feet away from him. He only needed to sniff his way to them.


    That was how he got to Arabe. He had used his nose and intuition.


    Although it wasn¡¯t urate all the time since John Collins, Arabe¡¯s father was in the group and he couldn¡¯t decipher who he was until thest mission he did.


    ze sighed. He concentrated on the punching bag in front of him and let his mind free from worry.


    Today wasn¡¯t his gym day although he didn¡¯t have a specific day for it. He was less frequent in the gym because of Arabe.


    Ever since her arrival, she had taken over his thoughts and daily life.


    He could barely think straight and not think about her. All his freaking thoughts were centred on her.


    That wasn¡¯t what pissed him off, it was the knowledge that she could get hurt even under his watch that pissed him off.


    He believed he didn¡¯t have the right to be with her. Heck, as the protector he wanted to be for her, he was even more powerless than he imagined.


    He could do nothing to keep her safe.


    ze did a flip in the air and mmed his leg into the bag. Dust poured out, evaporating the room.


    He gritted his teeth and mmed his fist into the bag despite the pain in his muscles.


    He didn¡¯t relent. He needed something to vent his frustration on and it was right in front of him


    But it wasn¡¯t working.


    ze ran a hand through his hair, uncapped the stic bottled water, and took arge gulp.


    He yanked off the gloves in his hands and grimaced as a familiar scent wafted into his nostrils.


    ¡°I know you¡¯ll be here,¡± Janice said. Her soft voice echoed around the room.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± He asked. His body tensed as she wrapped her arms around him.


    ¡°You.¡± Her hand went to his chest and she caressed him upward, to downward and halted her fingers near the waistline of his shorts.


    ze gripped her hand, turned to her and shoved her slightly.


    ¡°I¡¯m not interested in joking around with you, Janice. What do you want?¡±


    Janice giggled. She glimpsed the warning shing in his eyes and couldn¡¯t help noticing how sexy being angry made him look.


    ¡°I think I need to get you angrier because I can¡¯t get tired of seeing this sexiness of yours.¡±


    She faced him as he tried to move past her. Her hand ran over his body and she pulled him into a hug.


    ¡°Goodness, your body is so warm and it¡¯d be better above me.¡±


    ze bit back the rude remark that threatened to spill out from his mouth and he heaved a breath instead.


    His patience was running thin and Janice was thest person he needed to see. ¡°Nothing is happening.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because you think nothing is.¡± Upset, Janice snatched a glove on the floor and flung it at his head.


    ze halted, he turned to her and asked. ¡°What do you want? We can¡¯t be together if it¡¯s that¡­¡±


    ¡°Because your heart belonged to Arabe?¡± Janice supplied. ¡°That stupid witch. She never learnt a lesson.¡±


    ze walked towards her and gripped her hand. ¡°Leave Arabe out of this. She did nothing wrong but y¡¯all fucking hate her.¡±


    ¡°I never hated her. I thought we could rte until I realized you have a thing for her!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s in her that I can¡¯t give to you?¡± Janice said. She moved towards him and caressed his bicep.


    ¡°I can treat you better and I doubt she¡¯s on the same page as you.¡±


    That was the problem. He doubted that as well. He wondered if Arabe felt the same way about him and it was paramount she did because having her love Sandro, her torturer was what he wouldn¡¯t be able to live it.


    Some women interpreted torture as love and he didn¡¯t want Arabe to do the same.


    ¡°I wish she dies,¡± Janice said. ¡°I wish she dies right now.¡±


    She clenched her fists and attempted to move past ze. He gripped her hand, halting her.


    ¡°Where¡¯s she?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not her keeper,¡± Janice said.


    ¡°But she¡¯s your friend.¡±


    ¡°She was my friend.¡± She retorted and jerked her hand away.


    ze ran a hand through his hair and watched as Janice stalked out of the room.


    He gathered his things and left the room, walking towards Arabe¡¯s room and where he left herst night after their meet-up.


    ********


    ¡°She¡¯s not in here,¡± Sandro murmured, turning to stare at ze.


    ¡°Besides, why are you here? Why do you always stay around the women I am associated with? Are you fucking Be behind me?!¡±


    ze rolled his eyes and said dryly. ¡°You¡¯ve asked me that too many times.¡±


    ¡°Fucking answer the question and stop giving me a vague reply.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s my friend.¡± ze said. ¡°It¡¯s okay for friends to check on each other. I know you won¡¯t understand what that means because you have no one to call a friend.¡±This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    ¡°Touche.¡± Sandro gave a wolfish grin. He downed the whiskey in the ss and stepped towards the window.


    He scoured the surroundings before staring at ze.


    Swiftly, he sped towards him and grasped him by his shirt. ¡°I didn¡¯t say you can be friends with her. Did I?!¡±

 Chapter Forty-five

    ¡°How long do we have to keep fighting over this?¡±


    ¡°For as long as you stop staring at her. ¡°Arabe is mine.¡±


    ¡°She is,¡± ze affirmed. He tilted his hands in the air.


    ¡°Good,¡± Sandro said. ¡°I¡¯m d you are not putting up too much fight. Besides, I have good news to share with you.¡±


    Good news, ze mused. He didn¡¯t think anything from Sandro meant good news so far as he was concerned.


    And he had never seen him react happily to any news before, whether good or not.


    ¡°What¡¯s it about?¡± You seem happy. ¡°I hope it is not about killing anyone.¡±


    ¡°It is.¡± Sandro¡¯s grin widened and the smile on ze¡¯s face faltered.


    His mind wandered to Arabe dying eventually.


    He shook his head brushing off the thoughts away.


    Then he frowned as Sandro tossed a stic bag towards him.


    ¡°What the fuck is this?!¡± ze shouted, dropping it to the floor.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t know you were that soft.¡± Sandro chuckled. ¡°This is sma.¡±


    ¡°Whose sma?¡± ze¡¯s nostrils red and his eyes narrowed. ¡°Arabe. What did you do?!¡±


    ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t kill her yet if that is what you are thinking about. I¡¯m keeping her for something more appetizing.¡±


    ¡°Where is she and what¡¯s this blood here for?¡±


    Sandro ced the sma close to his nose and let in a deep breath.


    ¡°Delicious and this confirms our theory.¡± His sea-green eyes glinted.


    ¡°Our dear Be, My dearest pet is Delicate Rose.¡±


    ze¡¯s eyes widened. He shook his head, not believing what Sandro was saying.


    ¡°You better believe me because she is and I got a DNA to confirm it,¡± Sandro said.


    ¡°But how? I mean she¡¯s John¡¯s daughter.¡± ze said.This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care how that came about. I¡¯m d she won¡¯t be utterly useless until her death.¡±


    ¡°What are you plotting?¡±


    Sandro rolled his eyes. ze was clueless or he was acting as if he was. He didn¡¯t know which. And he didn¡¯t care. All he knew was he had gotten part of what was going to make his n work. With or without his help. But he was sure he wouldn¡¯t dare go against him.


    ¡°I¡¯m creating a werewolf troop. You know what it is the blood of Delicate Rose can do.¡±


    ¡°Please no.¡± ze started with a shake of his head. ¡°I¡¯m not letting you do that. She didn¡¯t deserve all this. For goodness sake, you are going too far!¡±


    ¡°You are the one taking it too far!¡± Sandro interjected. ¡°This is our shot at getting what we want. Do you want to fucking remain defeated forever? Have you forgotten the reason we went into hiding?! We are fucking weak and cursed! I am cursed and who knows who¡¯sing for my head?! I¡¯m not watching that and won¡¯t let it happen.¡±


    ze heaved a breath. ¡°She¡¯s innocent.¡±


    Sandro snarled. ¡°Her father caused me pain.¡±


    ¡°You killed him. Isn¡¯t that enough? You shouldn¡¯t let this extend to her.¡±


    ¡°Toote,¡± Sandro said. ¡°Are you for me or against me?¡±


    ¡°You should know, I am not asking for your approval. You can be against it, I do not care. I am letting you know because you are my Beta and the right thing for you to do is support whatever I do.¡± He added.


    ze furrowed his brows and he stared at Sandro. He was not bluffing and he didn¡¯t look like he wouldn¡¯t go through with what he said.


    He sighed and let his eyes snap shut before opening them. ¡°This is dangerous and I still say she is innocent. And the madness about Delicate Rose, I believe it¡¯s high time it stopped.¡±


    ¡°You were happy to be of help to catch her. You didn¡¯t even care if she died or not. Why does this feel like you have something for that bitch? I don¡¯t think you are telling me enough things.¡±


    ze turned his back to Sandro and sat on the couch. He was confused. His loyalty to Sandro as his Beta and saving the girl he fancies.


    He didn¡¯t think anyone should suffer the same way as Arabe. She deserved better. Not even he was good enough for her.


    But how was he supposed to protect her if he kept his distance? He had done so before but it only made her fall into more trouble.


    ze believed her problems kind of reduced since he got into her life.


    And he was thankful for that. Although Sandro¡¯s presence still made it awful.


    ¡°I see.¡± Said Sandro. ¡°She¡¯s bewitched you as well. However, you should know I am not afraid toy you off. Thalia is ready and willing to be part of me and I¡¯d happily make her a Beta over you.¡±


    ze shot out of his seat. He started towards Sandro and halted a few feet from him. Why Thalia? Was the demand at the tip of his tongue but he stopped himself as he glimpsed the smile on Sandro¡¯s face.


    He was doing it on purpose, he believed.


    Sandro assumed he liked Thalia but ze doubted that was what he was doing. Perhaps, he was just looking for an easy recement and Thalia was the perfect person. She wouldn¡¯t think twice if she was told the n.


    Because she wanted Arabe dead already.


    ze sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll support you.¡±


    Sandro chuckled. ¡°I thought you were ready to be reced by a girl. I¡¯m d you think this through.¡±


    Contrary to what Sandro thought, ze didn¡¯t support it not because Thalia was about to take his position.


    He was only agreeing to the ridiculous n because he didn¡¯t want Thalia to engage in anything dangerous.


    He was ready toy down his life for her and thus he often did dangerous work to make her feel at ease with any pay he get.


    Besides, it wasn¡¯t as though her life wasn¡¯t in danger by moving with Sandro seeing as he had a lot of enemies, he would still do anything to keep her safe if she got into trouble.


    After all, she was his sister and the only person he had.


    And at the same time for Arabe whom he couldn¡¯t let harme to because he was certain they were mated.

 Chapter Forty-six

    As soon as ze left the room, Arabe was the only thought on his mind. So, he hurried down to the clinic because he believed that was only where she could be.


    Also, Janice had said something about her dying, so he imagine she was ill or maybe something happened to her with Sandro again.


    He guessed it was thetter because he saw the fatigue she often tried to brush off. Even when he kissed her yesterday. Her body had been warm but he didn¡¯t get the chance to ask her if she was alright.


    He stood by the door side and stared at her. Almost immediately as if she was expecting him, her eyes flitted to his.


    ¡°ze.¡± She mumbled. She attempted to stand to her feet and he rushed into the room.


    ¡°Hey,¡± ze said, gripping her hand. ¡°Hold on.¡± He gripped a pillow to brace her back as she sat up.


    Arabe shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Just a slight pounding of my head and Francis went to fetch painkillers.¡±


    ze prodded her cheeks and every part of her body. ¡°No injury.¡± He heaved a breath and stared at her again. ¡°What happened and why wasn¡¯t I notified that you are here?¡±


    ¡°I sent Janice to you. You didn¡¯t get any message from her?¡±


    That witch. She had kept the information from him on purpose.


    ze settled into one of the side stools beside the bed and took her hand.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this tiring?¡± Arabe sighed and she continued as he tilted his eyebrow. ¡°Coming to see me all the time in the clinic. It¡¯s an eyesore and I don¡¯t think anyone will be happy to do it all the time as it¡¯s looking like a routine now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m notining.¡± ze said.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to. I feel like you are being nice to me because you don¡¯t enjoy seeing me in pain.¡±


    ze shook his head. He was being nice to her for some other reason. ¡°I like¡­¡±


    He trailed off as the door opened. Francis strode inside saving him from making an error by telling her his feelings.


    Maybe she would have done nothing about it, but he was expecting a positive response from her regardless.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Francis said. His eyes left ze to Arabe. ¡°How are you feeling?¡±


    He ced the thermometer in her mouth and raised it to his eye level.


    ¡°The fever is going down. I think it¡¯s mild. You¡¯ll get better soon.¡±


    Arabe nodded. ¡°Can I leave here today?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± ze said before Francis could reply. ¡°Until you get better. Leaving here isn¡¯t a good idea.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s mild.¡± She reminded him. ¡°I¡¯m fine and I don¡¯t think leaving here will make me die.¡±


    A vein ticked in ze¡¯s jaw and Arabe wondered if she annoyed him as he stood.


    He red at her and turned to Francis. ¡°What kind of doctor are you? Are you telling her she can leave here as well? I don¡¯t see the reason she¡¯d have such thoughts!¡±


    ¡°Leave Francis alone,¡± Arabe said as she saw him trembling. He was scared of Sandro. She had seen how he cowers in front of him. He was scared of ze as well.


    Who wouldn¡¯t be? Compared to Francis, ze was built with toned muscles. He was taller than Frances and she believed it was two to three inches above him.


    And ze looked kind of intimidating when he chose to be.


    Unlike Sandro who exudes pure wickedness, ze was calm.


    That was the reason she could stay longer in his presence without being afraid.


    ¡°Why should I?¡± ze red.


    ¡°I made up my mind to leave. I didn¡¯t discuss it with him so he knows nothing about it.¡±


    ze narrowed his eyes at her for a few seconds before looking away. He strode to Arabe¡¯s bedside and gripped her hand. ¡°You are not thinking straight, Be. I don¡¯t want you toe back in here again. It¡¯s better you stay until you get better.¡±


    Arabe nodded. She barely concentrated on his words. She was staring at his lips and she recalled how they had expertly kissed her.


    She reddened and cleared her throat as she felt a nudge on her hand.


    ¡°Sorry.¡±


    ¡°What for?¡± ze asked, then chuckled as her cheeks reddened. ¡°I don¡¯t mind you ogling me, but get well so I won¡¯t have nasty thoughts about you being in nothing under this ridiculous gown you are in.¡±


    Flushing Arabe¡¯s eyes flickered to Francis and she breathed out as she realized he wasn¡¯t in the room.


    ze was making a pass at her. She was sure of that.


    The way his lips curved up at the corner made her swoon internally. She didn¡¯t know what was going on with her.


    But she was sure of one thing, she wanted ze¡¯s hands all over her as soon as was out of the room.


    ******************


    It was afternoon and ze finally agreed for her to leave the room after much pleading.


    Moreover, it was all based on a condition of not overworking herself and he had told her he¡¯d talk to Sandro about leaving her be for the meantime.


    Whatever ze said worked because she hadn¡¯t seen Sandro since she left. It was as if he disappeared from the house.


    Yet, even with the disappearance, his absence ignited fear.


    Arabe halted as she caught sight of ze. She tilted her head and hurried towards him.


    She narrowed her eyes and jumped in front of him.


    ze put out his hand to shove her but quickly retracted it and stuck it into his pants.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you all day. Did you juste by the clinic to see me and vanish without caring about how I feel?¡±


    He loathed this. ze loathed when feelings were mentioned. He never did things with feeling as he believed it was a setback.


    He didn¡¯t want to associate feelings with Arabe even from the beginning but each time he tried not to, he failed.


    There was no way he could ignore her even as he tried to. Because she was all over the fucking house, her scent and the thought of her.


    ¡°I¡¯m not avoiding you and I¡¯ve been busy.¡±


    ¡°You are lying,¡± Arabe said. ¡°You can¡¯t even look me in the eyes. Did I do something wrong? Was it about the kiss? But we already talked about that and you acted normal in the clinic today!¡± She red at him as he tried to move.


    She intercepted him and rolled her eyes as he groaned.


    ¡°I am not thinking about that and it shouldn¡¯t have happened in the first ce. I shouldn¡¯t have even kissed you. Now it seems as though I am leading you on.¡±


    Arabe furrowed her brows, she didn¡¯t know what he was talking about but she doubted he didn¡¯t regret anything about the kiss as he said that night.


    ¡°I enjoyed the kiss albeit surprised. But that should mean nothing. It just happened and this kind of thing happens all the time. We should be cool.¡± Arabe said.N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    ¡°As I said, I didn¡¯t regret it. But don¡¯t dwell too much on it. It was just a spur of the moment.¡± ze said.


    Arabe gritted her teeth and clenched her hands. Spur of the moment?!


    She couldn¡¯t believe he¡¯d say such. He was regretting it, she could see the way his brown orbs avoided her gaze.


    Moreover, she saw he was reluctant to stay in her presence and would rather move away as soon as possible if she wasn¡¯t in this way.


    She was stupid to have thought they were on the same page.


    Was he using her the way Sandro was?


    All thoughts ran through her mind but she didn¡¯t know what was the truth and what was not.


    ze was sorry. His chest tightened and the urge to pull her into a hug filled him. As he stared at her eyes, he glimpsed the tears that welled up in them.


    It was his fault. He wouldn¡¯t say otherwise. She might think he was using her. That was what people often told him when he showed any sign of withdrawal from them even if he didn¡¯t say anything about going into a rtionship with them before.


    He wished tofort her and tell her he was just acting everything out.


    Yet, he couldn¡¯t.


    Sandro was watching everything he does. Even though he agreed to support him earlier, ze had seen who Sandro sent to watch all that he does.


    Although the watcher said nothing to him, ze knew when someone was being watched because he had done jobs like that for a long time.


    He didn¡¯t want her to get into trouble and he believed she had suffered enough.


    He stared around and noticed they were in front of Sandro¡¯s room.


    ¡°I hate¡­¡±


    Knowing what she was going to say next, he halted her. ¡°Go in.¡±


    ¡°Why should I answer you? You are a jerk ze and seeing your face irks me.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± He said. ¡°Just go in and don¡¯t do anything stupid. We¡¯ll get to talkter.¡±


    The nerves of him!


    He assumed he could say whatever he wanted to her any time of the day. Goodness, she wished she could p him. She didn¡¯t know how he¡¯d react but she felt the urge to do so and she didn¡¯t care about his reaction.


    ¡°Stop telling me what to do.¡± She gripped the handle of the door. ¡°And I am not interested in seeing youter.¡±


    She tossed him a dirty look before going inside the room.


    ¡°At least, you obeyed one.¡± He said to the door. Then he chuckled before leaving as well.

 Chapter Forty-seven

    Arabe sighed.


    She furrowed her brows as she nced around the empty room.


    Sandro wasn¡¯t around and she had the room to herself. It didn¡¯t bother her he was not in the room because she enjoyed being alone by herself.


    Stripping down to nothing, she nced in the mirror. It had been a routine for her and she didn¡¯t know the change she was looking for exactly.


    But she knew it wasn¡¯t like before.


    She had changed a lot. She didn¡¯t look like the innocent girl she once was.


    She had lost her virginity which she didn¡¯t mind but she wished it had been with someone she fancied and not the other way around. Also, she wished she had done it willingly and not him forcing her.


    Breathing out, Arabe thought of ze. She wondered if he meant what he told her. She had thought he was different from Sandro.


    But thinking about how he had dismissed her feelings earlier, she couldn¡¯t say otherwise.


    Again, she assumed his coldness towards her had to do with Sandro telling him to stay away from her.


    Arabe stepped into the bathroom and had a long bath.


    After she was done, she stepped back into the room.


    Startled, she lurched and dashed back into the bathroom as her eyes collided with Sandro¡¯s. She stayed by the door biting her lower lips whilst mentally berating herself for not looking around before stepping out.


    It wasn¡¯t like she was expecting to see him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave.¡± He offered. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were indoors.¡±


    ¡°Be,¡± Sandro said.


    His voice was deep and the way he spoke her name with an Italian ent intrigued her. Not only that, she was amazed that he was offering to leave the room for her whereas all he had done was stay in the room and watch her dress up.


    She didn¡¯t know what entered him but she was liking it. She was liking the new Sandro and she didn¡¯t know what else to do.


    When he left the room, she stepped out of the bathroom and rushed to the door, locking it. She slid down the floor of the door and pushed her hands through her hair.


    After a while, she stood up and got dressed. She had a casual date with Janice and what surprised her in all that was happening was Sandro letting her leave the house with Janice. He never let her move around freely much less leave the vicinity.


    But he had agreed to it. She hadn¡¯t questioned it because she was overjoyed. She wondered if he¡¯d keep acting that way or change towards her as time goes by.


    *****


    ¡°Hey!¡± Janice¡¯s hazel eyes shed as she waved Arabe over.


    In the coffee shop, Arabe looked out of ce and Janice had been slightly worried she¡¯d get lost.


    Not only would she be in trouble with Sandro who¡¯d even try to kill her immediately, but ze was also another thing.


    She noticed he had been keeping his wrath in check when ites to her.


    The ze she once knew would have done things impulsively. He didn¡¯t care if anyone got hurt or not. He was just like Sandro.


    But now, he seemed soft. Although not entirely soft. However,  when ites to Arabe or anything that concerns her, he was ready to go all out.


    She noticed the same about Sandro. He was even crueller when she knew him.


    He was the most feared Mafia in Cooan. Although now, he only had more enemies for whatever god knows the reason.


    He had gotten a tad softer. If it was the Sandro of them, she wouldn¡¯t talk to him the way she wanted.


    Both had changed because of a nameless human.  They had changed because of her.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Arabe said, and Janice smiled at her.


    She nudged the cup filled with an iced coffee in front of her. ¡°I got this before you came. I hope you like iced Mocha coffee?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s my fave.¡± Arabe enthused. ¡°Thanks.¡±


    Arabe took a sip and shut her eyes. Humming she nodded her head, ¡°This is by far the best iced mocha coffee I had in my life.¡±C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    ¡°They make the best.¡± Janice agreed. Ever since she came to Cooan, Leister was the only town she knew and visited for coffee. She never had it anywhere and Francis had introduced it to her.


    Janice squinted as her eyes caught a glimpse of ze. ¡°Is that ze?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Arabe said. ¡°He offered to drive me here. Although I told him not to bother.¡±


    ¡°Idiot, lovesick idiot,¡± Janice muttered under her breath.


    She red at ze as he stepped towards them.


    ¡°Janice.¡± He nodded toward her before his eyes settled on Arabe. ¡°Just call me when you are done or need any help. I¡¯ll be nearby.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about me. I¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ze scowled at her. ¡°Just do as I say.¡±


    ¡°Here we go again.¡± Arabe sighed. ¡°Yes, dad, I¡¯ll do as you say. Also, holler at you when I need help to go to the toilet. I hope that is fine or is there something I need to add to it?¡±


    ¡°Stop trying to twist my words. It¡¯s all for your good.¡±


    Arabe shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m not saying otherwise.¡±


    ze ignored the sarcasm in her words and turned to Janice. ¡°Please, watch her.¡±


    ¡°Yay, I¡¯m happy to babysit.¡± Janice let her grin widen.


    And ze groaned. He wondered if he said anything wrong to have resulted in them being sarcastic. He was certain he said nothing wrong and they wouldn¡¯t agree with him if he said what the problem was.


    Perhaps, only Arabe would and he didn¡¯t want to frighten her.


    Regardless, he walked away from them and stood at a considerable distance watching.


    It was noon when the date came to an end. Arabe was happy. She enjoyed herself and being with Janice was everything she needed at the minute. Also, she was starting to see her as the sister she never had and would like to get to know her more if time permitted.


    Because at the moment, all the things she did needed to take permission from Sandro. But she doubts that the new Sandro would object to her seeing Janice.


    She was harmless and not like ze who he felt wanted to take her away from him.

 Chapter forty-eight

    Arabe groaned as Sandro nudged her to the door. He gripped the back of her neck as he kissed her thoroughly. Moaning, her hand wound up in his hair and she winced as he bit on her lip.


    Tugging the top she donned off her, his eyes stayed on her twin globes and his groin throbbed.


    ¡°Beautiful.¡± He groaned and Lace his wolf purred as well. ¡®She¡¯s ours.¡¯


    ¡®Shut up.¡¯ Sandro urged. Having his wolf spoilt the fun was thest thing he wanted.


    It was the first sex session she didn¡¯t try to push him away. She was willing to fuck him which was surprising. And what surprised him the most was she had approached him first.


    ¡°Sandro.¡± She mumbled.


    ¡°Master.¡± Sandro corrected. ¡°I am your master in the bedroom and never call me otherwise.¡±


    Nodding her head, she stared at him with wide eyes. ¡°Master.¡±


    ¡°Little minx!¡± Sandro said as her eyes went downwards, making her look demure.


    She was teasing him. But where did she learn to do that?


    He didn¡¯t know and didn¡¯t care who had given her the lesson. All he wanted was to get down to business. And he was taking his time while at it.


    With Thalia, he never takes things slowly. He just wanted to be inside of her and out as soon as he could.


    He didn¡¯t know what changed. Maybe because Arabe was letting him do this willingly.


    Arabe pushed aside the warning resounding in her head.


    She shouldn¡¯t do it. Her subconscious said over again. She shouldn¡¯t let him have his way!


    But she was letting him. She had made the first move on him and she wasn¡¯t embarrassed when he told her he wanted to fuck her too.


    She believed it was the whiskey she had taken with Janice on their way home that was doing the thinking for her.


    She had seen Sandro shirtless and had thought he was a sumptuous meal to have as the weather was a bit frigid. She wanted him that instant and didn¡¯t think of anything other than to have him inside of her.


    ¡°Are you certain about this?¡±


    Arabe eyed him. He looked uncertain. That was a first as he never asked about what she wanted before he ripped her dress.


    He never asked if she wanted him to fuck her before he did.


    She reckoned it was more reasons to give herself freely to him and let him have a taste of what he was missing if he asked her nicely.


    ¡°Goodness, you are so hot,¡± Sandro said as he fondled her breasts before tweaking her nipples.


    Arabe tossed her head back and let out a wanton moan.


    His lips moved from her mouth to her neck. He nipped and sucked on her soft spot before trailing wet kisses down.


    He kissed her cleavage and licked the area before her breast.


    ¡°Do you want me to show you how good you can feel by sucking on this?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Arabe shut her eyes as his hot breath fanned her breast.


    Her nipples tingled in response and both tightened in anticipation.N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    ¡°Yes, what?¡± Sandro growled. He squeezed her butt and let his tongue y with a pointed nipple.


    ¡°Yes, master,¡± Arabe responded.


    ¡°Good student.¡± Sandro let out. One of his hands covered her breast and he massaged gently whilst the other breast, his mouth was on the swollen tip as it begged his attention.


    He took the tip in his mouth and sucked gently at first before he became rough.


    Sandro knew Arabe¡¯s body, even better than her.


    He knew when to go gentle and when to be rough. Moreover, he was aware she liked him being rough on her even without her saying it.


    She was wet and always ready to amodate his length.


    ¡°Please, fuck me,¡± Arabe said. She grimaced at how the word came out. But she didn¡¯t care. She wanted him inside her this instant and she might force him if he didn¡¯t do so.


    Sandro chuckled. ¡°Tesoro, you are so impatient. Let me teach you how pleasurable you can be. You might not get the feeling anymore and not from anyone because Arabe, you are mine and anyone who is thinking of having you have me to answer to.¡±


    Sandro hoisted her over his shoulder.


    His hand connected with her butt cheek as he strode towards therge king-sized bed.


    Arabe whimpered and she almost felt her juice leaking on him, she mped her leg shut and she gripped his chest.


    ¡°Your clothes.¡± She whined as he dumped her in the bed. It was unfair he still had clothes on whereas he had ripped off her underwear with the little opportunity he got.


    ¡°One thing at a time.¡± He said, pushing her hand away. ¡°I like it that you are impatient but giving you the utmost pleasure is what I wished to do tonight.¡±


    Arabe didn¡¯t like the idea of that but she nodded her head nevertheless.


    ¡°Now, open your thighs, let me see my pussy.¡±


    Arabe opened her thighs without a second thought and she licked her lips as his eyes glinted.


    ¡°Astounding.¡± He said and Arabe nodded.


    She moved up from the bed and gripped his shirt pulling him into her. Her mouth moved close to his ear and she whispered. ¡°So help me God, Sandro if you don¡¯t fuck me this instant, I¡¯ll take it as a challenge and go in with the first man I see.¡±


    Sandro snarled, grasping her hair. ¡°You won¡¯t dare.¡±


    ¡°Try me.¡± Arabe winced as his hand tightened on her hair.


    ¡°Bitch!¡± Swiftly, he yanked off his clothes and gripped her thighs. ¡°Watch me fuck you until you are breathless.¡±


    He thrust into her and his hand mped over her mouth drowning her scream.


    She widened her eyes as his other hand gripped her neck.


    ¡°What do you call me?¡± He let out a grunt.


    ¡°Mas¡­ master!¡± Arabe stuttered as the familiar aches and needs surged through her.


    She choked and gasped for breath. But that didn¡¯t even make him stop what he was doing.


    Arabe wed at his back and kicked on the bed.


    ¡°You¡¯ll kill me!¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be better for all of us?!¡± His sea-green eyes glinted a gold colour.


    Her eyes went to his head and she glimpsed two horns peeking out from it.


    He was a monster¡­ Sandro was a monster?


    How didn¡¯t she notice?


    His teeth glimmered as he smile and two wicked-looking canines pierced out from his mouth. His head dipped and he whispered, ¡°This will be a reminder that I own you, Arabe. You are mine and no one else!¡±


    His teeth sank into her neck and she jerked awake.

 Chapter forty-nine

    Arabe thrashed wildly on the bed. ¡°Please forgive me!¡±


    Sandro furrowed his brows. It wasn¡¯t the first time he was seeing her in this state. Ever since he shared his bed with her, she most times had nightmares. He never questioned her as he believed it wasn¡¯t in his ce to.


    Again, he didn¡¯t care to know because all that he wanted was revenge and nothing else.


    Still, it was the first time he¡¯d heard her saying his name.


    What was he doing to her? He mused as he attempted to shake her awake.


    By the look of things, it seemed as though he was torturing her. She gripped her neck and gasped out.


    Sandro grimaced and pushed his hand through his hair. He dealt with her in real life and even in dreams.


    He wondered where else he would punish her again. He was trying to be nice to her because of all the benefits she came with but he doubted it would all work out if she kept seeing him in a bad light.


    He grasped her hands clutching her neck and shook her.


    Arabe wheezed. She shoved him with all her might startling him and she jetted out of bed, darting to the door.


    Sandro furrowed his brows. He stared at his hand and noticed she had her imprint on him.


    How she had managed to shove him away with only a little strength startled him.


    He stared at her and his gaze softened as he realized she was running away from him.


    However, even without a dream, she still ran from him.


    ¡°Sandro?!¡± She asked, staring at him. ¡°That¡¯s you?¡±


    Sandro rolled his eyes. ¡°Of course, it is the one and only Sandro De Luca.¡±


    Arabe heaved a breath. Thest thing she needed was to be in the same room as the monster she had seen in her dream.


    Sandro was aware his wolf wasn¡¯t happy with the way he was nning to go about killing Arabe.


    Not that he cared, he¡¯d apologise to Lace afterwards. Even if his wolf kept quiet on him for a while, he was sure it wouldn¡¯t be forever.


    Arabe stopped trying the handle of the door and she slid to the ground slowly.


    She shoved a hand through her hair and her eyes snapped shut as she recalled the horrendous dream.


    Perhaps, she shouldn¡¯t be surprised because that was the real Sandro she saw whilst the one before she seemed almost like an imposter.


    Only that it was still him.


    Since yesterday she noticed the change in him, she found it hard to believe that he was the same person that had been threatening to kill her for the two months she was under his roof.


    She found it hard to believe he was the same person that forced her into doing what she didn¡¯t want to and she had stupidly given herself to him freely as if he deserved it.


    She was d she did all that happened in the dream because she couldn¡¯t imagine giving herself to him willingly after all that happened.


    Arabe sighed and she nced at him again.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    He hadn¡¯t moved an inch from where he was but he was still watching her.


    She glimpsed the curiosity in his sea-green eyes and she averted her eyes as a blush crept into her cheeks.


    Arabe heard him chuckle and She grimaced. He had probably seen her cheeks go red. It wasn¡¯t as though she could hide it. Her translucent skin always made itplex for her to hide anything.


    ¡°Come back to bed, Mio caro.¡±


    The endearment, he was back to it. She didn¡¯t know what to make do with it but she preferred hearing it now than before.


    Even the term master he had told her to call him, she¡¯d do so because he wasn¡¯t the horrible Sandro anymore.


    He didn¡¯t make her skin crawl with his endearment and it was almost as if she enjoyed hearing him speak to her in his native tongue.


    She was too trusting, and Arabe was aware of that. She only wished he didn¡¯t make her pay for believing in him so much.


    Arabe removed herself from the ground and walked towards the bed.


    She furrowed her brows as Sandro extended his hand towards her.


    ¡°Come on, I¡¯m not biting you, Be.¡±


    She nodded, and she let her hand slide into his.


    ¡°I understand you¡¯ve been in a nightmare and I don¡¯t want to ask you about what it is because you seem reluctant. Also, I don¡¯t want to bother you.¡±


    Arabe nodded. She didn¡¯t know where the conversation was going but she listened.


    ¡°If it¡¯s about me because I heard you mentioned my name¡­.¡±


    ¡°You did?¡± Arabe asked. She let out a groan, shaking her head. She didn¡¯t know she was too loud but then she was d he knew she saw him.


    ¡°I¡¯m not proud of everything I did to you. I¡¯d prefer if you forgive me and let us keep the past behind us.¡±


    Arabe blinked. She nced away from the wall to Sandro, staring into his eyes.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t do well with apologies but I am sorry.¡±


    Shit!


    Sandro was apologising to her and she had made him say so over again. He was fucking apologising and he seemed genuinely sorry.


    Where the fuck was the real Sandro?!


    Because the man in front of her wasn¡¯t the monster she knew.

 Chapter fifty

    After the night he apologised, Arabe waited a few days for Sandro¡¯s monstrous side to surface.


    Heck, she had even tried riling him on purpose so he¡¯d flipped but he didn¡¯t.


    All the patience he was exuding now, she didn¡¯t know where it came from because Sandro himself wasn¡¯t a patient man.


    He was the same person that had whipped her for not doing what he wanted.


    She remembered most of his orders which he said to her for a few seconds and expected to carry them out without thinking.


    He had fucking ripped her dress and pants, most of the time due to his impatient.


    Now, he was acting differently. Strangely might she say.


    She didn¡¯t know how he changed but she¡¯d like to thank The Lord for softening his once-hardened heart.


    ¡°Geez.¡± Arabe coughed, waving her hand in front of her nose.


    ¡°I thought you quit.¡± She eyed ze as he wrapped a stick of cigarette before sticking it in between his lip.


    She didn¡¯t know how much he had taken but she knew the one with him presently wasn¡¯t the first one.


    ze didn¡¯t answer her question even when she nudged him. He didn¡¯t even spare a nce at her. And that infuriated her.


    She gripped the almost finished stick and tossed it to the floor before snuffing the me out with the sole of her sneakers.


    ¡°Hey, what the hell?!¡± He growled ring at her.


    ¡°I did nothing.¡± Arabe shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m trying to help you live longer.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need that.¡± ze let out a grunt and he stood to his feet.


    ¡°What?¡± Arabe said. She stepped into his line of vision, forcing him to stare at her. ¡°Are you mad that I am trying to help you?¡±


    As he didn¡¯t respond, she scoffed. ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous. You¡¯d prefer to die than quit?!¡±


    ze shrugged.


    ¡°Fine, don¡¯t respond. Good day.¡± She said, about to stalk away from him, but he held her hand.


    ¡°Let go of me!¡±


    ¡°Are you mad at me?¡± It was his turn to ask.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what is going on with you. Do you enjoy pushing me away? You¡¯ve been avoiding me which itself is painful. But you are starting to act like the old Sandro.¡±


    ze kicked the door close, leaving the room to go darker. Arabe had to squint before she saw his face. And she narrowed her eyes as he caged her to the wall.


    ¡°I want you safe.¡± He said. ¡°Stoping around me, Be. I am not who you think I am. I am a freaking monster and¡­¡±


    Arabe¡¯s mouth covered his, halting the words he was about to speak. She didn¡¯t know why she did so but at that moment, the urge to want to kiss him streamed into her.


    Heck, it started as anger, then it swirled slowly into a desire she couldn¡¯t ignore.


    What was startling was, she was bold enough to kiss him.


    ze removed his lip from hers, leaving her to scowl at him.


    She reddened with embarrassment as it didn¡¯t turn out the way she wanted it.


    ¡°You¡¯ll get hurt,¡± He said.


    ¡°You are not a monster ze. I don¡¯t know who¡¯s been feeding you with such a ridiculous word. You might be with the bad guys but definitely not a monster. You have a good heart.¡±


    She syed her hand on his chest and she grinned as she felt his heart thrum steadily.


    ¡°Be.¡± He groaned.


    ¡°Stop trying to put yourself down.¡± She said. ¡°As far as I am concerned, you are a wonderful person. A selfless human that goes out of his way to help others.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a monster, a human in disguise.¡± He corrected and that earned him a re from her. It was as if she¡¯d p him if he kept mentioning the monster word but he couldn¡¯t stop.


    He was fucking born a monster and he¡¯d forever live that way.


    ¡°Come here.¡± Arabe spread out her arms as she moved towards him.


    She wrapped her arms around his rigid body and for a moment, she thought he wasn¡¯t going to reciprocate it until he wrapped his arms around her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get hurt and stay away from trouble,¡± ze mumbled, caressing her hair.


    He only wished when Arabe found out about his other side, she would not hate him forever.


    ***********


    ¡°Strip, my darling.¡±


    Arabe shook her head at themand in Sandro¡¯s voice.


    ¡°You won¡¯t?¡± He asked and he stood from where he sat.


    Striding towards her, she moved backwards mming her back into the wall.


    ¡°Stop.¡± She murmured.


    Grimacing, she nced up to see a smirk on his devilishly handsome face and he narrowed his sea-green eyes at her.


    ¡°Your service is to me in this room, Tesoro.¡± he turned her so her back was to him.


    He leaned into her and murmured in her ear. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be happy I am not killing you at the moment? I am starting to see you as ungrateful.¡±


    Arabe red even though he couldn¡¯t see her. ¡°I never begged you not to kill me. You didn¡¯t want to for reason best known to you. So, I believe all that you are doing is not in my favour but yours.¡±This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    Sandro¡¯s shoulder moved, and then he tossed his head back and let out a chuckle. ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous of you to think. What makes you think I can¡¯t be nice to you and still want to fuck you?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I am saying!¡± Arabe let out an exasperated sigh. Maybe he was misunderstanding her on purpose. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to fuck me!¡±


    ¡°Why not? You were meant to be my whore.¡±


    ¡°A lot ofdies are in here to satisfy you. Why do you choose me?!¡±


    Sandro snarled. ¡°Because you are my enemy¡¯s daughter. And whatever belongs to him is mine.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not an object, stop making me look like one!¡±


    ¡°You are my object.¡± He asserted, pushing her into the wall. ¡°And I am going to use you against your will if you don¡¯te to me willingly.¡±


    ***********


    Arabe managed to escape the clutch of Sandro and he didn¡¯t force her as he had said. Rather he was on the bed, reclining.


    ¡°Are you also scared toe back to bed? I had no intention of doing whatever thoughts that are running through your head.¡±


    ¡°Why should I believe you?¡± She retorted with a re but still went towards the bed. She sat and gripped a pillow, using it as a shield of some sort.


    Although it was unnecessary and it wasn¡¯t as if it could do much if he wanted to do anything with her.


    ¡°I¡¯d prefer to go into my room. Here is beginning to suffocate me.¡±


    ¡°Suffocate?¡± Sandro asked with an incredulous look. He stared around therge room. Thergest room in the De Luca¡¯s building and it was the first time he heard from her that it was suffocating.


    ¡°You might not see it. But I do.¡± Arabe said.


    Sandro let out a sigh. ¡°This ce isrge enough to house two mini rooms. I won¡¯t touch you if that¡¯s what you are on about.¡±


    Sandro scooted away from her. He wanted to fuck her badly. He didn¡¯t know why he was acting nice when he could still be mad furious at her and still get what he wanted.


    But then, he wanted all without a fuss. He wanted the real Arabe. The Arabe who smiled in front of people, the one who was free with people and free to express herself. He wanted to see all that before he would do what he wanted andy her off as soon as he was done.


    It was taking a longer process, more than he thought.


    But he¡¯d be patient for another day. Maybe, it was then everything would get to be normal.


    Arabe let out a sigh as she nced at him. He was asleep. She could see the rise and fall of his broad chest.


    She bit her lower lip andid back on the bed slowly.


    She hope he wouldn¡¯t act the way she had imagined. The dream she had about him was still in her head and she couldn¡¯t forget it.


    Letting her guard down was an awful thing. Yet, she still sees him as less of a monster. Maybe he was being controlled by something.


    She believed she¡¯d get to see itter as time went on and prayed it wouldn¡¯t be her end as well.

 Chapter fifty-one

    Arabe thought she had escaped all the brutality from Sandro, but she was starting to doubt his niceness.


    She brushed her hair that stuck on her forehead due to the sweat coating her body. They finished fucking a few seconds ago and despite not wanting to give herselfpletely to him, she enjoyed what he did to her.


    Although she didn¡¯t divulge that part of the information to him she believe he knew even without saying.


    He had made her writhe underneath him, begged him to fuck her over again and yell his name.


    Sandro stood near the window. She didn¡¯t know what he was staring down at but he was tensed. She saw him gripping the window sill and his muscles flexed under the dim lighting of the moon that streamed in.


    Sandro turned back to her and she hastily draped the duvet over her bare torso.


    She flushed, looking down at her fingers as his eyes stayed on her for a few seconds before he let them wander away.


    She cleared her throat breaking the silence. ¡°Why are you being nice to me? I don¡¯t get it.¡±


    ¡°I mean it had been your desire to kill me for a while now and I don¡¯t think discarding those desires in just a day makes any sense. Is there something you are not telling me?¡±


    Sandro left the window side and walked towards the bed, ignoring her question.


    Arabe grimaced. Not like she didn¡¯t expect him to go silent on her, she hadn¡¯t thought of him jumping on the question either.


    ¡°Why are you ignoring me?¡± She whined. Her hand went underneath her pillow and she clenched her fists over the pocket knife she had kept there to defend herself in case he flipped at her.


    Perhaps, it was now to use it to test his patience and see if he was really who he seemed to be. Or maybe not.


    The rm kept resounding in her head and her subconscious shrieked at her, telling her not to do it.


    However, she ignored all the signs and clenched her trembling hands around the stic handle.


    Arabe breathed out and red at the back Sandro turned to her. Plucking out the knife slowly, she jammed it into him.


    Only that it didn¡¯t really enter him.


    Sandro intercepted it midway as he grasped the sharp edge with his bare hand.


    Blood dribbled out of his hand from the little cut she had been able to make with the knife.


    Arabe¡¯s eyes rounded as he turned to stare at her with zing green eyes.


    His lips curved up in an amused grin which looked far more dangerous than his normal smile.


    ¡°I know you were keeping that. Don¡¯t think I am a fool.¡± He yanked the knife away from her and tossed it.


    The once pristine white duvet was covered with red crimson liquid and vomit surged up her throat.


    ¡°You desired to be treated like a whore so bad? That is why you can¡¯t leave me be? I¡¯ll happily grant your wish.¡±


    Arabe saw the glint in his eyes and wanted to dart away but Sandro was fast.


    He gripped her hair, pulling her back to the bed.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    Yanking off the blindfolds from the lower drawer of the nightstand, he tied her hands and legs, restraining her from any further movement.


    ¡°Let me go, you sick vile man!¡±


    ¡°This sick vile man,¡± Sandro let out a light chuckle and pointed to himself. ¡°Won¡¯t let you go until he does what he desired with you.¡±


    ¡°I hate you! I never believed you were turning good!¡± Arabe spat.


    ¡°I¡¯d prefer you hate me more because today you might finally get the death you so much wish for,¡± Sandro said.


    He yanked off the blindfolds from her eyes and spread her thighs apart.


    ¡°Jesus, you are going to tear me in half. I¡¯m not a fucking animal!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m treating you as one.¡± He said before spreading the thighs apart more, not minding her yell.


    He chained both legs and wrists before withdrawing his belt and horsewhip from the corner of the room where he hung his torture weapon.


    ¡°No, please!¡± Arabe begged as he turned her over.


    But the man in front of her wasn¡¯t the same person she came into the room to a few minutes ago.


    He was a monster, a freaking monster without a horn.


    The belt and the horsewhip came down on her that same time and Arabe felt her skin break.


    She grasped the duvet and attempted to swallow down her scream but it didn¡¯t work as the second stroke came down.


    ¡°Stop!¡± She cried. Tears streamed down her face.


    Her head pounded as he went on whipping her like a horse, marking and damaging her skin.


    Arabe believed even a horse wouldn¡¯t get the harsh treatment she was getting. He was making her look low more than the animal he told her she was.


    After a while, Sandro turned her sore back to the bed and Arabe screeched as her back connected with the duvet.


    ¡°Please top!¡± She panted.


    ¡°This is just the beginning, Tesoro. Why didn¡¯t you just leave it? Must you always question my authority?¡±


    ¡°Please, stop. I¡¯ll do whatever you say.¡±


    She shouldn¡¯t beg. She shouldn¡¯t! But she couldn¡¯t help it. She wanted him to stop the assault, begging was the only thing she knew and she doubted he¡¯d answer her now that he seems as though he didn¡¯t hear whatever she was saying.


    ¡°It¡¯s toote, sweetheart. What I want is your remains being feasted on by the fucking vultures!¡±


    *************


    Arabe thought her torture wasing to an end when he hung back the whip and belt but it was just the starting point.


    He slipped out of his clothes briskly and she blinked, ¡°What are you doing? Please, I don¡¯t want to do such. I¡¯m hurting.¡±


    ¡°Tell that to whoever cares. Perhaps that coward, ze? He won¡¯t want to go against me right now!¡±


    Arabe shivered as Sandro spread her legs apart. She tightened her legs and curled her toes as he drove inside her without a second thought.


    ¡°Always wet and ready for me. You are so tight, Baby.¡±


    Arabe gasped. His hand tweaked a nipple and he flipped her over.


    She winced as his hand collided with her backside. He rubbed it, igniting a desire in her before sticking a finger in her pussy.


    Arabe bit down on her lip as a moan threatened to spill out. She shouldn¡¯t enjoy it but she couldn¡¯t help herself.


    She gripped the duvet and shut her eyes.


    ¡°Please, stop.¡± She whimpered.


    Sandro let out a grunt as he thrust inside her, deeply. He gripped her waist, steadying her with one hand, whilst the other closed around her breast.


    ¡°Shit!¡± Arabe moaned as he thrust in and out of her slowly, teasing her. She dragged in a sharp breath as his skin connected with her sore one.


    She didn¡¯t entirely feel the pain, everything was mixed with pleasure and it was what she didn¡¯t want.


    She wished she could flip herself over and shove him away but it was impossible. Not only would it earn her another punishment, but Sandro was also stronger.


    Sandro let out a howl as he quickened his thrust. ¡°You are sweet, darling.¡±


    Arabe¡¯s vision clouded. Sweat dribbled down her chin and with thest strength left in her, she stayed until he poured his warm seed inside of her.


    She felt him withdraw his dick and a whileter he stepped out of the room, leaving her in the cold and sore all over.


    She could barely move her body, so she stayed in the position she was in until Janice or maybe ze would remember she existed ande to rescue her.

 Chapter fifty-two

    The next morning, Arabe awoke to a noise in the room. It sounded a bit far away.


    She grimaced clutching her stomach as the urge to throw up streamed through her. She shoved the vomit down and winced at the acidic taste at the back of her throat.


    She tried opening her eyes but it seemed as though they were glued together and her ears rang.


    Her skin felt as though someone was pulling on it like the strings of a guitar. It hurts and she opened her mouth to yell at the person nudging her to stop but nothing came out.


    ¡°Take the bitch out of the room.¡±


    The voice was clearer now and she crinkled her nose.


    Her eyes snapped open and she sighted Sandro a few feet away, staring at her in disgust.


    Not only that, she realise the urge to throw up had streamed through her because of her being swung.


    Three guards gripped her hand and she recognised only one who was an associate, Giuseppe.


    The rest were new to her and they dragged her around the room like a rag doll whilst Sandro stood in the centre of the room watching it happen.


    Arabe didn¡¯t know what to think of him but she didn¡¯t expect much.


    Moreover, she didn¡¯t know the reason they were pulling her or where they were taking her to.


    ¡°Where are we taking her, Signore?¡±


    ¡°Out of my fucking sight. She makes me want to throw up.¡±


    What changed?


    Arabe didn¡¯t understand what was going on one bit and the reason he was acting as if he was on his period one minute and the next, acting all joyful.


    ¡°Stop,¡± she mumbled. ¡°What did I do wrong? What¡¯s going on?!¡±


    ¡°You heard the boss, we don¡¯t keep slut in here.¡±


    Arabe let down her gaze. She felt insulted. Sharing Sandro¡¯s room had made people call her all sorts of names.


    Besides, she didn¡¯t think it all had to do with the almighty crime her fathermitted.


    A crime she didn¡¯t know of yet. A crime she had spent two months of her life getting punished for!


    Sandro turned his back to her as she stared at him. He didn¡¯t look worried, instead, he was mad at her. Or maybe at someone else.


    ¡°I need treatment!¡± Arabe yelled, regretting it instantly as her headache.


    If she don¡¯t get treated, the injury he had inflicted on her would get infected. And who knows, she might die.


    ¡°I¡¯d prefer if you rot in the dungeon.¡± He growled.


    ¡°You heard the boss? Come on, pull her outta his sight.¡±


    She was dragged to a narrowed stairway and the guard booted the door, leading to arge room filled with straw and mini cells.


    She was shoved into one and locked.


    ¡°I want to see ze!¡±


    ¡°You want to fuck him too? That doesn¡¯t work on people anymore.¡± One of the guards said.


    ¡°Bastard.¡± she gritted her teeth. ¡°Just like your stupid boss and y¡¯all will pay for it!¡± She yelled at their retreating form and yanked at her hair.


    She let out an ear-splitting scream which bounded back to her and she sat down on the floor as her strength depleted. She was exhausted, hungry and sick.


    She needed treatment but the bastard who had locked her up believed otherwise.


    Arabe sighed. She wished she had listened to Janice. Janice had called his bluff and she had thought she was only being judgemental.


    Listening to her would save her a lot of strength instead of having to trust them for a week.


    *************


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    ze turned and his eyes collided with Thalia¡¯s. He shook his head and eyed her outfit which got sluttier due to her association with Sandro. She donned a red mini halter-neck dress that hugged her curves and showed more cleavage than it should.


    ¡°Ain¡¯t you able to see me, brother?¡± Thalia pped a hand over her mouth and nced around. As she saw nothing she turned to him and shed a smile.


    ¡°What do you want, Thalia? I thought I told you to stay away from this pack, especially from Sandro. He¡¯s no good for you!¡±


    ¡°You are not different from him, brother. He¡¯s just crueller than you but you have the same personality. If I could stay with you all these while, I can with Sandro as well.¡±


    ze rolled his eyes. ¡°You tell me that all the time. So, I am not surprised.¡±


    ¡°Well, I am not asking you to be. I just wanted you to stop telling me to stay away from him. Whereas both of you have the same questionable character.¡±


    ze sighed. He tossed a look her way and shook his head. He couldn¡¯t control her and he believed he had no right to tell her who to see or not.


    It wasn¡¯t as if she took any of his advice. It was as though he was hindering her from doing it.


    He believed that was how she saw it.


    ¡°But, staying away from him is not too much to ask for.¡±


    Thalia strode into the room and shrugged. ¡°I am here for a far more important business.¡±


    ¡°And that is?¡± ze tilted his head.


    Thalia observed him for a while. She realized he was his normal self. He was rxed and her eyes strayed to the ashes near his feet. He must have finished taking some blunt.


    But he was still rxed. She assumed he didn¡¯t know about what was going on. Else, he¡¯d have been agitated. She crossed and uncrossed her legs as she thought of how she was going to approach the subject without being the one on the receiving end.


    Still, she was aware no matter how she approached the subject, he¡¯d still get mad at her.


    ¡°It¡¯s about Arabe.¡±


    ¡°What about her?¡± ze said. His eyes narrowed as he stared at Thalia.


    Thalia beamed and she cleared her throat as she began again. ¡°I heard some things you might find vital about her. And who knows if an action isn¡¯t taken now, she¡¯s going to die.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by she¡¯s going to die?¡± ze stood to his feet and strode towards her.


    ¡°What do you know that you are not fucking telling me?¡± He gripped her hand but she yanked it away.


    ze dashed out of the room towards Arabe¡¯s but it was empty and he walked to Sandro¡¯s as well.


    He stood by the door and tested the handle which worked immediately. Striding inside the room, his eyes narrowed as they adjusted to the dimness.


    Sandro wasn¡¯t in the room. He left earlier on some business and had put him in charge. He knew going inside the room without his notice would get him in trouble but he needed to be sure Arabe was safe.


    And his scent would have vanished before he came back.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Arabe?¡± ze mumbled but heard no response. He sniffled the room as he did hers.


    Her scent was faint which was odd.


    Where the fuck was she? He asked himself after a thorough search.


    Then he walked back into his room to meet Thalia still sitting on his couch.


    He strode to her and narrowed his eyes into slits. ¡°Where the fuck is she, Thalia? I see her nowhere and if you know what I don¡¯t know, tell me.¡±


    Thalia glimpsed the frustrated look on his face and she shrugged. ¡°I heard some things.¡±


    ¡°What the fuck did you hear? I am frustrated here, T.¡± ze, for the first time in a long while used the nickname he often referred to her as.


    Thalia seeing the broken look on his face felt pity for him. She didn¡¯t know what he saw in Arabe but she believed he loved her.


    ¡°She¡¯s lying lifeless in the dungeon for hardened criminals and maniac werewolves. Also, I heard Sandro sent for her head to be brought to him.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± ze shot to his feet and his eyes narrowed.


    ¡°Arabe will be dead soon and I am telling you this because you have a thing for her.¡±


    ze winced, gripping his side as he felt a twinge.


    Shit!


    Arabe was in trouble! How the fuck did he not know?!


    ¡°Cole, I ¡±


    Before Thalia couldplete her statement, he dashed out of the room.


    He didn¡¯t want to hear any more words from her. He needed to save Arabe and he fucking need to act fast on it!

 Chapter fifty-three

    ¡°You¡¯ve gone too far, bro!¡± ze shouted, kicking at the coffee table.


    ¡°How do you mean?¡± Sandro¡¯s green eyes narrowed and he lit the cigarette sticking out from his lips.


    ¡°Fuck it, bro, she doesn¡¯t deserve this!¡±


    ¡°What the hell are you talking about?¡± Sandro snapped, ring at him. ¡°You can¡¯te in here baring your fucking fangs at me!¡±


    ¡°You know what I am talking about. Arabe doesn¡¯t deserve to be in that dungeon.¡±


    ¡°Not even an ordinary dungeon but fucking maniac werewolves! You fucking know she can¡¯t survive in there!¡±


    ¡°Fuck it!¡± Sandro thundered. He tossed the unlit cigarette on the floor and scowled. ¡°And what has that got to do with you?!¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s human and can break!¡± ze yanked on his hair. His frustration wasn¡¯t leaving anytime soon.


    ¡°You have a heart Sandro, I don¡¯t see you to be as cruel as this.¡±


    ¡°She deserves everything tossed at her. After all, I¡¯ve been wanting to kill her. Now that I got the opportunity, I see no reason to keep her.¡± Sandro said with a shrug.


    ze stilled. He wondered if he was hearing him right.


    ¡°She¡¯s Rose. What happened to you needing her?¡±


    Sandro scoffed. ¡°I change my mind.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t go about changing your mind for something like this!¡± ze shouted. He was agitated.


    There was no way he could convince Sandro who seemed as though he¡¯d use any opportunity to snap his neck if he continued asking him questions.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need her because there¡¯s another and don¡¯t fuckinge to ask me about the whore with traitor blood running through her vein anymore. Because I¡¯ll definitely kill you, then her!¡±


    There was another?!


    ze didn¡¯t wait to ask him more questions although startled by the revtion, all he knew was he needed to get to Arabe.


    He couldn¡¯t imagine the pain she was going through at the moment. And it was partly because of his negligence.


    If he had sure been vignt, he¡¯d have protected her!


    ¡°Yes, you are partly at fault!¡± Red said. ¡°You make your mate be in unbearable pain!¡±


    ¡°As if I don¡¯t know.¡± ze let out a grunt at a guard who bowed before him.


    He strode towards therge door leading to the horrible prison and he booted it with his leg.


    Wrinkling his nose, his eyes narrowed as he tried to get ustomed to the darkness.


    Shit!


    Arabe was in the room and they had let all the lights go off.


    He hurried to the corner of the room and listened for a heartbeat.


    Halting, his eyes narrowed, then widened.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± He eximed as he glimpsed a figure curved into a ball.


    Darting to thergest cage which was stationed in the middle of the room, five Delta werewolves intercepted him.


    ¡°The Alpha said no one should speak to her.¡±


    ze growled. ¡°I am The Beta here and I deserved to be treated with respect!¡±


    The leader of the Delta, James, stepped forward. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Beta, but the Alpha gave the order to eliminate anyone whoes to the dungeon to speak with the criminal. Even if it is him.¡±


    ze scoffed. ¡°Criminal?!¡±


    James nodded and ze gritted his teeth.


    ¡°How the fuck is she a criminal?! Can¡¯t you see how helpless she is?!¡±


    James shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s an order and must be strictly followed. I¡¯ll prefer if you leave the dungeon whilst you can. You are outnumbered.¡±


    From the corner of ze¡¯s eyes, he glimpsed each Delta. They were bulky and specially trained for battles.


    Of course, if he was an Omega werewolf, he¡¯d be defeated easily.


    But he was a freaking Beta!


    Still, he was aware of how they could overpower him easily.


    He wouldn¡¯t give them the chance. He had fought with the strongest werewolves and came out victorious. Being in the presence of five werewolves meant nothing!


    ¡°Are you certain you can take us all down, Beta? You need to rethink!¡± James said.


    ¡°Bring it on!¡± ze snarled, crouching. His eyes darted here and there whilst calcting all that he needed to do.


    He was certain in less than an hour, he¡¯d be done and would be at Arabe¡¯s side safely.


    A few seconds passed as no one attacked, ze tilted his brows, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did you be paralyzed suddenly or all you¡¯ve got is mouth?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s alright,¡± James murmured. He stepped forward and dug his hand into his pocket, bringing out a golden key.


    He tossed it towards ze who caught it effortlessly. ¡°She¡¯s been calling your name.¡±


    ze¡¯s heart skipped a beat. His eyes darted back to Arabe then to James, before staring at the key with him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep watch. Discuss whatever you need to and I promise no words about it will get out of here.¡± James said.


    He narrowed his eyes at the four other werewolves and they each nodded before ncing at ze again.


    Of course, he had been wanting to go down for a fight. But he doubted it would be worth it.


    James wasn¡¯tfortable with Arabe in the state she was in and he didn¡¯t want to get punished for what he didn¡¯t know about.


    As dangerous as their Alpha was, ze was as well. He was a formidable opponent and he didn¡¯t want to get on his bad side.


    ze smiled briefly before walking gingerly towards the cage. His leg seemed somewhat heavy suddenly and he wondered if it was partly the magic in the room that made him feel lethargic.


    Or was it Arabe?


    He winced and gripped his side as he got nearer. Red walked around, whimpering. He had been muttering nonstop.


    At some point ze was tempted to yell at it to stop so he could concentrate but he restrained himself from doing so because he knew his wolf partly made him.


    Without his wolf, he was nothing. And him and his wolf being in disagreement could cause a lot of damage to not only him but to everyone around him.


    It was that way for all the werewolves.


    Although he had snapped too many times at Red, he still apologized.


    ¡°ze,¡±


    ze heard Arabe¡¯s muffled voice and he hastily inserted the key in the lock. Opening the door ajar, he stepped in.


    ¡°ze.¡±


    ¡°Hey, I am here. You¡¯ll be fine.¡± ze murmured over again. He didn¡¯t know if he was reassuring himself or Arabe.


    But he was certain one of them needed it.


    He gripped her bloodied hand and grimaced as he turned her over. Her face had blood covering it and she looked slightly pale.


    Brushing her pale hair out of her face, he stared into her dull blue eyes which looked distant.


    ¡°Stay with me, Arabe. You¡¯ll be fine.¡± He croaked out.This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    He wasn¡¯t sure she¡¯d be fine. She looked as though she had gone through hell and back. Maybe she did and he could imagine what Sandro had done to her.


    Welts covered her skin and her dress was torn. ze removed the jacket with him and wrapped it around her trembling body.


    ¡°Help me, ze, don¡¯t leave me to die.¡± Arabe whimpered, before going limp in his hand.


    ¡°Shit!¡± ze growled. He ced his hand on her neck, feeling for a pulse.


    It was faint. Too faint that he doubted she would make it.


    Heid her on the floor gently and used his jacket to cover her exposed skin. Brushing the hair out of her face, he stared at her for a few minutes.


    ¡°That son of a bitch is going to pay for putting you through this. I¡¯ll fucking make him pay!¡±

 Chapter fifty-four

    ¡°What do you want?¡± Janice asked as the door went ajar.


    ¡°I need your help,¡± ze mumbled. He leaned on the door for a few seconds, before walking into the room.


    ¡°Please.¡± He added seeing the re on her face.


    ¡°I¡¯m d you know I can be useful to you. Besides, I don¡¯t think I am willing to help you.¡± Janice said.


    She giggled whilst swiping at her phone screen.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Janice. For everything that I did to you and I¡¯ll do whatever you want. You need to help me.¡± ze begged, agitated.


    ¡°Is it about the witch?¡±


    He nodded and yanked at his hair in frustration.


    Janice sighed. She stood from where she sat and walked towards the window. Then walked up to him. ¡°I¡¯ll help you but with a condition.¡±


    ¡°That is?¡± ze tilted his head.


    Janice walked back to the centre of the room and stripped slowly, seductively. She grasped her breasts and licked her bottom lip before shing him a suggestive wink.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± ze frowned as she walked towards him slowly.


    Her hand syed on his broad chest, moving down slowly, she clutched his dick, squeezing hard.


    She let her eyes linger there before lifting them to meet him. ¡°Fuck me.¡±


    ze shook his head and nudged her, hard enough to make her move an inch from him.


    ¡°Fuck me, ze.¡± She said a little louder.


    Janice walked up to him yet again and shoved his chest. ¡°Fuck me and stop acting like a fucking coward!¡±


    ze let out a grunt and tugged her into him. He groaned inwardly as her breasts smacked his chest.


    His eyes narrowed at her. ¡°I¡¯m no freaking coward.¡±


    Janice snorted. ¡°Then show me.¡±


    She lifted herself on tiptoes and ced her lips on his.


    She teased his lips slowly, attempting to incite a response from him.


    He was freaking rigid! He didn¡¯t budge. She wondered what the bitch had done to him because the ze she knew was warmer than this.


    This ze seemed cold and freaking unreachable.


    Janice red at him and shoved at his chest but he didn¡¯t let her go.


    ¡°Screw you, ze. Screw the freaking whore you are willing to help. I know she¡¯ll be dead in no time and I¡¯ll be the first to celebrate when it happens!¡±


    ¡°Never!¡± ze growled.


    ¡°Yes and¡­¡±


    He cupped her face, his head dipped and he covered her mouth with his, shutting her up.


    Startled at the intrusion, Janice stilled in his powerful arms unmoving for a few seconds before her brain finally grasped what was happening.


    Shit! He was kissing her. Just like how she had imagined. Hot and frenzied.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    ze was fucking kissing her!


    She believed she got to fulfil her wish. Finally, she would get him to fuck her as well.


    ¡®Stop! She¡¯s not ours.¡¯ Red roared.


    ze grunted, shutting out his voice. Of course, he knew Janice wasn¡¯t his. And he fucking knew she wanted this for a while. But he had been brushing her off.


    He didn¡¯t see her as someone he could fuck.


    But he needed to do so now.


    Arabe¡¯s life was at stake and only Janice could help her and go against Sandro¡¯s will at the same time.


    Sandro was only lenient with Janice. ze believed he saw her as a little sister.


    However, she was the pawn he¡¯d be using to keep Arabe alive. He didn¡¯t mind her using him in return.


    He needed to save his mate. Yes, Arabe was his freaking mate.


    And he doubted life would be any meaningful without her.


    ********


    ¡°Darling.¡± Janice began. She caressed ze¡¯s back which was turned to her. ¡°Thanks for allowing me to feel you.¡±


    She moved toward him and wrapped her arms around him.


    She could do anything to experience the pleasure she had experienced a few minutes ago.


    Goodness, ze was amazing. She had imagined how he was going to be in bed and she was d she hadn¡¯t been disappointed.


    ¡°Please, stop.¡± ze rasped. She was beginning to make his skin crawl.


    To say he regretted fucking the whore was an understatement. Although it was the only avable option, he wished he hasn¡¯t done so.


    The urge to throw up surged through him and he pushed the thoughts down.


    ¡°Are you regretting what we have? I regret nothing and I¡¯d dly go again.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t happening again.¡± ze asserted. He stopped her hands that were caressing his body and got to his feet.


    Janice giggled. She loved seeing him furious because it made him look sexy. Not only that, it made her even want him more.


    As he got dressed, she watched him with appreciation in her hazel eyes.


    He was specially created and nevercked in all the appropriate areas. He was the biggest she had ever had and she didn¡¯t think she could lower her standard after him.


    ¡°I want more.¡±


    ze red at Janice as she bit her lower lip. She twisted her nipple and widened her legs to give him a view of her glistening pussy.


    ¡°That is not happening. You promised to help with only a condition and I did all of that. I expect you to fulfil your part of the bargain.¡±


    Janice rolled her eyes, ¡°You are a spoilsport.¡±


    She climbed down from the bed and snatched her clothes from the floor, donning them.


    Then she turned to him. ¡°What do you want me to do?¡±


    ze stared Janice in the eyes. He didn¡¯t know if he could trust her, despite all that she did and said about Arabe.


    But she was a better option than Thalia. He didn¡¯t want Thalia to say his ns to Sandro. She would cave in easily to him.


    Moreover, he believed he had the advantage over Janice. She liked him.


    ¡°Help me save her. I don¡¯t know how you¡¯d do so but help me with medications and all. She¡¯s almost lifeless. I want her to stay alive until I find a n to make Sandro get her away from there.¡±


    The thought of Arabe dying without him acting fast almost made him go mad. He shook his head, willing the thought away.


    ¡°I am not doing it because of her. It¡¯s all for you,¡± Janice said. ¡°And I hope she¡¯s worth all the stress you are putting yourself through.¡±


    Arabe was worth it. ze knew that. She was even worth a lot more and he wished he could give her all that she needed.

 Chapter fifty-five

    Janice walked into the dungeon. Her nose wrinkled and she nced around. No one was watching and she doubted anyone could see her.


    She had used a cloaking spell.


    Her grandmother¡¯s cloaking spell to be precise. What she didn¡¯t disclose to anyone when she arrived at the De Luca Vi was that she was from a long bloodline of witches.


    Her mother was a witch but Janice hadn¡¯t inherited the powers. However, she could make portions.


    She was lucky being from witches hade in handy else she¡¯d have had her heart ripped out by the Deltas she was now ring at.


    She rounded the corner mumbling ¡®dulce somnii''(Sweet dreams). She had read it from the old spell book She brought along with her while on the run and she tossed some Matricaria chamomi she ground into power in the air. She watched as each Delta fell to the floor one after the other.


    ¡°Not even the strongest of you can fight it.¡± She murmured.


    She could have been affected as well but she had used an immune spell beforehand.


    Walking towards the huge cage, she stared at Arabe.


    She grimaced as she glimpsed her shivering body as well as the bruises which were turning purple on her pale skin.


    Janice saw her mouth move but she didn¡¯t know what she was muttering.


    But as she moved closer, she heard her.


    ¡°You can¡¯t seem to do away with him even in your sleep, Desperate bitch.¡±


    ¡°ze,¡± Arabe muttered, thrashing around. ¡°Help me.¡±


    ¡°Fuck you, girl. I am the one here trying to help you but you call on him. He¡¯s mine!¡±


    The urge to press her hands around her slim neck filled her. But she couldn¡¯t do it. ze was going to kill her.


    Janice knelt next to her and brought out the elixir. It was a healing elixir. She had taken the time to make the portion just for her. Although the mixture she made was mostly for supernatural creatures that didn¡¯t have the ability to heal by themselves and it was always instant. For humans like Arabe, it would take some while before shees around.


    But, she¡¯d be alive. That was all that mattered, she believed.


    Janice dumped the content in her mouth and watched her convulse.N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    A smile briefly yed on her lips as she imagined her dying afterwards. But she grimaced knowing how potent the portion was.


    After a few seconds, Janice knelt by an unconscious Arabe and gripped her wrist to check for a pulse.


    She heaved a breath as she realised she was not dying anytime soon by ze¡¯s hand.


    Arabe was going to live.


    Walking out of the room again after she was done, she bumped into James.


    James groaned, he creased his brows and swiped at the sweat on his forehead before staring at Janice.


    ¡°What the fuck are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°Shit!¡± Janice muttered. Her disguise had worn off but she was just realising it now. The spell she used in cloaking herself had a limited time usage but all thoughts of that had flown out of her mind.


    ¡°I said what the fuck are you doing here?!¡± James growled. ¡°Are you not an Omega and why the hell are you here and not part of the maid working?¡±


    Janice rolled her eyes, before shing him a wide smile. ¡°My friend is in here. I came to check on her.¡±


    ¡°The Alpha said she is allowed no visitors!¡± James scowled. ¡°Why the hell do we have blockheads here?¡±


    ¡°I only came to see if she is alive because I heard the news a while ago and she is the only one I got as a friend.¡± Janice sniffled.


    She wiped at a lone tear she forced out of her eye.


    ¡°And you expect me to believe that shit? What the hell did you do that I did not see you going in.¡±


    Her second approach didn¡¯t work, Janice mused. But she was not out of ideas.


    ¡°Why will you ask a helpless innocent-looking girl that? I can barely take you on much less¡­¡± She trailed off as her eyes wandered to the others who had joined him.


    ¡°I can barely take five of you on. You must have been upied and didn¡¯t notice me passed by.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have let you even get near the entrance,¡± James said, walking towards her menacingly. ¡°The Alpha said no visitor and is there something you¡¯d like to add to your cock and bull story?¡±


    Shit! Nothing was working. Right now, she could get herself in trouble if she didn¡¯t find a way to run and James did not look like a person who could easily be deceived.


    ¡°Start talking.¡± He murmured, closing in on her.


    ¡°I am sorry for going in without your knowledge, but I have far more pressing issues to attend to.¡± Janice rushed out.


    She shoved James with all her strength and darted to the left before any of the Deltas could react.


    ¡°See ya.¡± She said, sprinting out of the room.


    ¡°Fuck, get that bitch and get the words to the Alpha!¡± James thundered.


    ¡°Yes, sire!¡± They said, scrambling out of the dungeon.


    *************


    ¡°Janice!¡±


    ¡°Where are you little bitch?!¡±


    Janice sighed. She ran a hand through her hair as she heard Sandro call her over again.


    Words must have gotten to him and she could care less.


    She had been hiding since she left the dungeon for fear of being taken by the Deltas. James especially was deadly and she didn¡¯t know what the pervert might do to her.


    Again, she was indoors because of Sandro. She believe his not seeing her would make his anger dissipate. But she didn¡¯t think so.


    He sounds furious and almost like he was going to kill her the moment he got to the room.


    Booting her door, he strode towards her.


    ¡°Why the hell did you do it?¡±


    Janice shrugged. ¡°Because I wanted to.¡±


    As much as she loathed Arabe, she believed the bitch deserved better and if she had a proper n she would help her escape.


    Sandro was fucking cruel. Too cruel.


    But he wasn¡¯t human and she wasn¡¯t surprised about his questionable character.


    Janice stood to her feet and did a little stretch. She attempted to walk past him but he held her back and shoved her to the nearest wall.


    ¡°Taking you as a family or not, I can kill you. I am your Alpha and each of mymands should be obeyed!¡±


    ¡°And I chose not to. You can kill me now since it¡¯s in your power.¡±


    Seeing the hesitation in his eyes, Janice snarled, ¡°Kill me, Sandro. Fucking kill me!¡±

 Chapter fifty-six

    ¡°Kill me, Alessandro. That is what you do best, right? To prove how almighty you are!¡± Janice said, riling him further.


    Sandro grunted, releasing his grip from her. He walked to the window side and towards her again.


    His eyes narrowed as he stared at her. ¡°Why can¡¯t I kill you? We are not even rted!¡±


    ¡°And even if we were, I¡¯ll never forgive a sibling for betrayal. None will ever betray me.¡±


    ¡°You should know the world doesn¡¯t revolve around your arrogant ass and people are free to say whatever they want.¡± Janice shrugged. She rubbed at her neck and let out a wince. Despite the fact that he was not holding her anymore, her neck still hurts.


    Sandro stared at her for a long time. He had a soft spot for her. No doubt. Each time he gazed at her, he recalled the bruised girl that had been running from her father.


    He recalled her tear-stained face and the tattered dress showing partly her body.


    He had helped her after perceiving she was a werewolf and had thought he¡¯d help her with making her abilities better by joining the pack.


    She seemed better though and he didn¡¯t regret it. But she did the opposite of what he wanted. Each fucking time.


    He was always tempted to kill her and at the same time, he had stopped himself several times from doing so.


    ¡°Why did you do it? Why did you help her?¡±


    ¡°I felt her pain,¡± Janice murmured. ¡°As the empath wolf I am, I couldn¡¯t watch her suffer.¡±


    Sandro narrowed his eyes at her. He let out a slow breath but it did nothing to calm his raging nerves.


    ¡°Get out.¡± He murmured. ¡°Before I lose my fucking mind.¡±


    Janice shrugged before walking out of the room.


    As soon as she was out, she ced her hand on her thumping chest. She puffed out two breaths and shook her head.


    To say she had been frightened of Sandro was an understatement.


    She had assumed he was going to kill her. He looked furious.


    Moreover, she was d she had not slipped because she¡¯d gotten ze in trouble if she had done so.


    Walking slowly towards her room, she halted by the door and stayed for a while before making her way towards ze¡¯s room.


    She tapped on it softly before letting herself in.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± she eximed, as she glimpsed the naked torso of ze. Janice reddened and turned almost immediately, shutting her eyes.


    ze sighed. He wrapped the towel with him around his lower body before walking to the wardrobe. He flung it open and brought out a dark blue denim and slipped it on.


    ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°Can I turn?¡± She asked. She licked her bottom lip as she wondered if he was decent enough for her to look at him.


    Janice wasn¡¯t sorry she had walked in on him and definitely was not sorry she had seen him naked.


    A blush tinged her cheeks as she recalled their passionate moment the day before.


    She swirled after a moment and her eyes went downwards. She realized he was clothed and she let out a disappointed sigh.


    ¡°What do you want Janice?¡±


    Janice snapped out of her thoughts and flushed again.


    ze tilted his brows. ¡°Did youe in here to ogle me?!¡±


    ¡°I wish. But no.¡±


    ze let out a breath. He was relieved. This day, he found her attitude weird and since he fucked her yesterday she had even be weirder.


    It irritated him, but there was nothing he could do about it.


    ¡°Sandro caught me.¡± She said, walking further into the room. ¡°The idiotic leader of the Deltas reported me to him.¡±


    ¡°What did he say to you?¡±


    ¡°Sandro?¡± As ze nodded, she continued. ¡°He said he¡¯ll kill me if I do anything he didn¡¯t want and James promised to kill me as well.¡±


    ¡°He won¡¯t.¡± ze said.


    ¡°Of course, I know that. What¡¯s our next n?¡± She asked.


    Our n? ze rolled his eyes. He wanted to tell her off that there was no n going on between them.


    He had gotten what he wanted and Arabe¡¯s recuperation was what he hoped for.


    He wanted her to be healthy and moved away with the n he had in mind. The n he wasn¡¯t sure would work and was foolproof enough.


    ¡°We have no ns together.¡±


    Janice frowned as she stared at him. ¡°What do you mean we had no ns together? I mean it was to resuscitate an obviously dying Arabe. What did you n to do next after she recovers?¡±


    ¡°Janice¡­¡±


    ¡°Do not tell me you used me to get what you wanted.¡± Her eyes narrowed at him. As he didn¡¯t say a word, she scoffed.


    ¡°I should have known. I was acting delusional whereas you had other ns for your stupid witch!¡±


    ¡°Janice¡­¡± ze said. His voice had a ting of warning but she didn¡¯t care.


    She was furious. He had used her and acted as though he was interested in her. But she should have realized he wasn¡¯t!


    It was ringly obvious.


    She was freaking blinded by lust.


    ¡°Should I undo what I did?¡± Janice asked. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I went all out for h¡­¡±This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    ¡°You fucking promised!¡± ze thundered, nudging her to the wall.


    ¡°Of course!¡± She shouted back. ¡°It wasn¡¯t until I knew you were using me to get what you wanted.¡±


    ze grimaced. He stepped away from her and brushed a hand through his hair. ¡°See Janice, I am sorry. I appreciate your help and all¡­¡±


    ¡°Screw you, ze. Stop freaking appreciating my help!¡±


    ¡°Then what do you want from me?¡±


    ¡°I want you,¡± Janice said. ¡°I want you for myself.¡±


    It sounded absurd and the urge to burst outughing surged through him. But he suppressed it and stared at her serious face. ¡°Are you serious about this?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± She scowled.


    ¡°There are a lot of men you can be with, Janice. I¡¯m not a good man for you. You should know that.¡±


    ¡°I do not care.¡± Said Janice. ¡°Just be with me and I think all will be fine.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry but I¡¯ll have to reject your offe¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say it.¡± Janice snapped. She walked up to him and gripped his shirt. ¡°I¡¯ll give you time to think about it. Don¡¯t just ignore me for too long.¡±


    With that, she left the room.


    ze grimaced. He must have been sending mixed signals to her. And he believed he made it worst by bedding her.


    Yet, he knew nothing was going to happen except she want to be his casual sex partner. But then, he doubted he¡¯d like to fuck her again.

 Chapter fifty-seven

    Arabe rolled to her side and let out a wince. She opened her eyes slowly.


    For a few seconds, she tried to recall where she was as she stared at the iron cage that surrounded her.


    She sat up straight and her eyes collided with arge dog which stood a few feet from her.


    It snarled, and its golden eyes glinted.


    Arabe cowered and hugged her knees to her chest as it prowled towards her. She breathed out, staring down at her body. Her lower lip trembled as she glimpsed the weals that covered her skin.


    Then, she recalled all that had happened.


    Sandro had been nice to her, only that all had been a ruse. He had used her and discarded her as though she was garbage.


    Not only that, he had left her to die!


    Arabe thought she¡¯d die until she felt a presence. She believed it was Janice.


    She had been in the room with her whilst she was unconscious but then she wasn¡¯t sure as she remembered Sandro telling the guard to allow her no visitors.


    Also, she had caught a glimpse of ze. The leather jacket draped around her says she didn¡¯t imagine himing.


    He had indeede for her and she wished he was with her in the dungeon at the moment.


    At least, he¡¯d chase the dog looking at her as though she was a delicious meal it couldn¡¯t wait to eat.


    Staring at the dog that snarled at her again, it didn¡¯t look like an ordinary dog. It was just like the one she had seen back at ze¡¯s house.


    But then, she didn¡¯t know what species she could ssify it under.


    If she wasn¡¯t mistaken, it looked more like a wolf than a dog.


    She heard footsteps and she sat up straight. The dog was also alert and it sprinted out of the dungeon first.


    Arabe heard several yelling and wondered what could be happening until she saw ze burst into the room with blood dripping from his chin and hands.


    He wiped his hand on his jeans and used a handkerchief to wipe his face before moving towards her.


    ¡°What happened?¡± She asked. Her eyes widened as she glimpsed his once dark-brown eyes, glowing golden.


    ze gripped the lock on the gate and yanked on it, ignoring her question.


    ¡°ze!¡± Arabe said, a little louder.


    ¡°Be quiet!¡± He growled.


    It sounded inhumane and frightened the fuck out of her.


    Arabe lurched as the lock gave way after he pulled on it several times.


    He stepped into the cage and gripped her hand, pulling her out.


    ¡°What is going on?¡±


    ¡°Be quiet and follow me.¡± ze rasped. His eyes moved around therge room.


    Arabe nodded. She didn¡¯t know what to ask him and she felt he¡¯d get mad at her if she kept on asking as he told her not to.


    She followed him through the shortcut and not the main building.


    She didn¡¯t know where they were going but she believed it was the escape he had in mind.


    Arabe slipped into the Audi as ze opened the door for her and he started the ignition, driving away into the night.


    *******


    The journey wasn¡¯t a short one and Arabe was sick throughout.


    ze had pulled over several times so she could throw up.


    Although he knew stopping was dangerous, there was nothing he could do.


    Also, he didn¡¯t think any of his pack members were on his trail.


    He had taken out the Deltas on watch and that was the only danger he saw.


    ¡°ze.¡±


    He turned briefly to Arabe before ncing back to the road.


    ¡°I know you have a lot of questions to ask me but I think that can wait tillter. I need to get you to safety and you need a lot of rest¡­¡±


    ze trailed off as he heard her sniffle.


    He furrowed his brows, staring at her tear-stained face. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s wrong? Do you feel any pain? Do you want me to pull over?¡±


    Arabe shook her head. She bit her lower lip as it trembled. He was doing too much for her. Despite how dangerous it was, he didn¡¯t care.


    She shook her head as the image of him being caught and tortured to death surfaced in my mind. She didn¡¯t want to think about what would happen to him and she prayed he¡¯d always be safe because Sandro was a beast.


    A freaking beast and he didn¡¯t care about who he hurt.


    ¡°Why are you crying?¡± He asked again.


    ¡°Just thinking about all that you do. I don¡¯t think I deserve all the help you have been showing to me.¡±


    ze¡¯s hand tightened around the steering wheel and he red at her. ¡°You deserve everything and more. Wait till I get you to safety.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s dangerous, ze. I mean, Sandro is deadly and I am a ve of his. I do not think he¡¯d be happy about my escape.¡±


    ¡°Let Sandro be damned!¡± ze snapped. ¡°I don¡¯t care about what he thinks. I can¡¯t watch him kill you slowly.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll get hurt¡­¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± He interrupted. ¡°No more words about this and none of us are getting hurt. Just focus on where we are going, any positive things and not Sandro.¡±


    Arabe nodded. Even if she didn¡¯t want to think about Sandro, one way or another, his thoughts often slipped into her head. She didn¡¯t know why.


    But ze was right about her being positive. And with ze, she believed she¡¯d be more than positive because that was only the energy that surround him as far as she was concerned.


    He gripped her hand and squeezed. ¡°I don¡¯t enjoy seeing you in pain.¡±This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    Arabe¡¯s eyes stayed on him for a few seconds before she smiled. She sped his hand, and let their fingers intertwine.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± She mumbled, slouching into the chair. ¡°I won¡¯t forget this.¡±


    ¡°Of course, you won¡¯t,¡± ze murmured to himself as her eyes fluttered. After all, they were mates and helping her was the least he could do.

 Chapter fifty-eight

    ¡°This seems fresh. It must have happened a few hours in the night.¡± Francis said, assessing the blood he had collected from the traces in the dungeon.


    Sandro knitted his brows and brushed his hand through his hair. ¡°Who was on duty?¡±


    ¡°Jules, Daisy, the twins-Brad and Benson.¡±


    ¡°What were you doing?¡± Sandro murmured.


    James trembled. He shifted from one foot to another. ¡°It was my day off.¡±


    ¡°I said what the fuck were you doing?!¡± Sandro growled.


    Francis and James, who were closer to him, flinched.


    ¡°You were busy fucking the bitch?!¡±


    ¡°N-No!¡± James sputtered, shaking his head. ¡°I was on medication, and I was told to rest for a while.¡±


    ¡°Shit!¡± Sandro grunted, kicking at the cage.N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    ze burst into the room, and he frowned. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Janice told me about a jailbreak.¡±


    ¡°The whore is gone.¡± Sandro rasped. ¡°She fucking left, and whoever did rescue her will rue the day he or she was born.¡±


    Then his eyes strayed to James, ¡°Gather the Deltas; we are going on a search.¡±


    ¡°Come, we need to talk.¡± He said, eyeing ze.


    ze watched as he strode out of the room. He heaved a breath and brushed his hand through his hair.


    He was d he wasn¡¯t suspicious. No one had suspected him. After dropping off Arabe at his newly acquired house in Lumina, a city that was 3 hours from Cooan, he drove back immediately, and he resumed his post even before everyone came awake.


    He was d that Arabe was saved from Sandro¡¯s wrath, but he wondered for how long.


    ¡°I am somewhat happy she escaped. At least, she will find peace.¡±


    ze heard Francis murmuring before leaving the room.


    At least he wasn¡¯t the only one that had her interest in mind. He believed they were scared of Sandro and couldn¡¯t express themselves.


    ******


    ¡°She¡¯s the rose.¡± Sandro tossed a picture toward ze.


    ze stared at the picture for a long time. Aside from her being a brte, if he hadn¡¯t been with Arabest night, he¡¯d have sworn she was the one in the picture with him.


    They were simr. It was only the hair that seemed different.


    ¡°Are they twins?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Not that I know. I was shocked as well.¡± Sandro said, staring at the picture once more.


    ¡°Do you have a n in order?¡± ze frowned.


    ¡°Kidnap her and bring her here.¡± Sandro asserted.


    Walking towards the loveseat, ze sat down. ¡°Why do you make it sound so easy? Isn¡¯t she always holed up in the house?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s going on a trip alone, which made it somewhat easy for us.¡±


    ze nodded. ¡°That makes sense. When is the operation starting?¡±


    ¡°In a week. That is the 23rd of this month.¡± Sandro replied.


    ze nodded again and stood to his feet.


    ¡°Wait.¡± Sandro halted him. He scrutinised him for a few minutes.


    ze¡¯s gaze didn¡¯t wander away. He stared back and raised his brows. ¡°Is there any more information?¡±


    ¡°Did you notice something was off yesterday? I mean, any movement?¡± Sandro asked.


    ¡°I was at Lane and on patrol.¡±


    Sandro sighed, he was hoping he¡¯d catch a slip from him. He didn¡¯t know if ze helped Arabe escape, but he suspected he had something to do with it. He seemed somewhat calm. But ze had always been quiet.


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask anyone on patrol and, in the meantime, wait for the result from the Deltas,¡± Sandro said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll watch it too. I don¡¯t believe Arabe left by herself. I am convinced she didn¡¯t know anywhere around the vi.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the point.¡± Sandro let out. ¡°Someone helped her leave. They will be the first I punish when I find out. No one betrays me and goes free.¡±


    ze shrugged before leaving a distraught Sandro. He wasn¡¯t scared of the threat that poured out of his mouth, and he honestly wouldn¡¯t let anyone catch Arabe.


    Not while he was still alive.


    *********


    ¡°Why do I feel you know about what is going on?¡±


    ze rolled his eyes as Thalia stepped to where he sat on the couch.


    ¡°What are you not telling me, big brother?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing. And I don¡¯t know what you are talking about.¡±


    ¡°I think you do,¡± Thalia said. ¡°I know when you lie, Cole. You should know you can¡¯t hide anything from me. So, where are you keeping her?¡±


    ze shook his head. He didn¡¯t think Thalia would let him be. Although he wasn¡¯t telling her what she wanted to hear, he just wanted to be left alone.


    ¡°I¡¯m keeping her nowhere, and I don¡¯t know what is going on. I¡¯d prefer you stop trying to bug me because it¡¯s pissing me off.¡±


    Thalia opened her mouth to speak, but no words came off.


    ze saw her eyes narrow, and he traced her line of vision to the door.


    Janice stood there, her arms folded across her chest, and she red.


    Thalia did the same, and he let out a groan.


    ¡°Is Sandroing to this party as well?¡± ze questioned as Janice walked in.


    Thalia wrinkled her nose. ¡°How about we seeter? Being in the bitch presence makes me want to hurl.¡±


    ¡°I can say the same for you, whore.¡± Janice flung at her retreating form.


    She turned to ze as soon as Thalia left. ¡°Sandro came to me.¡±


    ¡°He threatened me to say where Arabe is because I helped her, and he promised to kill me if I say nothing about her whereabouts.¡±


    ¡°He won¡¯t do shit to you. You know nothing about what¡¯s happening and only help a friend.¡± ze said firmly.


    ¡°Only that she¡¯s not my friend,¡± Janice muttered. Then, she stared at ze thoughtfully. ¡°Did you help her escape?¡±


    ¡°Why would you think such a thing? My loyalty is to this pack, and there¡¯s no way I can betray Sandro.¡±


    Janice breathed out. ¡°I just wanted to know, and I don¡¯t think you can do such as well, even if you are hardheaded.¡±


    ze nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll handle Sandro, and he won¡¯t bother you. However, we must find where Arabe went before Sandro decapitates all of our heads.¡±


    ¡°Good, I can¡¯t keep trying to dodge him. He almost pulled out my heart.¡± Janice winced, recalling how he had pped her chest and threatened her to tell him the truth.


    ze stood to his feet. ¡°I was going on patrol before you came.¡±


    Janice stood as well and walked toward him. She wrapped her arms around him before he could react, and she rested her head on his chest.


    ¡°I¡¯m d she isn¡¯t here. At least, you¡¯ll be more focused on me and not on her.¡±


    ze grimaced but said nothing. He didn¡¯t like how she could easily switch from being concerned about a friend to being flirty with him.


    It was disturbing, and he doubted he¡¯d ever make her leave him alone.


    ze gently peeled her arms off him after a while and strode out of the room with her following behind him.


    He was sure of one thing; he¡¯d never love Janice even if he didn¡¯t know where Arabe went. He would never feel anything for her.

 Chapter fifty-nine

    ¡°I think we lost her trail.¡± ze let out. His eyes moved around therge hall, and he stared at each of their solemn faces before letting his eyes stay on Sandro. ¡°Did you find something?¡±


    ¡°I found nothing except for a damned ripped dress.¡± Sandro recognised the dress with him. He had ripped it whilst he forcefully had his way with her. He tossed the ruined material to the floor, and his gaze darkened.


    ¡°What is the development on her whereabouts?¡± His gaze stayed on James before going to ze.


    ¡°I think we are a bit toote,¡± ze said. ¡°But, I already sent out the other members to search thoroughly for her, and I am sure before noon, new information about her will be gotten.¡±


    ¡°Very well,¡± Sandro nodded. He wasn¡¯t satisfied with the news, but that wasn¡¯t his main focus.


    He had other pressing issues, and killing Arabe was thest thing he¡¯d like to do. ¡°We have a far more important thing at the moment, and I¡¯d like the Gammas to pay attention.¡±


    Kendall, the leader of the Gamma, stood to his feet.


    ¡°We found the Rose, and you all know her significance. I do not need to mention that again.¡± Sandro paused.


    He stared at each member before he continued. ¡°We are going on a mission. And I doubt I am the only one aware of this. I know other Alpha werewolves and mafia bosses will send their strongest members to search for her. She¡¯s leaving, and we need to get to her before anyone else does.¡±


    ¡°What do we need to do, Alpha?¡± Kendall asked.


    ¡°Good question.¡± Said Sandro. ¡°The five strongest in your team, bring them out, and so should other team leaders do the same.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that too much for a powerless girl? I mean, that will be he suspicious if we try acting normal, and we might get in trouble.¡± Janice let out.


    ¡°Of course, we are not going for her at once. It is to be on alert in case a rival gang or pack opens fire on us.¡± Sandro grin.


    He thought of the n he had carefullyid out; it was foolproof, he believed that. He could smell their victory already.


    ¡°But I feel it¡¯s too many for someone as small as she is,¡± Janice murmured.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Francis said. He leaned forward. ¡°She won¡¯t be going alone and imagine some powerful supernatural creature were seen with her? I heard the family had histories with Vampires. Those creatures are their protector, so I doubt Miss Delicate Rose will be walking alone.¡±


    ¡°Well, if that is the case, it makes sense then,¡± She said.


    Her attention snapped back to Sandro.


    ¡°Soon, this will be the most powerful pack, and we will take over the world.¡±


    Janice grimaced. She didn¡¯t like the glint in Sandro¡¯s eyes, and somehow she wished they could be stopped by someone or anything.


    *********


    ¡°I hope this works,¡± Janice murmured. She gripped the moon-shaped pendant of the ne she donned and shot a nce at ze.


    Goodness, she was fucking nervous. She wished he was closer to her. A hug from him would have assured her that everything would be fine.


    But she could only stare at him where he was huddled near James in the shrubs.


    Rubbing her mmy palms against the stone-washed boot-cut jeans she wore, a bright smile formed on her face as she hurried down the road.


    She gasped, halting in the centre of the road and her eyes rounded as a car sped towards her.


    ¡°Perfect,¡± she murmured. Her body trembled slightly, and her heart palpitated. However, she didn¡¯t move from where she stood.


    Her eyes widened more, and her mouth hung open. She was convinced that was the best expression of shock.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    The car halted before it mmed into her, and Janice keeled over.


    ¡°Good acting.¡± ze chuckled, observing what was going on.


    He knew Janice could pull it off better than Thalia, whom Sandro had wanted to use.


    ¡°When are we going to attack?¡± Jake, a delta, asked through the transmitter.


    ¡°On my order.¡± Said, ze.


    His ears perked up as he listened to what was transpiring between Janice and the bulky man that had stepped down from the car.


    ¡°It is ady, and I do not think we hit her. But, she seems to be in shock.¡±


    ¡°On three,¡± ze murmured.


    The door to the passenger opened, and he glimpsed long legs sporting bright red heels, then creamy skin and a red hat atop dark brown hair.


    ¡°T¡­Two¡­¡± ze faltered as he glimpsed the face of thedy.


    Except for the curls on her hair and the slightly darker skin tone, he could have sworn he was staring at Arabe.


    Her blue eyes twinkled as she slipped out of the dark sses she had donned. And her full lips twisted in a wry smile as though being held up by someone insignificant was thest thing she wanted.


    Her picture didn¡¯t do her justice. She even looked more like Arabe than he thought.


    And he was literally ogling her and couldn¡¯t seem to look away.


    ¡°Beta¡­¡±


    James¡¯ voice snapped him out of the daze he had been in.


    Delicate Rose was hot but ogling her wasn¡¯t part of the n. He pushed the thoughts of her being simr to Arabe out of his mind and turned to James. ¡°We attack now.¡±


    James nodded, slipping out of the hiding ce. He darted towards the car in thepany of four other Deltas.


    ze heaved a breath as they knocked out all her guards quickly without his interference. Then, he led Delicate Rose back to the car.


    Janice sprinted towards him, and he frowned as he glimpsed the rmed look on her face.


    ¡°We need to fucking leave here!¡± She shouted.


    ¡°Why? And yes, we¡¯ll be on our way soon since we capture her already.¡± ze said.


    ¡°I do not care about her!¡± Janice red. ¡°The people that were knocked out are mere humans, and the real escorts(Vampires) are on the way. Not only that, but I heard another mafia group was on their trail!¡±


    The hair at the back of ze¡¯s neck prickled. He felt it. They were near, and she wasn¡¯t lying!


    ze gripped Janice¡¯s hand and dashed towards the cars, mming each open door shut.


    ¡°Leave. Do not fucking stop, and make sure to lose each trail following you.¡± James nodded, and without questions, he turned the ignition driving off.


    He climbed on the motorbike he hade on and handed Janice his helmet.


    ¡°Wear this and hold on to me as tight as you can. I¡¯m exceeding the speed limit, and do not worry; I¡¯ll be as careful as possible.¡± He added as she shivered.


    Janice did as he told her and held on to him as he drove out of the lot.

 Chapter sixty

    The journey back to the De Luca Vi could have been thrilling for Janice as she was getting one of the wishes on her bucket list.


    To be on ze¡¯s bike.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    But she barely enjoyed it as she asionally nced back to see if the rival gangs were pursuing them.


    Not only that but too many times, she had screamed at him to slow down as he was going too rough. It was a wonder she arrived home in one piece.


    She rolled on her bed for a few seconds before standing. She stepped out of her room and walked towards ze.


    Her hand moved to knock but halted as she heard voices from within.


    ¡°ze and Sandro,¡± She furrowed her brows as she wondered what they were discussing.


    The sound was low, and she was a low-ranked werewolf. There was little she could do with her enhanced hearing.


    Her sense of hearing wasn¡¯t developed like the higher ones. Moreover, she was not trained to use it properly as well.


    Janice concentrated whilst attempting to strain her ears to know what they were discussing, but it was futile. She stood by the door for a while until she got exhausted and left for her room again.


    *******


    ¡°What next? The Rose is with us, and I am d it didn¡¯t create an uproar.¡± Sandro asked.


    ze nodded. The only problem the Deltas encountered were some of the convoys(humans), and they had dealt with them.


    ¡°Go on with whatever you intend to do with her. I assume you brought her here to start with the creation of the battalion.¡± ze said.


    Sandro heaved a breath and smirked. His eyes twinkled and then darkened almost immediately as the thought of Arabe wandered into his mind.


    He didn¡¯t know how, but the Delicate Rose reminded him of Arabe. It wasn¡¯t just a reminder, she looked like Arabe¡¯s twin, and he didn¡¯t think it was possible for anyone to look so much alike without being rted.


    ¡°Perhaps, they are doppelgangers.¡± ze asserted.


    Sandro¡¯s eyes snapped towards ze. He didn¡¯t know he had said his thoughts aloud.


    ¡°Doppelganger? I hope not.¡± Sandro mumbled.


    Thest time a doppelganger was mentioned was 100 years ago. Heck, the previous replica literally stabbed themselves with an enchanted sword from a powerful sorceress to erase their history, as it was said they were a harbinger of bad luck.


    They bring dooms to their loved ones, and at the end of the day, they cause despair and all evil things.


    Sandro didn¡¯t believe they were doppelgangers. Those never existed anymore. But how sure was he? He mused, staring at nothing. ¡°We¡¯ve never met with a real doppelganger, and I don¡¯t think the myth about them is right. I mean¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll say it is for Arabe. She¡¯s doomed.¡± Thalia cut in. ¡°She is a freaking pain in the rear, and I am d she isn¡¯t here anymore.¡±


    Sandro red at her, and she shrugged. As much as he loathed Arabe, he wanted her here. Not because he was beginning to feel something he believed was his confused wolf doing, he still desired to kill her.


    Arabe made him feel all forms of emotion, ranging from fury to weird feelings he couldn¡¯t describe.


    Or maybe, it was because of his wolf¡¯s attraction to her that made him develop some strange feelings.


    ¡°I agree with you,¡± Sandro said, nodding towards Thalia.


    ¡°I¡¯ll like to disagree,¡± ze murmured.


    Thalia shot him a knowing look, and Sandro rolled his eyes.


    ze didn¡¯t think Arabe was doomed. Although everything he felt towards her was stillplicated, he believed being in her presence more would help him know what it was.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what you think; the bitch is cursed.¡± Thalia let out.


    ¡°Just because you detest her doesn¡¯t make her cursed. You can be cursed as well. Who knows?¡±


    Thalia scowled. For a moment, she forgot Sandro was in the room with them, and she gripped a cushion and flung it at him.


    ¡°Screw you, Co¡­¡±


    ¡°Gross, no,¡± ze interjected as she was about to slip out his name.


    ¡°Yes, no!¡± Thalia scrunched up her nose and faked a gag.


    She realised the trouble she¡¯d have put them in. Again, even if she did say his name, she¡¯d have denied she was speaking to him.


    But knowing Sandro, he would keep prodding to understand what it was.


    ¡°Both of you make me sick,¡± Sandro said. He stood to his feet and stepped to the door.


    ¡°The ritual is starting in a fortnight. All members of the pack should be present.¡± He said before turning to Thalia. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Thalia rose to her feet and let him step out. She turned to ze and flicked him in the head.


    ¡°What was that for?¡± ze red at her.


    ¡°For trying to make our cover blown. And thank you for intervening.¡± She shed him a bright smile before rushing out of the room.


    ze sighed as he reclined back on the chair.


    He stared at the ceiling and shut his eyes. The fortnight the ritual was starting, he had nned to be with Arabe throughout, but the n was ruined.


    Then again, he had a n B, only that it would get longer until he saw her again.


    He wondered how she was doing. Thest time he had seen her was after dropping her off.


    He didn¡¯t want people to see him with her always; that was the reason he had kept his distance.


    But he still watched over her. She was doing even better than he imagined, and he hoped she¡¯d keep doing better until Sandro forgot about herpletely.


    He believed only then would they have the kind of life he nned for her.

 Chapter sixty-one

    Arabe furrowed her brows as she stared at the screen of her phone. She had been doing so for a while but couldn¡¯t think of the reason.


    She sighed whilst leaning against the wall, and her eyes snapped shut, and then she opened them again.


    Her ears perked up as she heard the sound of a motorcycle and rushed to the window.


    Her eyes rounded as ze climbed down from it, and a smile formed on her face.


    She hadn¡¯t thought he wasing.


    After pleading with him thest time he visited, a week after he dropped her off, ze told her he¡¯d be leaving her for some while as he had a mission to attend to.


    Arabe didn¡¯t know what the mission was, and she never bothered to ask him about it because she was sure she¡¯d never get an answer.


    She stayed by the window for a while and moved away to the door as he strode towards the building.


    The door flung open almost immediately, and Arabe gasped.


    She wondered how he could climb the five flights of stairs easily.


    He wasn¡¯t even breathing hard.


    Yet she didn¡¯t mind. All that mattered was she was seeing him.


    She hurried towards him without thinking and engulfed him in a warm embrace.


    ¡°ze.¡± She mumbled, cing her head on the slope of his neck.


    ¡°I¡¯m d you missed me.¡± He chuckled.


    Momentarily, he released her from his embrace and stared into her eyes.


    ¡°I miss you too.¡± He said seriously, and his eyes scrutinised her.


    Arabe flushed. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you wereing.¡±


    ¡°It was meant to be a surprise. I guess the sound of my motorbike ruined it.¡±


    She nodded. ¡°I am d it does because I don¡¯t think I¡¯llst longer if you decide to show up at the door unannounced. It¡¯s been creepy heretely.¡±


    ¡°Care to enlighten me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been seeing things, or maybe I am imagining them.¡± Sheughed.


    ¡°Seeing what?¡± ze asked. He yanked off the gloves in his hands and tossed them on the bed before cracking his knuckles.This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    Arabe shrugged. ¡°Just some funny things, and I always assume someone is following me. I don¡¯t know. Also, I have been seeing strange lights and dogs everywhere.¡±


    ze¡¯s ears perked up at the mention of dogs. He sat up straight and frowned. ¡°What do you mean by dogs?¡±


    ¡°I mean, they look like dogs, but I doubt it. I see them from the windows of my room and whenever I go out. Luckily, I don¡¯t get followed. I think it¡¯s because of the light. They seem to be repelled by it.¡±


    Strange light, dogs¡­


    It wasn¡¯t adding up. ze didn¡¯t understand what was happening.  But somehow, within him, he knew something awful would happen soon.


    Also, he presumed the dogs weren¡¯t actually dogs but werewolves, and he didn¡¯t understand why he hadn¡¯t noticed.


    Perhaps, when he left, they often appeared.


    ¡°I¡¯m d you are here. I feel a lot safer.¡± Arabe said. She sat beside him and stood as his stomach growled.


    ¡°Geez¡­¡± ze grumbled. A blush tinged his cheeks, and he shook his head.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I cooked nothing. I didn¡¯t know you wereing.¡± Arabe moved to the kitchen ind.


    ¡°Never mind, it¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll be fine.¡± He murmured, rubbing his stomach.


    ¡°It¡¯s not,¡± Arabe said. She raised herself on the ball of her feet and opened the top drawer. She brought out a cereal box and ced it on the counter.


    ¡°Fortunately, I have this.¡± She grinned, pouring enough cereal into a te and cing it in front of ze with a carton of milk beside it. ¡°I don¡¯t know how you like your cereal. You should prepare it yourself.¡±


    ze wasn¡¯t hungry for cereal. He wanted something else, like blood and raw flesh.


    It had been a while since he fed on animals. He had stopped the first time he met Arabe.


    He didn¡¯t know the reason, but he was sure his wolf, Red, made him stop.


    ¡°Hey¡­¡±


    ze jerked as Arabe nudged him. ¡°Your mind seems far away, and what¡¯s that look on your face?¡¯


    ¡°What look?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Like, you are not happy being here, ¡± Arabe said.


    ze rolled his eyes and gripped her hand. He pulled her forward and made her sit on hisp. ¡°I have no such look on my face.¡±


    ¡°You did.¡± Arabe flushed. She nced away, not because he was staring at her, it was due to his hand currently drawing circles on her back.


    She bit her lip as her heart raced. She wondered if ze could hear the sound of it.


    Arabe noticed a smirk forming on his gorgeous face, and she smiled at him.


    Her hand itched to brush off the hair that fell at the side of his face and the worry line that appeared on his temple.


    Then her eyes moved lower, and she stopped when they got to his lips.


    Goodness, could he be any hotter?


    Arabe felt hot suddenly, and she sucked in a deep breath. A frown etched on her face as his tongue slipped out to moisten his lips.


    His soft lips, she recalled how they had perfectly fitted hers the first time they kissed.


    Her cheeks turned red, and she heaved a breath. She would embarrass herself if she didn¡¯t stop looking, but she couldn¡¯t help it.


    ¡°I won¡¯t stop you as well,¡± ze mumbled.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t staring at you!¡± Arabe blurted. She stood abruptly from hisp and stepped away from him.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say you were.¡± ze chuckled. He raised his brows, ¡°I think you are trying to confess something to me. What were your thoughts about?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± She murmured.


    ¡°That¡¯s definitely nothing.¡± ze said, walking towards her.


    Arabe prepared to run, but he gripped her hand, pulling her into him.


    She felt him move backwards and didn¡¯t realise they were close to the wall until her back smacked it.


    ¡°ze.¡± She murmured, her eyes flickering to him.


    ¡°Call me, Cole.¡± He rasped, tilting her chin.


    Arabe let out an inaudible moan. She licked her lips, closed her eyes and opened them again.


    ¡°Cole.¡± She whispered. It sounded foreign, but she knew she needed to get used to it as it was his name.


    Also, she somewhat liked it.


    ¡°Damn it,¡± ze muttered. He leaned into her and whispered. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°For wh¡­¡± Her words were cut off as his mouth closed on hers.


    Arabe gripped his shirt and pushed herself to him.


    She was startled, but she was expecting it. She threw caution to the wind and gave herself to the kiss.

 Chapter 62

    ¡°ze¡­¡±


    ¡°Cole,¡± He let out, teasing her lips.


    ¡°Cole,¡± Arabe murmured. She wound her hands around his neck and pushed herself into him.


    ze grasped her backside, squeezing, and her eyes rolled into her head at the warm sensation that flooded through her.


    Arabe felt her centre dampened with her juice, and she wanted more.


    She pushed ze until he was sitting on the couch, and she sat straddling him.


    She yanked off her clothes, leaving only her bra on, and kissed him.


    ze knew he should stop. If he didn¡¯t, he might do something he¡¯d regret.


    But he couldn¡¯t bring himself to do so.


    His hands moved into her hair, and he groaned.


    Arabe¡¯s hand moved to the back of her bra to unhook it as she believed it was causing more obstruction. She wanted to feel ze¡¯s body on her.


    She wanted him to touch her. And he seemed to be hesitating. She took the initiative and didn¡¯t stop, as he didn¡¯t stop her.


    ¡°Wait.¡± ze peeled his lips from her, gripping her hand. ¡°Don¡¯t.¡±


    Arabe furrowed her eyebrows, ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Arabe asked, blinking away the haziness in her mind created by the kiss.


    ze let out a groan and gently removed Arabe from hisp. ¡°You might regret what is about to happen.¡±


    He didn¡¯t want her. He didn¡¯t! If he did, he would never give an excuse.


    Arabe had assumed it was time for him to do what she wanted; she didn¡¯t know he was more reserved than she thought.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    And she was mad at him. He was fucking rejecting her, Albeit indirectly.


    It was still rejection.


    ¡°Are you implying I am too forward?¡± She asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not saying that. I¡¯m just saying we should take things slowly. I do not want to force you.¡± ze said. He seemed frustrated suddenly.


    ¡°You are not forcing me,¡± Arabe said slowly, whereas what she wanted to do was the opposite.


    She wanted to snap and rave at him that she wanted it, which was why she was letting it happen. But she doubted ze would see reason.


    ¡°Hey¡­¡± ze began, but she cut him off.


    ¡°Suit yourself,  ze.¡± She stood from the chair and pped his hand that moved to grip hers.


    ¡°Arabe.¡±


    Arabe made a beeline to the bedroom, ignoring his call.


    ¡°Shit!¡± ze let out. ¡°I fucked it up, right Red?¡±


    ¡°You did,¡± Red growled. ¡°You don¡¯t say that to a woman that feels the same way as you and not your mate. You should mark her and think about the consequencester!¡±


    Red was right in some sense, but he couldn¡¯t do it. Arabe needed to know what was going on if he wanted to have her as his.


    He was keeping too many secrets from her. He believed starting by telling her some of the things he was keeping from her would be better.


    ze stood and moved towards the door.


    A whileter, he stood observing Arabe curled up on the bed.


    He watched her for a few seconds, and as she didn¡¯t move to gaze at him or yell that he had left her alone like earlier, he assumed she was sleeping.


    ¡°Cole¡­¡±


    ze halted in his tracks as he heard his name. He nced towards the bed and realised she was staring back at him.


    She leaned forward, and her eyes bored into him.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were awake.¡± He said, walking towards her.


    Arabe sat up straight and shrugged. ¡°I didn¡¯t know I could stay awake thinking about irrelevant things.¡± She muttered thest part of herself.


    But ze heard her. He sighed, brushing a hand through his hair. ¡°See, about earlier, I am sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to¡­¡±


    ¡°Save it! ¡± Arabe snapped. she held out her palms And shot him a re. ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about it.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± ze mumbled.


    He didn¡¯t know why she was mad at him. He was only trying to protect her.


    ¡°Perhaps, she needs no protection from you. You are the least dangerous person to her, and she is your mate.¡± Red said.


    Frustrated, ze gripped his hair. Before stepping towards her.


    Despite the scowl on her face, he walked towards her and sat on the bed.


    As soon as he did, Arabe sat up and climbed from the bed. She tightened the rope of the robe around her and gripped a pillow before making her way out of the room.


    ¡°Wait,¡± ze said.


    Arabe ignored him and stepped towards the door.


    ze stood abruptly and whooshed to the door, clutching her hand before she could grip the handle.


    He yanked her backwards and pushed her against the wall. ¡°I told you to fucking wait.¡±


    ¡°And I chose not to!¡± She yelled, attempting to yank her hand away from him.


    ¡°I said I am sorry!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear about it!¡± She shot back. ¡°And let me go; I do not want to be in your presence right now.¡±


    ze grimaced, but he didn¡¯t let her go. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°You irk me.¡± She gritted her teeth.


    ¡°Stop acting like a child, Be. I didn¡¯t want to take advantage of you. that was why I stopped; else, I want you so bad. I want to fuck you and make you mine! But I don¡¯t want to have you forcefully.¡±


    ze paused. He let out a breath and inhaled, which he regretted as Arabe¡¯s scent wafted into his nostril, invading his sense.


    ¡°I want you, Arabe, but I don¡¯t want to be Alessandro. Perhaps, I am a hypocrite if I try to act better than he is. But believe me, I didn¡¯t intend to brush you off.¡±


    ¡°Prove to me you want me.¡± Arabe challenge. She gripped his shirt and stood on tiptoes, ¡°Make me a woman, ze. I want you to do everything you have in mind without holding back.¡±


    ze sucked in a deep breath. His mouth moved closer to her. ¡°Are you certain about this? I can¡¯t stop if it happens.¡±


    Arabe nodded. ¡°I am certain.¡±


    And she watched as his once toffee eyes darkened and then turned golden. She couldn¡¯t nce away from them.


    ¡°Then, I am not holding back.¡± He growled, tugging her into him.


    Arabe gasped and smiled as his lips closed on her once more.


    Her body melted into his, and she let his mouth do the magic it was doing on her.

 Chapter 63

    ¡°Are you sure about this?¡± ze asked for the umpteenth time.


    Arabe nodded. ¡°I am.¡±


    He released his grip on her and assessed her with hooded eyes.


    She gasped as he hoisted her in his arms suddenly and strode to the enormous bed. And then, gently, heid her on it.


    ¡°Tell me to stop if I am hurting you. I don¡¯t want¡­¡±


    ¡°You are not hurting me,¡± Arabe said, cutting him off.


    He was already too gentle. Yet, she wanted him to go as rough as he could.


    Nevertheless, she liked how he was going slowly, although teasingly.


    ¡°Shove me when I am going too fast, and I¡¯ll stop.¡± ze rushed out.


    And then he flushed. He was hot, freaking too hot. He wondered if it was Arabe¡¯s semi-naked body that was for his view alone or the way she was staring at him that made him feel that way.


    Still, he couldn¡¯t back down. He didn¡¯t want to act macho, and at the same time, he didn¡¯t want to act like a coward.


    Of course, he was scared of hurting her, but he doubted he would not stop when she tried to stop him.


    He had self-control. He reminded himself, but within him, he knew his self-control would never work on Arabe.


    She made him act crazy. Her scent drove him over the edge, and now her body was doing the same.


    Arabe glimpsed the worried look in his eyes. She believed he questioned his ability to stop. And she wondered if there was any way he could hurt her more than she had been by Sandro.


    After all, she was no longer a virgin. The word was at the tip of her tongue, but she halted herself. She thought of how it¡¯d sound to him.


    ze was fucking a used product. That was what it seemed to her. But did that matter? Perhaps, not to him.


    To her, it did. She wished he was her first.


    ze helped her out of her clothes, and his lips connected with hers again.


    Arabe moaned into his mouth, gripping his hair and wrapping her long limbs around his midsection.


    ¡°Fuck.¡± ze groaned. His dick bulging in his pants.


    He had barely done what was in his mind, and he was about to burst already.


    The feel of Arabe¡¯s body on his was driving him crazy. Her satin skin, her intoxicating scent and her mouth¡­


    Fuck.


    ze halted as Arabe¡¯s hand moved to his pants. She undid his zip, and her hand slipped into his jeans.


    He flushed, and his eyes strayed to her face. He glimpsed a blush on her cheeks, and he shook his head.


    Pushing her hand out of his pant, ze raised them above her head.


    ¡°Why?¡± Arabe furrowed her brows. She breathed in sharply as ze took a pointed nipple in his warm mouth.


    He kissed the tip and bit on it before licking.


    Arabe twitched and groaned as his free hand caressed her breast before he began sucking again.


    ¡°I want you in nothing.¡± She scowled, gripping his shirt as soon as he released her hand. ¡°It¡¯s unfair I am in nothing, whereas you are fully clothed!¡±


    ze pped her hand away yet again, and he stood to his feet.


    ¡°What?¡± Arabe shot out of bed, ignoring her bare body. ¡°Are you stopping already?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± ze murmured. He undid the top button of his shirt. ¡°I¡¯m just starting.¡±


    Arabe creased her brows as a smirk formed on his face.


    ¡°What¡¯s that look?¡± She murmured, biting her lower lip.


    ¡°Come here,¡± ze murmured, and she did. ¡°You look hot when you do that.¡±


    ¡°Do it again.¡± He gripped her chin and nted her face.


    ¡°Do what?¡± She asked, licking her lip.


    ¡°Bite your lip.¡± He said.


    Arabe bit her lower lip and giggled as she heard him groan.


    ze stared at her thoughtfully and murmured. ¡°I want you to be my submissive.¡±


    Arabe nodded meekly.


    She knew what he was talking about and was d he had even asked her. Whereas Sandro¡­


    She pushed his thoughts out as ze led her back to the bed. He sat her down and squatted to her eyes level.


    ¡°As I said, if I am going too fast, you should tell me to stop. There are rules, but I won¡¯t want to go into the details for now. I want to get inside of you as soon as I can. I sense you are ready for me.¡±


    Arabe mped her legs as her juice nearly licked out of her pussy.


    She nced at him as he went on.


    ¡°Say green for me to go faster and not stop. Call me Cole to stop me from hurting you. Is that cool by you?¡±


    Arabe nodded again.


    ¡°Good.¡± ze grinned. ¡°I think that is what you need to know.¡±


    He pulled a ck fabric from his back pocket and waved it in her face. ¡°I¡¯ll use this to blindfold you, to limit your vision, and I¡¯ll like minimal noise. It can be distracting when you talk.¡±


    Arabe gripped her thighs as he closed her eyes with the fabrics. Her centre dampened as his hand went to her nipple, tweaking it.


    ze pushed her to the bed, spreading her legs wider than usual, restraining her. She was sure it was handcuffs she felt around her legs and used them to restrain her, including her hands.


    She wondered if all men were that way; they used all forms of bondage tools on women. Sandro had done the same thing to her over again. All were without her consent, and she had thought he was punishing her for being defiant and didn¡¯t know it was part of the sexual practice.


    Arabe believed she was that naive.


    Yet, she wouldn¡¯t say she entirely loathed everything she did with Sandro, but he hasn¡¯t given her a chance to feel a thing.


    He had made her feel used, dirty and like garbage. He had tossed her around like dirt and whipped her until she was almost lifeless countless times.


    But ze was the opposite of him.


    ¡°ze?¡± She murmured as she didn¡¯t feel him by her side. The bed dipped, and she gasped as she felt something cool between her thighs.


    ¡°Not a word.¡± He growled, his hand moving inward.


    Arabe writhed and frowned. At this moment, she wished she had seen what he was doing.


    But she could sense what it was without even seeing it.


    He was currently rubbing an ice cube in her centre.


    Fuck.


    It was cold and delicious.


    He brought the cube to her mouth a secondter, and Arabe murmured, ¡°Am I to lick it?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± ze muttered.


    She licked on the cube and flushed as she tasted herself.


    ze¡¯s senses were heightened as he watched her suck on the cube and his thumb. His dick pulsated in his pants.


    After a while, he discarded the cube and gripped her legs. Pulling her up, he buried his face in between them.


    Shit!


    Her scent.


    ze thought it was the strongest up, but the down even packed more, and he couldn¡¯t move away.


    He was hypnotised and practically drugged with it.


    ¡°Mark her already!¡± Red growled.


    ¡®Not now.¡¯ ze growled back.


    He wanted to taste her, to fuck her before he could think of staking a im on her. He desired to wash every bit of Sandro¡¯s way from her system.


    He didn¡¯t tell her that, and he presumed he need not. Mentioning Sandro¡¯s name might ruin the moment, but he was trying to cleanse her and, not only that, remove the ridiculous mark he had ced on her.


    ¡°What the fuck are you doing, ze? You should fuck¡­¡±


    ¡°I said not a word!¡± ze growled, pping his hand over her mouth.


    Arabe gasped as his hand slipped into her. He tilted her back with his palms and kneaded her backside whilst licking her pussy.


    She arched her back at the feel of his tongue and teeth on her.


    Shit.


    She was going to orgasm. She couldn¡¯t hold it in as she had wanted to.


    She curled her toes as her legs spammed and bit down on her lip as a scream threatened to burst out of her throat.


    ¡°Just release it.¡± ze said. And she did.


    She let out a loud shriek, calling his name as she came.


    ¡°You are so loud.¡± Heined.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Arabe panted, exhausted. She tried rxing but doubted she could as it seemed he was starting.


    He gripped the blindfold from her eyes. ¡°I want you to stare at me when I fuck you.¡±


    ¡°That sounds hot,¡± Arabe whispered. Her voice was hoarse.


    ¡°Just do as I say.¡±


    She nodded and watched him strip out of his shirt slowly.


    She was tempted to dash out of bed and shred his clothes out of his body, but she was still restrained.


    She was impatient and didn¡¯t think he would waste more time having her.


    ze joined her back on the bed. He stroked his dick for a while before nestling himself in her centre.


    He didn¡¯t plunge inside immediately; he stayed by the entrance of her pussy and stared at her face.


    The many emotions that passed through it. Ranging from curiosity, need, lust and many more.


    He enjoyed seeing all of them, and he wanted to see more.


    Arabe moved her waist slightly, and his dick, still in her entrance, slipped into her.


    She clenched her hands whilst trying to amodate him.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    He was big. Fucking big but not like Sandro, whose dick seems as though it would rip her into two anytime, he slipped into her


    Perhaps, she shouldn¡¯tpare both men; she couldn¡¯t help it.


    ze let out a grunt as he shifted inside of her.


    Arabe moaned as he thrust wildly and even rougher. She snapped her eyes shut and opened them when she felt a grip on her neck.


    ¡°I told you to watch me.¡± ze said.


    Arabe¡¯s eyes rounded as he continued gripping her neck. But his hold was not tight, and she wished he could tighten it. She was enjoying it.


    She was enjoying the pain, and she wanted more.


    ze¡¯s mouth went to her ear, and he grunted, ¡°Don¡¯t ever give this pussy to anyone.¡±


    Arabe blushed.


    ¡°Understood?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡± She stammered.


    Arabe whimpered as ze drove in and out of her swiftly over again. She couldn¡¯t hold it in any longer.


    ¡°I¡¯ming, shit, I am fucking¡­¡±


    ¡°Come for me, darling.¡± ze thundered.


    Arabe cried out in ecstasy as she descended from the highest cliff ze had driven her to. And a whileter, ze found his release.


    *********


    ze¡¯s eyes flickered to the ceiling, then back to Arabe. It was the best sex he had had in a long while, and he seemed insatiable.


    He wanted more, but she needed rest.


    He didn¡¯t want to make her unconscious.


    ze had seen she was on the verge of slipping into unconsciousness. It was the reason he had pushed himself towards his release, whereas he could keep going.


    He removed the handcuffs from her hands and legs, and Arabe scooted into him.


    ¡°I love you,¡± Arabe whispered.


    Startled, ze stilled. He waited a while to hear her giggle, but he heard snoring instead.


    She had proimed her feelings and drifted off. Who did such?


    And she loved him? He doubted, but he believed waiting for her to exin her feelings would be better. At the moment, he doubted that was what she felt for him.

 Chapter 64

    ze trudged down the stairs slowly. His nose wrinkled as the smell of French toast and scrambled eggs wafted into it.


    He glimpsed Arabe in the kitchen, with only his shirt on. And he stayed by thest step for a while, observing her in his shirt, which was reaching her thigh.


    It was fucking hot, and the urge to bend her over to see if she had anything underneath filled him.


    ¡°Shit, you scared me!¡± Arabe jumped as soon as her eyesnded on his.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you¡¯d look this hot wearing my shirt. Perhaps, I should get more of it for you?¡± walking towards her, he gripped her waist, kissing her neck.


    ze turned her as he realised she was naked in it. His eyes darkened briefly, and he let out a groan.


    ¡°Why the fucking temptation? You are making me have nasty thoughts of you bent over the countertop.¡±


    ¡°How about you do it?¡± Arabe said. She bent herself, showing him the pretty view of her naked ass and shaved pussy.


    ze chuckled. He smacked her backside and cupped her pussy which incited a moan from her. ¡°Perhaps,ter.¡±


    ¡°A quickie won¡¯t hurt,¡± Arabe mumbled.


    She turned in time to see him shrug.


    Arabe was disappointed; she had thought he would fuck her from behind. She was embarrassed as well for giving herself off in that manner.


    A sigh escaped her lips as she watched him disappear into the bathroom. He came to her a whileter and tugged her into him.


    ¡°We can do a lot of things togetherter. What do you think about that?¡± His lips trailed soft kisses down her neck.


    Arabe shivered as he stopped just before her corbone, and she clutched his arms, steadying her trembling legs.


    ¡°Make it worth it.¡± Arabe groaned. His hand kneaded her butt, and she jumped into his arms.


    Despite catching him unaware, he caught her.


    Moving her towards the counter, he ced her on it and cupped her face.


    ¡°Please, fuck me, ze.¡± She needed him to do exactly what she said, but it looked impossible.


    It seemed he only wanted to make out.


    ¡°So impatient,¡± ze whispered, kissing her again.


    He undid the shirt¡¯s top button on her, pulling it off her.


    His eyes darkened as they stayed on her creamy flesh. Goodness, she was fucking beautiful, and he could watch her forever.


    She was perfect. He wondered if the moon goddess had made a mistake as he believed no woman was perfect as this was his.


    ¡°Please.¡±


    ze grunted as he heard her pleading voice. He wanted all that she wanted.


    His hand moved from her waist to her shoulder. He let her wrap her legs around him, and he pushed her gently. As soon as her back hit the cold tiled wall, he cupped her breasts.


    ¡°These are perfect,¡± He said, tweaking her pink nipples.


    He bent and took a pink tip in his mouth.


    Arabe moaned, and her body shuddered. ¡°Fuck ze!¡± She whispered, pushing her hands into his hair.


    ze didn¡¯t stop. He continued sucking on her nipple one after the other before trailing kisses downward. He stopped at the junction between her thighs and sighed.


    His eyes flickered to her face as he gripped her legs.


    Arabe flushed as his gaze centred on her pussy. It was weird, and she didn¡¯t feel the need to cover herself from him. Instead, she opened her thighs wider, and her hand yed with his hair before going to her pussy.


    ¡°Stop.¡± ze rasped, gripping her hand. His eyes narrowed at her. ¡°You are so naughty!¡±


    ¡°Only for you.¡± Arabe¡¯s cheeks turned red, and then she added. ¡°Are you eating me up already, or do you want to stare at me all day?¡±


    ze chuckled. He was somewhat astonished. But he was d she wasn¡¯t all that naive. ¡°Your boldness this day is startling.¡±


    She shrugged. The truth was he made her feel bold. She had no reason to be afraid while with him. She believed ze could take a bullet for her. Perhaps, she was overthinking. But then, she was aware he cared for her at least.


    He cared enough to help her escape the monster.


    Arabe shivered as the thought of what Sandro was doing surfaced. Also, the poor soul who¡¯d be taking all the punishment she was supposed to.


    ¡°Should I stop?¡± ze asked.


    ¡°Why?¡± She frowned.


    ¡°You looked lost in thought. I don¡¯t want you thinking about something or someone else while I am inside you.¡±


    Arabe sighed. She pushed him gently and jumped down from the counter. Although she wouldn¡¯t admit the reason she was thinking, the thought of Sandro made all the desire in her dissipate.


    Even in his absence, he could make her fear him.


    She turned as ze came to stand behind her. Thetter gripped her waist and leaned in.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°I am,¡± Arabe said and shed him a tight-lipped smile.


    ¡°Although I don¡¯t know you well, I can tell you are lying, darling.¡±


    ¡°Maybe I am.¡± She shrugged, wrapping her arms around him. She felt the need to do so.


    She wanted to feel his warmth, which worked as he embraced her.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t want to tell. I won¡¯t force you to.¡± ze said.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± She mumbled.


    She stayed in that position until he led her to the sofa and sat her down.


    They stared at each other for a while before ze cleared his throat. ¡°I¡¯ll be out for a week.¡±


    ¡°What? Why?¡± Arabe narrowed her eyes at him. She pouted, crossing her arms across her chest.


    She had earlier epted she wouldn¡¯t see him all the time, but Arabe wished she could spend more time with him until he disappeared again.


    She knew he had jobs to take care of. And it was better he went so it wouldn¡¯t be suspicious he had connections with her disappearance. But¡­


    ¡°Well, we found Delicate Rose.¡± He said.


    Arabe remembered the night Sandro punished her. She never knew what she did until ze told her the reason he had been nice to her and also punished her and left her to die.


    It was because she wasn¡¯t Delicate Rose. It was a relief she wasn¡¯t since Sandro had nned many nauseating things to do to her. The more she thought about it, the more she felt like throwing up.This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    ¡°What¡¯s she like?¡±


    ¡°I have a picture here with me,¡± ze mumbled. He didn¡¯t think describing her would do her justice.


    He ced the picture in front of Arabe. He glimpsed the amazement on her face.


    ¡°She looks just like me,¡± Arabe mumbled, her eyes widened, and her mouth went agape as she red at the picture.

 Chapter 65

    Arabe studied the picture with her for a while before staring at ze with all seriousness in her eyes. ¡°Did you meet her?¡±


    ze nodded, taking the picture back. He gazed at it as well before staring back at Arabe.


    It was unnerving.


    ¡°She looks like me?¡±


    ¡°A lot like you.¡± ze said. He gripped her hand and drew tiny circles in her palm. ¡°You look paler, and she has shorter hair. She can easily be mistaken for you, and she is not blonde.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s amazing.¡± Arabe breathed out. ¡°I never knew I¡¯ll see someone who looked exactly like me, and if it weren¡¯t the circumstance at hand, I¡¯d have loved to meet her.¡±


    ze nodded. It would be great if they could meet each other. He heard when long-lost twins met, something weird often happened.


    Perhaps, it was all that was needed for Arabe and Alessia(The lookalike name) to encounter each other.


    It would have been earlier and saved Arabe some pain if they had been aware of her existence.


    ¡°So, what are you doing for two weeks? I mean, are you trying to get acquainted with her?¡±


    ¡°Some ritual ising up¡­ A werew¡­.¡± ze caught his slip, and he coughed.


    ¡°What kind of ritual?¡± Arabe asked.


    ¡°A gangster ritual.¡± He mumbled. A grimace escaped his lips as she nced at him. He wondered if she wasn¡¯t buying his lie.


    But that was all he could do to keep her from guessing and from harm¡¯s away. As much as he was ready to disclose all to her, he couldn¡¯t.


    ¡°Wow, it is my first time hearing that. And she is the bait?¡±


    More like a sacrifice. ze said to himself, but he nodded and smiled. ¡°It is always bloody, and it a good thing you won¡¯t be present.¡±


    ¡°I guess,¡± Arabe mumbled, and her mind went To Sandro again. She forcefully shoved back the thoughts and concentrated on staring at ze.


    Her eyes wandered away from his low fade haircut to his angr face and beautiful lips.


    She licked her lips as they stayed on them for a while and jumped as she felt his hand on her.


    ¡°Do you n on seducing me?¡± ze murmured. His voice had turned husky.


    ¡°No, why will you think that?¡±


    ¡°Well, that is how I feel.¡± He gripped her hand and moved it to his pants.


    Arabe blushed as her hand felt his erection. He was hard and straining against his pant.


    She stared at him and noticed the grimace on his face. ¡°Does that hurt?¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°But, I want to fuck you right now.¡±


    ¡°You decided not to.¡±


    ze chuckled. ¡°I did not decide¡­¡±


    ¡°Then why the hell did you stop earlier? I didn¡¯t want you to be the good guy. You can be the bad guy with me, and I¡¯ll still prefer you over him. Beside¡­¡± She scooted and sat on his leg, straddling him.


    Her hand cupped his face, and her lips moved to the corner of his mouth. ¡°You should fuck me while you still have the chance.¡±


    She licked his earlobe and bit on it gently. Her hand moved into his hair, bringing his face close to hers.


    Bold and Daring, Arabe thought as she kissed him hard and fast.


    Then abruptly, she stopped as he was about to deepen the kiss.


    She climbed down and bent, showing him a nice view of her backside.


    ¡°Shit,¡± ze grunted, ring at the hard-on and then at the smile on her face.


    She dared look innocent after seducing him.


    He yanked her back as she was about to leave and pulled her back onto hisp.


    ¡°You are such a tease.¡± ze said, tucking a strand of her beneath her ear.


    ¡°Does that mean I got to you?¡± She asked, a coy smile on her face.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    His eyes narrowed. ¡°Was that your intention?¡±


    Arabe shrugged. ¡°If that is what you think.¡± She moved to leave, but he held her back.


    His hand caressed her face. ¡°That is how I see it.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Before she could respond, his mouth locked on her.


    He kissed her hard and long, releasing all his pent-up frustration of wanting her and trying to restrain himself in the kiss.


    Arabe moaned, and as her mouth opened. ze used the opportunity to slip in.


    She grinned and adjusted on hisp as she felt his dick pping her ass.


    ¡°I can¡¯t imagine what you do to me.¡± ze let out a breath. ¡°I feel addicted to you.¡±


    Arabe doubted that. He had only epted her advance yesterday, and she didn¡¯t think that could be an addiction. Perhaps, he was trying to be nice to her.


    Regardless, she didn¡¯t mind. She wanted ze, and he was giving her what she requested.


    ********


    A whileter, Arabe turned on the vast bed, moaned, and her eyes fluttered against her cheeks.


    She opened her eyes slowly and murmured, ¡°ze¡­¡± Turning to where he slept, she jerked as she saw no one.


    Arabe patted the part he had slept on, and she sighed as it felt cold to her touch.


    ¡°He left.¡± She mumbled. ¡°He left without a proper goodbye.¡±


    She gritted her teeth and climbed down from the bed. Walking to the window, she parted the curtain and strode to the nightstand to pick up her phone.


    Unlocking it, her hand was on ze¡¯s contact. Although she knew calling him was thest thing she should be doing. Anyone could pick up the phone, and she would implicate him.


    However, she believed he wasn¡¯t that careless to leave his phone wherever he wanted.


    Her eyes strayed to the nightstand, and a note caught her attention. She was far too pissed with him and didn¡¯t see it. She strode to it and picked up the note.


    ¡°I know you¡¯ll be furious. Don¡¯t be and don¡¯t miss me too you. Important errand, and I couldn¡¯t wait to say a proper goodbye, but I did kiss you, and you clung to me until I left.¡±


    ¡°Idiot,¡± Arabe muttered, giggling. She read the note over again and sighed. It was better than nothing, and her anger vanished quickly.


    Plopping on the bed, she stared at the ceiling and then ced the note on her chest whilst imagining what he was doing at the moment. Likewise, she hoped the week went by quickly as she couldn¡¯t wait to see him again.

 Chapter 66

    ze breathed out. It was taking longer than it should have. He had been sitting in the same spot now and waiting for Sandro to stride out of the room to begin the ritual.


    But he wasn¡¯t anywhere to be found. ze doubted if he was in the room to begin with.


    He stood on his feet and walked towards Sandro¡¯s room but halted as the door went ajar.


    Sandro strode out with Alessia in front of him, and he shoved her.


    Instinctively, ze dashed forward and crouched to help her up.


    He flushed, realising she was not Arabe. For a second, he had assumed Alessia was.


    He helped her up all the same and turned.


    ze brushed a hand through his hair and pinched the bridge of his nose.


    ¡°Do you have feelings for her as well? Fuck¡­ How many girls in the pack are you interested in?¡± Sandro glowered.


    Arabe alone. That was the statement on the tip of ze¡¯s tongue, but he stopped himself from blurting it out.


    ¡°I¡¯m interested in no one.¡± ze shot Sandro a re.


    ¡°Then, stop acting all touchy,¡± Sandro said.


    ze shrugged and moved aside.


    He followed Sandro to where the ritual was to be held, just a few distances from the main building.This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    As soon as they arrived, Sandro stepped towards the centre, where arge pentagram was drawn, and a huge table was stationed in it.


    Then ze stepped towards Sandro, standing closely behind him and ignoring Janice, who was trying to speak to him.


    Janice had been doing that all day, and he had ignored her on purpose.


    Also, she had tried several ways to get his attention despite knowing he wasn¡¯t interested in speaking to her.


    She had freaking made people tap him and even purposefully yell out his name.


    ze rolled his eyes again, concentrating on Sandro.


    The great witch present, Brianna, waved her hands in the air, and ze shivered.


    He couldn¡¯t see what she did, but he felt it. Aside from having a big role to y in the ritual by sealing the blood and making it potent, she was to cast a protective spell around the forest area to prevent other creatures from invading them.


    And she wasn¡¯t the only one. They were about ten of them, and they had been in the pack from day one, but they were always behind the scene.


    Now that the pack was assuming its identity, all the subgroups had alsoe out.


    Sandro cleared his throat and brandished a gleaming knife in the air.


    He chuckled, gazing back at Alessia. She had a blindfold on, and her mouth was gagged. She had tried screaming earlier, and he ordered her to be gagged.


    Sandro saw the fear on her face and chuckled again. ¡°We are gathered this night¡­¡± He paused and gazed up at the sky.


    The moon was full, just what he wanted. He inhaled deeply and let it out slowly, enjoying the frigid night air as it wafted his hair around his face.


    ¡°We are gathered this full moon to have our usual ritual; however, tonight is a tad different.¡±


    The pack members nodded, and Francis leaned in. ¡°He¡¯s enjoying all that is happening.¡± He grimaced, ncing from Sandro¡¯s face to Janice.


    ¡°He¡¯s a sick bastard. He only derives joy whenever people get hurt.¡± Janice said.


    Francis nodded, agreeing with her. He had noticed that and had thought it was merely a mood swing.


    It was worst than that. Francis believed he was Bipr.


    ¡°Tonight marks the end of our weakness and the beginning of our strength.¡± Sandro continued, ignoring the murmurings.


    The crowd cheered.


    ¡°We will take back what is ours and fight off our oppressor.¡±


    Sandro gripped Alessia¡¯s hair and ced the knife by her neck.


    ze winced. His wolf, Red, did as well. It was almost as though he could feel her pain. He frowned, gazing at her.


    ze believed he should feel nothing. But for some reason, he wanted to whisk her away from Sandro and everyone.


    Was that normal?


    He possibly couldn¡¯t have two mates. He didn¡¯t feel the familiar prick on his skin, nor did her scent unfurl some desire in him as Arabe¡¯s did.


    He cleared his throat, halting Sandro midway as he was about to swipe the knife. ¡°Are we killing her? I thought the purpose was to take her blood alone¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop interrupting me, ze.¡± Sandro snapped. ¡°Of course, I am not killing her.¡± He removed the knife from her neck and pierced her finger instead.


    He stuck the IV line in her vein after sucking from her thumb.


    His eyes gleamed as he watched the blood from her mixed with his in the IV bag.


    ze frowned. ¡°How long will this be for? She looks as though she¡¯ll pass out anytime from now.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care if she passed out, and if you care so much about her, I¡¯ll advise you to leave because shit is getting real soon,¡± Sandro said.


    Fuck you, Sandro. ze gritted his teeth. He clenched his fists but did nothing. He stayed by Sandro, watching the blood leave Alessia¡¯s hand slowly until she even Gaullepassed out.


    ze was d she did. At least he didn¡¯t need to stay and watch her struggle.


    Unfortunately, she was alive. He wishes she died from the blood drainage.


    ¡°She¡¯s strong,¡± Sandro said. He tapped his chin for a few seconds before shaking his head.


    ¡°Take her to the infirmary.¡± Sandro stared at the medics and beckoned to Francis. ¡°Keep an eye on her. No visit allowed for her, and if you are willing to die, you should let her go.¡±


    Francis nodded and, at the same time, shook his head in negation. ¡°I promise to watch her always and refuse anyone a visit.¡±


    ¡°And oh, you can allow Janice. She will not dare betray me.¡± He said and strode out of the opening.


    Janice grimaced. ¡°He hates me. Why do I keep doing all the dirty jobs?¡±


    ¡°I do dirtier work than you. You shouldn¡¯tin because all you do is pick clean clothes and their food.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t ask you to be a medical doctor!¡± Janice red at him.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t ask you to be born an Omega as well.¡± Francis flung back.


    As much as he wanted her, he was tired of her nagging. She did nothing in the pack. She fucking gets away with most of the thing because Sandro forgives her.


    Yet, sheins.


    ¡°Do not talk to me!¡± Janice shouted in his face. She shoved him, storming towards the house.


    ¡°Shit.¡± Francis gripped at his hair and tugged. He moved to run after her, but ze pulled him back. ¡°I messed up, didn¡¯t I?¡±


    ze shrugged. ¡°She¡¯lle around. Just let her be in the meantime.¡±


    Francis nodded and nced back at Janice. He could barely see her anymore, and he hoped she woulde around, as ze said.


    He couldn¡¯t live with keeping silent around her. And he doubted she¡¯d want to talk to him at the moment as she seemed pissed.

 Chapter 67

    Janice scowled as Allesia came awake. Thetter jerked and darted to the door, yanking on the doorknob violently.


    Alessia¡¯s huge blue eyes rounded, and she panted.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you still have the energy to run after all that happened. What exactly are you?¡± Janice asked.


    Alessia shivered. She stared at the door and then at her hand. They were shaky and pale.


    She recalled all that had happened and how she had been dragged to the forest opening by a man named Sandro.


    She creased her brows as she tried to remember if she had heard the name before, but she got no recognition.


    Alessia turned to the ebony-skin petite redhead in the room and assessed her. She tilted her chin and tapped the pocket of the ck pant she donned.


    Thankfully the pepper spray she always carried around was still with her.


    Her mama had told her about the creatures roaming in Cooan on her first visit, as she had never lived here. She had been away at the convent school and decided to visit her family instead of letting them visit her as they always did.


    She believed that to be a change, but it had been a mistake; she shouldn¡¯t have visited. At least she¡¯d be asleep in herrge warm bed.


    The redhead jumped down from the bed and smirked. ¡°If I were you, I¡¯lle back to bed. Don¡¯t think you can escape. A lot of people tried but failed.¡±


    A lot of people have tried? Alessia¡¯s head reeled. Were they dead? She couldn¡¯t tell if the redhead was bluffing and intended to make her afraid. But she was doing a great job while at it.


    As the redhead stepped closer more, Alessia yanked out the pepper spray.


    ¡°If youe any further, I¡¯ll use this on you.¡± Her threat didn¡¯t seem to work on her. Instead, the redhead moved closer and stopped just a few distances from her.


    ¡°I¡¯m warning you, stay the hell away from me!¡± Alessia pushed the spray button.


    Janice was quick to know what was happening. She dodged the attack and rammed into Alessia, shoving her into the wall.


    ¡°Fuck you bitch.¡± Snapped Janice, kicking her gut. ¡°I¡¯ve had many people point pepper spray at me, and they even looked stronger than you are. Don¡¯t ever think that shit scares me!¡±


    Alessia moaned. She clutched her side and winced. A tear dropped from her eyes, and she stared at the redhead, who was spotting a murderous look on her face.


    ¡°Now, get back into the bed, or so the moon goddess helps me; I¡¯ll drag you by your hair and shove you into it forcefully.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for that,¡± Sandro said as he strode into the room.


    His eyes narrowed as he stared at the position Alessia assumed, and then he stared at Janice. ¡°Can¡¯t you be a little nicer to her?¡±


    ¡°I am nicer,¡± Janice said. ¡°Ain¡¯t I?¡± She red at Alessia, and thetter nodded her head.


    Sandro chuckled, shaking his head. ¡°You don¡¯t need to agree with what she says if she tries to kill you. I know what she is capable of.¡±


    ¡°Can I leave now?¡± Janice asked.


    ¡°Your job is not done,¡± Sandro said, halting her in her tracks. ¡°But you can. I need to speak with little Miss perfect.¡±


    Janice huffed. ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡±


    She left the room, leaving Sandro with Alessia.


    Sandro walked towards her crouched figure, holding his hand to her. ¡°Come on, Bellissima. I don¡¯t bite. You can hold my hand.¡±


    Allesia red at him fiercely and stood to her feet. ¡°Voglio andare a casa¡±( I want to go home)


    Sandro chuckled. ¡°I assumed you weren¡¯t informed. This is your home now.¡±


    ¡°I want to go home!¡± Alessia screeched at him, and Sandro could hear the heavy ent in her beautiful voice.


    Far different from how Arabe sounded. Although they were both Italian, he was certain Arabe¡¯s tongue had changed because she stayed with many English-speaking people.


    Sandro wrapped his hand around her and tugged. He pulled her towards the bed, ignoring her screech and nudged her into it.


    ¡°I do not know you before. Why the hell are you abducting me against my will? Just know my father and mother are very important in society, and he¡¯ll have your head¡­¡±


    Alessia gasped, and her hand gripped her cheek. Shit, he had hit her!


    ¡°Do not fucking rub your family in my face any longer. Of course, I can kill you¡­¡± Sandro slipped out his gun, pointed it at her and cocked.


    ¡°Then deposit your remain on your bastardo papa¡¯s terrain.¡±


    Alessia shuddered. ¡°Then do it. Fucking do it!¡± She shouted, jumping to her feet.


    She stepped towards him and gripped the gun he was pointing at her head. ¡°If that will make your Morti tua(Your feeble ancestors) sleep well in their grave, shoot me!¡±


    Sandro narrowed his eyes and shoved her away.


    It wasn¡¯t a gentle push. Alessia staggered backwards and mmed into the wall.


    ¡°You don¡¯t speak to me in that manner¡­¡±


    ¡°Mangia merde e muori!(Eat shit and die.).¡± Allesia yelled, despite the pain she was in.


    ¡°Bitch¡­¡± Sandro growled.


    ¡°Vai all¡¯inferno(Go to hell)!¡± She yelled over again.


    Sandro yanked her away from where she crouched and sneered. ¡°Listen to me¡­¡±


    ¡°I refuse¡­¡±


    ¡°Fucking listen to me!¡±


    Alessia stilled, and her eyes stayed on him. She was afraid. The fury in his eyes was enough to burn her. She wondered why she had angered him. But she knew it wasn¡¯t her intention.


    She was pissed as well and exhausted. She wanted to go home. But she doubted she¡¯d be having such luxury soon.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to kill you at first, but now, I am going to do exactly just the¡­¡± The word got caught in his throat.


    He groaned, grabbing his dick. ¡°Fucking bitch!¡±


    Why the hell did he keep getting kneed? It wasn¡¯t his first time, and it kept happening over again.


    Fucking doppelgangers.


    He¡¯d kill her and kill the whore that ran away as well.


    He didn¡¯t know where she had run to, but he was going to find her.


    Regainingposure, he strode to the door.


    Alessia gasped as Sandro yanked her back. He shoved her onto the bed and came down on her.


    Pinning her hands above her, he snarled. ¡°I¡¯ll let this slide. One more move like this, I am freaking killing you. I do not care what benefit it is I see in you. I¡¯m fucking blowing your head off, and when I see your dratted twin, I¡¯ll do the same and toss your corpses to the dogs!¡±


    Alessia¡¯s lip quivered, and her eyes rounded even more. As soon as he released her, she curved into a ball and covered herself with the duvet whilst ncing at the murderous glint in his eyes.


    Sandro stared at her for a while before leaving the room.


    ¡°Mom, dad¡­¡± Alessia whimpered, staring at her bruised hand.


    Tears rolled down her cheeks as she nced around. Then she wiped her eyes and jumped from the bed as she caught a glimpse of her phone.


    She took a shaky breath as she staggered to it. Gripping the phone in her trembling hand, she murmured.


    ¡°Bastard.¡± Alessia flung the damaged phone across the room. She gripped at her hair and screamed out in frustration.


    She believed she was delusional to have assumed he¡¯d easily leave her phone and let her escape.


    Shit. He was smart, but she was smarter. She would never let herself die in the shithole.


    She would escape even if she were going to die in the process. At least it was better than staying and seeing the jerk doing as he pleased with her.

 Chapter 68

    ¡°Alpha Sandro might get mad if you continue doing that.¡±


    Alpha?


    He was a werewolf, Alessia mused. Although she had been told long ago she was from a supernatural lineage, none of her family practised magic.


    It was said to be dangerous. And her parents never mentioned the kind of supernatural creature she hade from.


    Also, she was told her powers, not only hers, but everyone had been locked to mingle freely with a human because they were dangerous.


    Alessia didn¡¯t mind because she believed she was human throughout her life, and nothing would change it. Not even the revtion of her being powerful.


    But now, she wished she had researched, asked more questions and found a way to unlock her powers whilst keeping it a secret from her parents.


    The powers would havee in handy. And the bastard currently keeping her wouldn¡¯t have had the nerves to.


    Moreover, the bitch in front of her; seemed like her patience was running thin, and she¡¯d do anything other than watch over her.


    Not like she needed watching over, anyway.


    ¡°Are you even listening?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not obligated to listen to you, Miss.¡± Alessia snapped.


    ¡°It¡¯s Janice.¡± Janice supplied with a smile. ¡°And I like it that you are aggressive even in the most difficult of situations. You are just like her.¡±


    ¡°Like who?¡± Alessia was curious.


    She recalled what Sandro had said about killing her twin. Also, the kind of nce everyone had been shooting her as if she had fallen from the sky.


    The only person that looked at her naturally was ze. But she hadn¡¯t got the time to talk to him. Also, he seemed more likeable and more rxed than the rest.


    ¡°And your face reminds me of her. Did I tell you how I loathe seeing that face so much? I wish I could w your eyes out. But, he might not spare me.¡± Janice red.


    Janice remembered the threat Sandro had issued. Yes, she got him offended most times and got away with it. But she doubted if she harmed Alessia, he¡¯d set her free this time.


    Alessia seemed like a prized possession to him, and he had promised to kill her.


    Janice wasn¡¯t looking forward to that yet. She had a lot of things to do, and not when her n was already going great. She didn¡¯t want to mess it up.


    ¡°My twin?¡± Alessia asked.


    Janice¡¯s head snapped to her. She tilted her brows, ¡°Arabe is your twin?¡±


    Her name was Arabe, Alessia mused. She wondered if the other woman looked so much like her as they said, and she thought of what had happened to her as well.


    Alessia believed Arabe wasn¡¯t in the vi.


    ¡°I asked, is Arabe, your twin?¡± Janice questioned.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know who she is. I only asked when people keep talking about us being twins.¡±


    Janice rolled her eyes. For a second, she thought she would finally do something great. At least, if she got hold of where the bitch had run to, it¡¯d distract Sandro from her ns.


    She narrowed her eyes at Alessia for a while and wondered if she didn¡¯t honestly know who Arabe was. They looked almost the same, and there was no way people could look like that without being rted.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I want to see who she is. I mean, I looked like her, right?¡±


    ¡°You are her,¡± Janice said. ¡°A replica but with a different hair colour.¡±


    Janice took out her phone and swiped at it. She ced it on Alessia¡¯sp, and thetter frowned, assessing the picture.


    Alessia gasped. They were right; Arabe could easily be mistaken for her. She could have easily been her sister-a long-lost twin.


    But that wasn¡¯t the reason she looked startled.


    She had seen Arabe¡¯s picture in the cer. At first, Alessia had assumed she was the one until she was told she wasn¡¯t.


    Fuck. Who was she?


    ************


    ze tucked his hand into the pant he donned and walked towards the room Arabe had used before. He stayed by the door and heaved a breath before letting it out slowly.


    Her scent was still present in the house. It was that strong, and it was what even pulled him closer to her.


    Aside from that, her scent was mixed with a new one.


    It was lemon,vender and not like anything he had perceived before. It was weird.


    But he was d it didn¡¯t stir his wolf. He thought of what would happen if it did.


    The door swung open, giving him a start. He turned, and his eyes collided with icy blue orbs-Alessia.


    A small smile tugged at the corner of her cherry-coloured lips and button nose, which were the same as Arabe¡¯s crinkled.


    Alessia frowned and folded her arms across her chest.


    Fuck, she was hot. Her chest,pared to Arabe¡¯s, was enormous. Even though she was on the smaller side, perhaps an inch shorter than Arabe, she had curves in several ces he didn¡¯t imagine.


    ze¡¯s fingers itched as the desire to feel her satiny skin flood into him.


    He wrinkled his nose and shook his head. She wasn¡¯t Arabe. He shouldn¡¯t stare at her in that manner, but he couldn¡¯t help himself.


    He didn¡¯t know what was happening, but he believed it wasn¡¯t good and he shouldn¡¯t be in her presence.


    ze strode away from her and halted as he heard her voice.


    ¡°ze?¡±


    He stilled. She sounded like Arabe. But she had an Italian ent which Arabe barely had.


    ze turned, furrowing his brows. His eyes narrowed as he stared at her.


    ¡°I¡­ I just¡­¡± Alessia flushed. She didn¡¯t know why he was staring at her as if he¡¯d pull out her head if given the opportunity, but she needed to get it over with.


    He had helped her, and she needed to appreciate it.


    ze was the only one receptive to her in the house, whereas everyone else saw her as a tool for an experiment.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Alessia murmured and doubted if he had heard her.


    ¡°For?¡±


    Alessia grimaced. It was awkward; she hadn¡¯t imagined it to be. She tilted her head to stare at him because he was far taller than she was.


    ¡°For helping me. I mean, you are the only one¡­¡±


    ¡°Save it,¡± ze said, cutting her off. He nced at her briefly before striding down the hall.


    Thest thing he needed was a conversation between him and the tool.


    He believed Sandro had been right about him putting his heart into all he did. ze was aware it would only hurt him. But he always did it anyway.


    Yet, he didn¡¯t want to get closer to the new girl. He had a strange feeling about her. He didn¡¯t know what it was, but he didn¡¯t like it.


    ¡°What an asshole.¡± Alessia scowled at where ze was a while ago.


    Then she went back inside her room, mming the door shut.

 Chapter 69

    Sandro was in a foul mood. He had been that way since morning, and the thought of Arabe made it even worst.


    He gripped the bourbon he had poured for himself in the ss and gulped it down.


    He gazed at ze, ¡°Do you think she¡¯ll be anywhere around?¡±


    ze shrugged, taking a drag from the cigarette with him. He puffed out the smoke and ran a hand through his hair. ¡°Not that I know. But, a search can be organised.¡±


    ¡°Hey darling,¡± A beautiful brte climbed onto Sandro¡¯sp. She wound her arms around his neck and kissed him soundly on his lips.


    Sandro let out a grunt. ¡°Not today, Anna.¡±


    ¡°I see you are in a foul mood. Call me when you are free.¡± She murmured, bit on his earlobe before sauntering away.


    ¡°She¡¯s hot.¡± ze said.


    ¡°I thought only the moon goddess could get me mad for what she did to my family. But hell no, the bitch drives me crazy!¡±


    ¡°Anna?¡± ze asked, tilting his brow.


    ¡°Arabe.¡± Sandro winced as he said her name.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    After having an awful dream about his never-ending curse that needed to be cured by his mate¡¯s blood(No one in the pack knew about it except for ze, whom he told.) which was said to be a supposedly rare creature, Arabe had surfaced in his mind afterwards.


    She had kept him awake all night long as he thought of where she had run off to and who she might be with.


    Of course, he didn¡¯t care about her. He only wanted to have his revenge. He wasn¡¯t fucking done with her yet, and she had the nerve to run off.


    ¡°Oh, I doubt you should be worried about her. She might be dead now.¡± ze shrugged as Sandro narrowed his eyes at him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll never relent until she¡¯s six feet underneath. She needs to suffer the same pain as my mother and Ariel. She needs to suffer even more before I decide to kill her. Yet, she vanished without a trace!¡±


    ze heard it. The pain he was trying to hide from his word.


    He wouldn¡¯t me Sandro for what he did to Arabe because her father did worse to him.


    Arabe¡¯s father, John, had shot his mother several times on a mission that was supposedly carried out by his original gang; her head was chopped off and ced on a stake in front of the De Luca residence.


    She was the only surviving matriarchal in the De Luca household before all powers were given to Alessandro. As if murdering his mother in front of him wasn¡¯t enough, Sandro¡¯s girlfriend and mate, Ariel, had staggered in with blood dripping from several cuts on her.


    And she had been r*p*d several times.


    Not by John, But by the several rogues that worked for the Boss John worked for.


    It was sickening. Both died in agony.


    Yet, ze didn¡¯t think Arabe was aware of all that. Perhaps, he was awful himself and trying to keep her because she was his.


    John had stolen an heirloom which had been in the family for years, and it was used to symbolise the moon goddess.


    The family was cursed. Especially the next Alpha, and Sandro had taken all as soon as he became an Alpha without knowing what he was going into.


    ze didn¡¯t want to be the same way Sandro was.


    Sandro had lost his mate. He was cursed, and he was almost on the verge of being a berserker wolf. When he turns into that, it would be disastrous.


    Sandro needed someone to save him, but ze doubted anyone would be with him.


    Sandro wasn¡¯t looking for a mate either, and soon, the cure he often used on him wouldn¡¯t work until his mate found and acknowledged him.


    It was somewhatplicated but not impossible. ze believed if his mate were a werewolf or another supernatural creature, it would be easier to exin everything to her.


    Humans wereplex.


    His mind drifted to Arabe, wondering what he would tell her when she found out he wasn¡¯t who he seemed. But he believed she¡¯d take all the information without going into a rage.


    Maybe mad at him at first, she¡¯d indeed ept him as he was.


    ze sighed, pinching his brows together. He stared by his side and noticed Sandro wasn¡¯t around him anymore.


    Instead, he was on the dancefloor with Anna.


    ze rolled his eyes as Sandro beckoned to him.


    ¡°You are hot.¡±


    ze turned as he heard a whisper. He smiled at the blonde beside him, and she sat in the vacant chair.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to keep youpany.¡± She said.


    He shrugged. He didn¡¯t mind her keeping himpany; he only prayed she didn¡¯t try to make a move on him.


    It wasn¡¯t the first time the women in the bar did things like that, and they never were embarrassed.


    The girl beside him looked pretty decent, but he doubted she was worthy of his time as he caught her checking him out from the corner of his eyes.


    His phone went off, and he brought it out. His eyes strayed to Sandro as soon as he saw Arabe¡¯s name sh on the screen.


    ¡°Sorry, I need to answer this.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll wait.¡± The blonde shed him a dimpled smile before he stepped towards the balcony.


    ¡°You¡¯ll make Sandro have my head. He¡¯ll get suspicious and ¡­¡±


    ¡°I miss you,¡± Arabe said on the other end. She rolled her eyes and sighed, twisting a lock of her hair in her hand.


    ¡°Only a week more here, and we¡¯ll be together.¡±


    ¡°I want you tonight.¡± She whined, and then her eyes narrowed as she heard the music thumping in the background. ¡°Are you in a pub?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± He said.


    ¡°How many girls made a move on you?¡±


    ¡°None.¡±


    ¡°ze!¡± She red.


    ¡°None.¡± ze chuckled. He heard the irritation in her voice, and he wondered if she was jealous.


    ¡°I do not trust you, but I have something to show you. I sent a message.¡± She said.


    ze nced at his phone and let out a deep breath as he swiped through the pictures Arabe sent to him.


    Fuck. His dick twitched, and he grumbled through the phone. ¡°This ain¡¯t fair.¡±


    ¡°Thene quickly.¡± She giggled, ending the call.


    The urge to rush to where she was and release everything he desperately tried to keep in surged through him. But it was only a matter of time.


    He couldn¡¯t go at the moment. His life and hers would be in danger because Sandro was smart enough to detect if something was wrong.


    ze sighed and stepped away from the balcony back into the room.


    ¡°You are back,¡± Blondie said with a wide smile.


    ze nodded, but his mind was elsewhere. It was on the naughty pictures Arabe sent to him and what she could be doing now.

 Chapter 70

    ¡°Why do you keep me here against my will? You should know my father is a powerful man, and he won¡¯t spare you.¡± Alessia said, backing away from the door as Sandro stepped in.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that word too many times, and I won¡¯t even get mad at it anymore.¡± Sandro shrugged. He observed the room for a while before he turned to her again. ¡°Get whatever you need before 6; I¡¯m taking you somewhere.¡±


    Since Arabe¡¯s disappearance, he didn¡¯t have anyone to take out with him. Usually, he never enjoyed going out alone; he preferred to be escorted by women, and Thalia was the one who did most until Arabe came into the picture.


    Now, Alessia was his only avable option.


    Again, he didn¡¯t want to take her along with him for fear of her screaming at the top of her lungs and getting recognised. But, it was unlikely. They were in the other part of the town, and not even one person had recognised Arabe whenever she was seen with him.


    ¡°I¡¯m going nowhere with you. I am not leaving here!¡±


    ¡°Then you rather die?¡± Sandro cocked his brow. He pulled out his gun and pointed it at her.


    Alessia red at him but said nothing. She was scared. Of course, who wouldn¡¯t be?


    Getting a gun pointed at her by a psychotic bastard was what she wouldn¡¯t y with. Goodness, if it had been ze, she might assume he was bluffing.


    Although ze acted like a monster himself, she believed he was far better than the man Sandro was.


    Sandro was the absolute beast, and she wished she could do something about him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you want with me; I never offended anyone.¡±


    She never had issues with anyone. So she had thought until now.


    Shit. Was it the crime of her father or mother she was suffering?


    Her father was Russo Romano. He had manypanies, and his name was especially associated with steelpanies. He was the head of the Rosette empire, and he came from old money. Alessia doubted no one knew about him in the world.


    Likewise, he was known to be cruel, but not to her. Her father had always treated her so delicately, just like her mother.


    But now, she was paying for something they probably did.


    Alessia heaved a breath as Sandro didn¡¯t respond to her. She stared at where he stood and noticed he had left the spot.


    A whileter, he stepped back into the room with a box in his hand. He flung it towards her, and Alessia was lucky enough to catch it before it fell to the floor.


    ¡°Wear that,¡± Sandro said. ¡°Anything other than that will make you disobedient, and I know what I do to my pet when they start rebelling.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m no pet of yours!¡±


    ¡°You are now darling. So, start the preparation because I hate beingte.¡± He winked at her, leaving her to herself once again.


    Perhaps, she had gone to the wrong ce at the right time when she was captured. Was that what was happening to her?


    Was it the Arabe girl that offended him, and he decided to take her instead of her? She didn¡¯t know what was happening, and she doubted she would.


    Tearing the ribbon,  Alessia grimaced as she gazed at the slutty outfit in the box.


    She had never worn such a dress before. It was an eyesore and could easily fit a thirteen years old child and not a twenty years old woman!


    Alessia plucked out the outfit and strode to the mirror. She tried it on, shaking her head.


    At the end of the night, she was sure her breast would spill out of the dress. There was no allowance whatsoever, and she could barely move in it. What was he thinking to have brought in such a horrendous dress?


    She didn¡¯t know, and he wouldn¡¯t listen if she asked him.


    Alessia sighed and shut her eyes briefly. Then she opened it as a new resolve shed in her mind.


    She wasn¡¯t giving up easily, even as Sandro pushed her to the wall. She¡¯d never give him the satisfaction he was winning. Maybe until he drained all the blood in her body for the werewolf ritual, he was doing.


    She was going to stay until the end, and she believed she¡¯d get rescued eventually. Her father never needed to search long for her before he got to her.


    ********


    ¡°I told you to keep an eye on her!¡±


    ¡°We did, sir.¡± The blond, Jason, stuttered, moving backwards. ¡°They were a powerful opponent, and it was by luck I got away.¡±


    ¡°You did your best, huh?¡± Russo Romano glowered at his bodyguard. He was the head of the bodyguards and the person in charge of Alessia.


    Russo didn¡¯t know how they had gotten to Alessia to have taken her, but he was certain she wasn¡¯t guided well enough.


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s the ck Sandro team. I got their identity before they fled, and Princess Alessia is with a tracker, and their location is currently being monitored.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± Russo said. ¡°fucking find him, and if there¡¯s a scratch on her body, do not spare him. I want his remain here.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Jason said, walking away.


    ¡°My beautiful daughter.¡± Francesca wailed, clutching at arge portrait of Alessia.


    ¡°She isn¡¯t dead, you know,¡± Russo murmured.


    ¡°How do I know she¡¯s doing alright? I am a terrible mother. She never wanted to leave, but I forced her to. I am a terrible mother.¡± Francesca sobbed. Her lower lip quivered, and she huped.


    ¡°You did nothing wrong. Of course, we weren¡¯t discerning enough, but it¡¯s not your fault.¡± Russo said.


    Francesca sniffled. ¡°But she¡¯s gone. I doubt I¡¯ll see her again.¡±


    ¡°Of course, we¡¯ll see her. She¡¯s our daughter, and we need her, just like she needs us.¡± Russo mumbled.


    He¡¯d get to the culprit himself if need be. He wasn¡¯t telling his wife that because she¡¯d flip. Thest thing he needed was a wailing and clingy wife nagging at him nonstop.


    He needed Alessia. Even though she wasn¡¯t his birthed daughter, he loved her and would do anything to keep her safe.


    Still, he needed her for some other reasons. His being powerful was somewhat attached to her.


    Alessia was powerful but didn¡¯t know she was. Her powers were tamed even before they had the chance to grow.


    And Russo had the idea of creating his army as well but not without asking her permission to use her as the tool for the experiment. He was certain she wouldn¡¯t object to it.


    Moreover, being out in the open was dangerous. Alessia was a puzzle. The half of a puzzle, and when she found her missing half, it could cause huge chaos in the current city she was in.


    Not only in that city but the world.


    There was a reason they were kept apart, and it was a secret no one had shared.


    ********


    Fuck, she was hot. The ck dress made her fair skin look even paler, and she looked ghostly, only that she was in dark colours.


    Even before he had told her to wear the dress she was in, he knew she¡¯d turn out this way. What he didn¡¯t know was it would show all her curves.


    Her curves were on disy; her boobs were almost spilling out of the dress. The dress was fucking small.


    The witch, Janice, had picked it, and he¡¯d kill her for objectifying her in this manner.


    But he didn¡¯t care. At least, he shouldn¡¯t care.


    Yet, he didn¡¯t like the eyes leering at her. He had shoot too many perverts a re tonight, and he was exhausted from doing so.


    ¡°You are hurting me,¡± Alessia mumbled. She winced as he released her waist from his death grip.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± He smiled sheepishly at her and stared down at her as she caressed her hand. ¡°Are you cold?¡±


    Alessia began to shake her head, but before she could speak, he draped his jacket over her.


    ¡°It¡¯s not necessary.¡± She mumbled. ¡°I can manage.¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± Sandro grunted. He wanted to do it. Aside from her being cold, he was starting to get pissed at the idiot staring at her.


    ¡°You should cover that. I don¡¯t think you arefortable with people gazing at you that way.¡±


    He noticed. Alessia flushed, wrapping her arms around herself.


    ¡°Of course I do. I¡¯m not an idiot.¡± He mumbled.


    It was embarrassing he had noticed all that despite her trying to keep everything cool.


    She had been tempted to stride towards each man and give them a resounding p on the cheeks.


    Most were with women, yet they chose to ogle her.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    It wasn¡¯t as if it was their fault; she had been the one who wore something slutty to the event.


    Again, despite how cautious she was around Sandro, she was d he was with her. At least he was willing to offer her protection from other men.


    However, she wished he could protect her from himself.


    But it would never happen anyway.


    ¡°Sit.¡± He ordered when he got to a vacant chair. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back.¡±


    Alessia watched as Sandro strode towards a group of men. They were smoking, and their side was covered entirely with smoke.


    She could barely see them. But she knew they were from a group of gangs as well.


    Alessia sighed as she settled deeper into the sofa.


    A waiter walked up to her. ¡°Ma¡¯am, the Signore over there¡­¡±He nodded towards Sandro, and she red at him.


    ¡°He asked if you¡¯d like to have anything. The bills are on him.¡±


    ¡°Tell him I need my freedom.¡± She said.


    The waiter grimaced. But said nothing. It wasn¡¯t his first hearing such from women brought to the club. And he doubted it would be thest time.


    Men abducted women. Sometimes to use them as they wanted, and sometimes the women abducted were from a separate gang or maybe someone who had been refusing them.


    ¡°Please, do you need something else.¡±


    ¡°I need nothing.¡± Alessia snapped at him.


    The waiter nodded and strode back to Sandro. A whileter, he returned to her and handed her a piece of paper.


    ~I would behave and act pretty if I were you, and stop glowering at me. You are not getting the freedom you demand if you keep acting like a bitch. I owe you nothing, and freaking order what you want because you¡¯ll be staying there for a long while.


    ¡°Shit, I want nothing from you,¡± Alessia mumbled.


    She red at the waiter. ¡°Give me the most expensive alcoholic wine you have here.¡±


    ¡°Very well.¡± He shed her a wide grin and hurried to get her order.


    Alessia¡¯s eyes wandered to Sandro, and she saw him shrug.


    The waiter arrived with her order, and she sipped at it before he was done.


    She was almost done with the bottle when she saw Sandro striding towards her.


    The worse was she was slightly drunk.


    ¡°Sandro.¡± She slurred, wrapping her arms around his neck.


    ¡°I said, drink. I didn¡¯t say you could get drunk!¡±


    ¡°I did as you said,¡± Alessia mumbled. She winced as her head pounded.


    ¡°We are getting attacked. Did you do anything?¡±


    ¡°I did?¡± She asked.


    Sandro growled. It was futile talking to her in her drunken state. He searched around her body and then the clutch she carried.


    He saw it. The tiny piece of shit that made theme for him.


    Fuck! The bitch had a microchip on her. Why hadn¡¯t he thought of that?


    She was an heiress and could barely live without having a tracking chip. That was how most heiresses were.


    He believed he was loose-guarded for a while and didn¡¯t have much thought about her. He had safely assumed she was like Arabe.


    He hoisted her over his shoulder and hurried out of the club to his car.


    Luckily, the attackers didn¡¯t get to him before he sped off.


    He owed it to ze for getting the information at hand. And ze had discarded most of the tracker in her belongings in the house as well.


    Fuck, everything she had was bugged.


    ¡°I want my freedom.¡±


    Sandro red as Alessia said in her sleep.


    She had said the same thing in the bar. He doubted if she didn¡¯t know about the tracker and had done it on purpose to try to kill him.


    Before she would do that to him, he was sure going to kill her first.

 Chapter 71

    ¡°Fuck!¡±


    Sandro kicked at the coffee table in the middle of the room as his eyes strayed to ze.


    ¡°We never noticed that. We¡¯d have thoroughly searched her belongings if we had.¡±


    Sandro sighed, pushing his hand into his hair. ¡°I¡¯m sure the bitch knew. She was waiting for the right time for them to attack us so she¡¯d have a goodugh.¡±


    ¡°I doubt she does.¡± ze shrugged. He had seen how frightened she was. If she knew there were tracking devices on her, she¡¯d have been more confident.


    Instead, she had recoiled at the slightest thing. Despite sharing a resemnce to Arabe, she didn¡¯t act like her.


    Again, he believed even twins never acted the same way.


    Arabe was surely the most stubborn woman he had ever met. She never cared if she died at the hand of Sandro. It frightened him that she showed no care whatsoever and did the opposite of whatever he asked of her.


    He didn¡¯t want to see her in the pool of her blood one day. He had almost seen her in that state(When she was in the dungeon), but he was d he had gotten the information right on time.


    ¡°Everything had been cleansed now. I doubt they have any more information about her except theye here, which we are prepared for.¡± ze murmured. He eyed Sandro, who seemed to be deep in thought.


    ¡°What are you thinking about? Whenever your face darkened, it¡¯s not always a good thing.¡±


    ¡°Of course, it ain¡¯t.¡± Sandro snapped.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s about the experiment we did a few days before. I know we are not done with it, but they showed signs of nothing. I mean, the experimental subjects, they act the same, and I see nothing new in them.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps, we didn¡¯t get it right?¡± ze tilted his brows.


    ¡°Of course we did. It¡¯s not our first time having a ritual, and I doubt that is the cause. Something is wrong somewhere.¡±


    ¡°Are you doubting the authenticity of Delicate Rose blood? I mean, she might not be the real Rose we are searching for.¡±


    ¡°Who then is?¡± Sandro glowered, and ze shrugged.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Arabe¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say her name!¡± Sandro snarled, halting ze. He grimaced before tugging his hair in frustration.


    The bitch never ceased to haunt him. He still had nightmares about her and his mate. He didn¡¯t know why he saw her and his mate in the same dream. It irritated him, and the more he tried to forget all that he had seen, the more it kepting to him.


    ¡°Perhaps, we should start the ritual over again.¡±


    ze said, and Sandro affirmed with a nod.


    ¡°That is the only option, and if I am tricked again, I¡¯ll discard her as soon as possible. She¡¯s of no use to me.¡±


    He strode out of the room, leaving ze to stare after him.


    A whileter, Thalia slipped in, and ze sighed. ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°I hate when you ask me that, Cole,¡± Thalia said.


    ze scowled. ¡°Don¡¯t call me that.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s your name, and I do not think I amfortable calling you ze. It sounds weird.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s my identity now, Thalia. You need to get used to it.¡±


    Thalia shrugged but said nothing. A whileter, she spoke up again. ¡°I have something that has been bothering me.¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s about Sandro, I do not want to hear it. I¡¯ve heard enough of you both frolicking and acting like his whore. I don¡¯t want to have any more images of what nonsensical thing you¡¯d be doing with him in his bedroom.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s about Arabe.¡± She said.


    ze stilled. He sat upright and furrowed his brows. Several thoughts of Thalia finding out where she was and revealing the location to Sandro filled his head.


    However, he schooled his feature when he saw her staring at him.


    ¡°I¡¯m right, am I not?¡±


    ¡°About what?¡± ze grunted.


    ¡°You know where she is. Don¡¯t you?¡± She questioned.


    ¡°That¡¯s a ridiculous thing to ask me. Why¡¯d you think I know where she is?¡±


    ¡°Because she is your mate. You are trying to keep her safe so she won¡¯t be dead and you won¡¯t end up mateless. Because you are a lovesick idiot that¡¯ll never let the used whore die¡­¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not a whore, for the goddess¡¯s sake! Stop referring to her in that manner!¡± ze bellowed.


    ¡°Right,¡± Thalia smiled. ¡°I forgot how worked up you are when her name is mentioned.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not worked up, and it gets irritating to see you use her for nothing.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m barely using without a fact. She fucked Sandro. That whore you think is your mate fucked the alpha, but you still decide to want to have her!¡± Thalia shouted.


    ¡°Leave it, Thalia.¡±Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Where is she, Cole? Stop keeping her and trying to harm yourself in the process! Let her go.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are talking about.¡± ze sidestepped Thalia as she moved toward him. He pped her hand, gripping his shirt away and red at her.


    ¡°Do I admit to what I do not know of? What the hell is wrong with you, and when do you turn into Sandro¡¯s assistant?!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to be his future, Luna, and sooner thanter, I¡¯ll know about all his affairs, and you need to tell me where the bitch is. I can¡¯t watch you take any fall for her!¡±


    ze looked at Thalia incredulously before tossing his head back. He let out a peal ofughter, gripping his side. ¡°Whoever told you you¡¯d be Luna to this pack?¡±


    ¡°I know that.¡± Thalia scowled as he continuedughing. She didn¡¯t find whatever he was doing funny.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Lil sister. But Sandro will never mate with you. You are his fuck buddy, a toy he goes to when he¡¯s horny.¡± ze strode towards her and gripped her shoulder. ¡°That¡¯s why I want you to stay away from him. Stay the fuck away from Sandro. You¡¯ll never be his Luna!¡±


    ¡°Stop!¡± Thalia yelled, shrugging his hands away. ¡°I¡¯ll be his Luna. If you don¡¯t believe me, I¡¯ll prove that to you soon.¡±  She stalked out of the room, and ze groaned.


    ¡°Could she be any more delusional?¡± ze knew what Sandro could do and couldn¡¯t. What he was sure of was Sandro would never mate with her.

 Chapter 72

    The day was going awful for Alessia. She was hung over, but not only that; some idiot had decided to sp her hands and legs to the wall and floor using some iron chain.


    However, she knew the idiot would be none other than Sandro. He was the only one that could pull off such a ridiculous thing.


    Yet, she didn¡¯t know what her offence was.


    She let out a wince as the light drifted into her half-opened eyes. She shut them back and bit her lower lip.


    Her head pounded, and wherever she was seemed damp, adding to her distress.


    She had tried severally to shove down the vomit in her throat, and she doubted she could do so for long.


    Her eyes opened eventually, and she sniffled as she gazed around. It was dark, darker than she had imagined. Only a torch by the wall illuminated the room.


    But the glow from it wasn¡¯t still enough to call it light.


    She caught sight of a movement and croaked out. ¡°Help.¡±


    She nked the chains holding her together to grasp the attention of whoever was there, but it seemed she was speaking to herself.


    She resigned after several attempts, and almost immediately, the door to the room opened, and Sandro strode in.


    He stopped a few feet away from her and squatted. ¡°Tell me, are you not delicate, Rose?¡±


    Alessia frowned, and she shook her head.


    ¡°You speak when I ask you. Do not nod at me!¡± Sandro yelled, smacking her hard on the cheek.


    ¡°Shit¡­¡± Alessia bit on her bottom lip due to the force of the blow, and she felt it draw blood. ¡°It hurts.¡±


    She sniffled as tears gathered in her eyes.


    ¡°Do you fucking want to speak, or do I need to bring the words out of you?!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not Delicate Rose. I do not know who that is!¡± She sobbed as the tears began to fall in high torrents. ¡°I do not understand what¡¯s going on and why I am held against my will.¡±


    Sandro let out a grunt. ¡°Who am I fucking believing? One said she wasn¡¯t, and the other said she wasn¡¯t as well. I can¡¯t be fooled easily!¡±


    He strode to her and pulled her up. His hand gripped the strap of her gown, and he shredded it.


    ¡°Let me go, please,¡± Alessia begged. Her head still pounded, and more vomit surged up her throat.


    She didn¡¯t know what Sandro was doing or what he was talking about, but she had heard the name and had seen it written next to the picture in the cer.


    She had never asked what it meant and what it was before.


    But she wished she had. At least it would save her from the humiliation she was suffering.


    She saw his eyes sh golden, and she swallowed hard. Sandro leaned into her, and he whispered.


    ¡°Do you know what I do to girls like you? To girls who lie to me?¡±


    Alessia shook her head, and her eyes rounded. Sandro opened his mouth to speak, but before anything coulde out of it, the door went ajar, and ze strode in.


    ze halted in his track, and his eyes narrowed as he saw what was before him. ¡°How many more women would you torture to have your way?¡±


    ¡°Stay out of it!¡± He snapped, still staring at an obviously frightened Rose.


    ¡°She was meant toe to serve you some purpose¡­¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a sham. She isn¡¯t even Delicate Rose!¡± He glowered.


    ¡°That isn¡¯t the reason to punish her, and we don¡¯t know for sure if she¡¯s a fraud as another ritual hasn¡¯t been carried out. You can easily let her be before¡­¡±


    ¡°She shares the same resemnce as the bitch that fled. So, she¡¯ll pay for everything. And you are my Beta; questioning me should be thest thing you should do!¡±


    ¡°Even when you are going wrong? I thought I was to be your adviser and second inmand.¡±


    ¡°Fuck adviser, just do as I fucking say.¡± Sandro thundered.


    ze sighed. ¡°That may have to wait. We have a far more pressing issue¡­¡±


    ¡°Why do I feel you do this on purpose? You interrupt me all the damn time.¡±


    ze slipped out a man envelope from the pocket of his khaki trench coat and waved it at Sandro. ¡°I got this from the mailman.¡±


    Sandro snatched the envelope from him and tore it open. He perused the content, and he let out a curse.This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    ¡°That was my exact thought when I saw it.¡±


    Sandro gazed at Alessia and then turned to ze.


    ¡°Position some Delta in this room. She¡¯s not to escape; else they¡¯ll be all dead.¡± Sandro said before he walked out.


    ¡°Help me.¡± Alessia sobbed as soon as Sandro left. She stared at ze with a tear-stained face and extended her hand to him.


    ¡°I do not understand what¡¯s going on and who you want. I swear on my life and my Papa¡¯s life. I do not know her!¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± ze said, shrugging out of his trench coat. He draped it around her and caressed her bruised cheeks.


    ¡°I need to get to my Papa. He¡¯ll be worried about me. Even my mama. Please help me.¡± Alessia gripped his shirt.


    ze stared at her and shook his head. Of course, he could help her, just as he did to Arabe, but it was a hard request. He was being watched. Everyone¡¯s eyes were on him, and he wondered how he¡¯d smuggle Alessia out of the room without getting caught.


    Moreover, the content of the letter was one of the reasons he could not grant her request. Her father, Russo Romano, had decided to wage war on them.


    He had written the letter for them to hand over Alessia in twenty hours or everyone be killed.


    Russo Romano could do just that as he was a powerful man, but then, he doubted the pack would fall easily. They weren¡¯t that weak any longer.


    Besides, he was aware Alessia wasn¡¯t Delicate Rose after the first time. He believed Arabe was, and both women were, in fact, rted.


    He turned to Alessia and shed her a smile. ¡°I¡¯ll surely keep you safe. You don¡¯t need to worry about anything. And Sandro will never hurt you under my watch.¡±


    Alessia nodded. ¡°Thank you.¡± She tried to smile at him but failed. She stumbled forward, and he gripped her before she hit the floor.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ze asked.


    Alessia noticed his voice sounded a bit far away. She tried to strain her ears to hear him clearly, but she couldn¡¯t. Her eyes fluttered against her pale cheeks, and a few secondster, she sumbed to the darkness calling into her.

 Chapter 73

    Arabe furrowed her brows as she gazed aside the window again. The shadow was still there.


    And she felt it watching her. She was apprehensive, and the hair on her skin stood.


    She rubbed her now mmy palms on the nightie she donned and gripped the cell phone she plucked from the nightstand.


    Dialing ze¡¯s number, she chewed on her bottom lip whilst waiting for him to pick up his phone.


    Although he told her not to call, she couldn¡¯t help it.


    She didn¡¯t know what lurked in the dark, and she had heard of some killingstely. She doubted the perpetrators were around.


    ¡°Please pick up.¡± She murmured and stilled as footsteps approached her door.


    A key twisted in the lock, and she nced around frantically in search of what she could use to defend herself.


    Since she came, it was her first time encountering such, and she didn¡¯t think she had given anyone ess to the house aside from ze.


    Yet, she doubted it was ze. He¡¯d have informed her if he wasing around!


    She gripped a stake by the window and slowly walked towards the back of the door.


    Immediately, it went open; she swung wildly on impulse.


    The stake collided with a skin.


    Arabe grinned as she heard the skin break, and she dropped the stake to the ground as she heard a familiar voice.


    ¡°Fuck it, Be. Where did you learn to swing like that?!¡±


    ¡°ze?!¡± She shouted.


    Arabe jerked backwards, eyeing him. Before moving towards him.


    ¡°Oh my god, I am so sorry!¡± She mumbled, seeing the mess she had created on his face. His face was currently distorted, and she wondered if it would ever go back to its usual shape.


    ¡°I thought it was someone else.¡± She gripped his hand and heaved a breath as it felt warm on her skin. She pulled him towards the bed after securing the door with the lock.


    ¡°This looks horrible. I am sorry!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± ze grunted, gripping her hand. His eyes narrowed at her, and he winced at the movement he made.


    The blow was fatal, and he was sure if it were an ordinary man, he¡¯d have some brain damage. But he wasn¡¯t an ordinary man.


    It was the reason he was still standing. Arabe made a fuss with his face and grabbed ointment and washcloth to tend to the injury.


    ze knew the condition his face was in, and he as well knew it wouldn¡¯t be for long. He wondered what she¡¯d do if she saw him healing. But he doubted he¡¯d stay long for her to see it.


    ¡°I¡¯m not staying long.¡± ze blurted out as soon as Arabe appeared. He winced at how direct it sounded.


    Arabe stopped in the middle of the room, ¡°What do you mean you won¡¯t stay long?¡±This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    ¡°I only came to check how you are. I am worried about you.¡±


    Arabe rolled her eyes and shed him a smile. ¡°You don¡¯t need to be worried.¡±


    But deep down, she wanted him to be.


    ¡°Tell me, Be. What has been going on with you since I wasn¡¯t around?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡± She shrugged. ¡°I need to tend to this.¡± She added as he gripped her hand.


    ¡°It¡¯ll heal,¡± ze mumbled.


    ¡°How the hell do you n to heal? You are not a god, and you don¡¯t have any almighty power to make you heal.¡± She pushed his hand away and continued.


    ze didn¡¯t argue with her, intend he watched her. She didn¡¯t look happy. He was aware she was faking it. But he didn¡¯t want to upset her by asking what was happening because she might be.


    Yet, he couldn¡¯t help but to.


    He gripped her hand, halting her for the second time. Despite the re she shot at him, he didn¡¯t stop.


    He made her straddle him, and he murmured. ¡°You know, you can tell me whatever is going on. I hate when you try to do things your way.¡±


    ¡°What if you are the reason I am moody? What will you do about it?¡±


    ze stared at her in confusion, and he shook his head.


    ¡°Nothing, I know that.¡± She said, pushing herself up. ¡°It¡¯s best I keep it to myself.¡±


    ze stood on his feet and moved towards her. He gripped her waist and turned her to face him.


    ¡°You can tell me anything.¡± He said. ¡°If I am faulty, I¡¯ll try to adjust.¡±


    Arabe narrowed her eyes at him and heaved a breath. Then she shoved his chest suddenly.


    ¡°How the heck do you leave me in thisrge house all by myself? You don¡¯t even make any attempt to call or even send a message to see if I am alive! Fuck it, ze, you are starting to act like Sandro¡­¡±


    ¡°Be¡­¡±


    ¡°Recently, I found something weird lurching in the dark. I was scared shitless as I assumed Sandro¡¯s watchdog was watching me. Shit, I had to swing at you because I thought they wereing for me and¡­¡±


    ze strode towards her, pulled her into him and covered her lips with his before she could make another sentence.


    ¡°Stop!¡± He heard her muffled scream, but he didn¡¯t stop until she responded to him.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± He murmured, cupping her face. ¡°I can¡¯t drag you into whatever is happening in my life, and of course, I still watch over you. But not always because sometimes my work gets too dangerous and¡­¡±


    ¡°What if I want to be part of everything you do? What if¡­¡±


    ¡°No what-ifs!¡± ze snapped.


    He shoved his hand through his hair. ¡°You can¡¯t be part of it. I want none of it for you and not even my sister! But we were born into this. We were born that way and didn¡¯t have much choice!¡±


    Arabe felt sorry for him. She saw his struggles and everything he was trying so hard not to do, but he couldn¡¯t do away with it.


    Of course, being in the Mafia was hard, and several rules came with it. Her father had died due to one of the rules he broke, she believed.


    She didn¡¯t want the same for ze, and maybe she was insensitive for wanting his full attention while he was going through a lot and, at the same time, trying his best to keep her safe.


    She wrung her fingers together and moved towards him. She wrapped her arms around his midsection and mumbled. ¡°I¡¯m sorry; I didn¡¯t mean to sound insensitive.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± He rasped, turning to hug her properly. ¡°Just stay away from trouble and be safe for me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll.¡± She mumbled, hugging him tighter and enjoying his warmth.

 Chapter 74

    Arabe was in trouble. That was the only thing on ze¡¯s mind as he stepped on the gas pedal. Time was running out, and he was sure they¡¯d catch up with her sooner.


    It was barely one week since he visited herst, and many things had transpired.  Many things had fucking be revealed, including her current location.


    Also, the blood that was always given to Sandro to restrain him whenever he was on the verge of going berserker was hers.


    Not only that, she was the fucking Delicate Rose.


    ze creased his brows. It wasn¡¯t very clear. He didn¡¯t know what was going on. She was dered as Delicate Rose one time, and the other time, she wasn¡¯t.


    He didn¡¯t know where all the information came from, but he was sure Sandro had an informant. Someone was giving him all the information, and it was someone he didn¡¯t know about.


    Shit, that same person might have been the one lurking near Arabe¡¯s window. For a few seconds, ze remembered his conversation with her five days ago. He had assumed she was only seeing things and some shadows of people in the woods.


    He hadn¡¯t believed her. Shit, he should have. At least, he¡¯d have acted before they did.


    ze gripped the steering wheel and gritted his teeth. The thought of Sandro getting to her first infuriated him. He needed to take her as far as he could before the arrival of the Deltas arranged for the operation.


    Arabe sat on the sofa for a while before sitting up again. She stared at her phone. She had been doing that for the past hours, and she wondered what was going on.


    ze had instructed her to stay on the phone to receive his call. She could keep the phone on the bedside table where it always was whilst waiting for him to contact her.


    But, it was the distress she heard in his voice that did it for her. She was anxious and wanted to ask more questions, but he hung up before she could.


    Heck, he didn¡¯t pick up her calls whilst trying to reach him back.


    She chewed on her bottom lip as she walked to the window. Opening the curtain, she scrunched up her brows as she stared outside.


    There were more people than usual outside. But then, she seldom stared out of the window to check how the surroundings were. The times she did, she believed most people had left for their respective workces.


    Moreover, today was a Saturday, and only a few people worked on weekends like this.


    She heaved a breath as her phone vibrated in her hand. She swiped at the screen and ced the phone on her ear.


    ¡°Hey¡­¡±


    ¡°Juste out of the door. I¡¯m in a white truck with tinted ss a few feet from the building. Please, act natural.¡± ze said.


    Arabe frowned as she peeped out. She saw the truck. It was not the usual ze drive, and it looked like it was newly bought.


    She stared at her phone again and snatched the messenger bag she had used in packing what she needed for the trip from the bed before going out of the room.


    She didn¡¯t know how long she would stay or what was going on, but she believed she picked what was necessary.


    Arabe fidgeted with the bag¡¯s strap as soon as she stepped outside. She nced down and bit her lower lip as she sensed too many eyes on her.


    ¡°Hey¡­¡±


    Arabe shook her head, ignoring thenky blond she had seen from the corner of her eyes.


    She hastened her step towards the truck.


    ¡°I said wait up, bitch!¡±


    Hearing the horne from the car, she took it as a cue and broke out in a run. The door flung open, and she jumped inside, mming the door shut in record time before ncing at ze.


    She let out a loud shriek and gripped the door handle, yanking violently on it.


    ¡°Shit, it¡¯s me.¡± ze let out, peeling off the face mask he donned. ¡°I needed to use it as a disguise so as not to be caught.¡±


    Arabe panted, and she red at him. Before rxing into the seat.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± She nced back and noticed the man running after her had stopped and was staring at them from a distance.


    ¡°You sounded somewhat frantic. The urgency in your voice couldn¡¯t be missed, and why am I going on a vacation that wasn¡¯t nned suddenly? Is there something I need to know?¡±


    ze breathed out. ¡°One question at a time.¡±


    Arabe rolled her eyes. However, she said nothing, and she waited for him to answer what she asked before bombarding him with more questions.


    ¡°You are in danger.¡± ze said.


    ¡°And?¡± Arabe furrowed her brows and nced back once more. A white ford was following closely behind them.


    It didn¡¯t look like a coincidence. And it felt as though the car was chasing them and had somewhat distance itself so it wouldn¡¯t be noticeable.


    ¡°That¡¯s all I can say for now,¡± ze murmured. ¡°Use your seat belt.¡±


    He red at her, and she saw his hand tightened on the wheel.


    His knuckles had almost turned white. And her gaze went back to his face. He was frightened. She didn¡¯t know why and he wasn¡¯t letting her on anything.


    It was infuriating he was keeping things from her. Things she believed she should be aware of.


    Arabe used her seatbelt and nced back again. It was a mistake she made by doing so. The ford pursuing them mmed into their truck, and she gasped.


    ¡°Hold onto something.¡± ze rasped.


    Arabe hastily gripped the headrest of the seat she was in, and ze elerated, speeding along the busy highway.


    ¡°Shit, you are going to get us killed!¡± Arabe screeched, and her eyes bulged out as ze withdrew a gun from the glovepartment. He had used his mask as well.


    ¡°Can you drive?¡±


    ¡°Why?!¡± She red at him. ¡°Half of the question I asked isn¡¯t even answered. What do I need to drive for?!¡±This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    ¡°Can you fucking drive?¡± ze scowled, and he released his hand from the steering wheel.


    ¡°I can, I can!¡± She yelled.


    ¡°Good, because our life is in your hands.¡±


    ¡°Jesus, ze! If I didn¡¯t die today, I am fucking killing you!¡± She switched with him and gripped the steering wheel with her trembling hands.


    ¡°Just drive while I take care of business.¡± He said, going to the backseat.


    She didn¡¯t know where they were going, and he had instructed her to drive. She¡¯d do just that if that kept them alive.

 Chapter 75

    Thalia stepped towards ze¡¯s room. It was the second time she was going there today, but he wasn¡¯t anywhere to be found. She had discretely asked the other werewolves in the pack about his whereabouts, but none were sure where he went. And most answers were he was on patrol.


    Even Sandro was sure he was on patrol.


    But Thalia knew otherwise. She had freaking gone to where he went on patrol to discuss with him, and she saw no one. Not even his scent lingered around to signify he hade.


    Whilst she asked the other guard, he told her he hade. She figured out all was a lie and he was protecting him.


    Thalia wondered about the kind of rtionship they had, as he had even sworn that he was there.


    She stepped into his room and nced around. Her eyes narrowed as she glimpsed a red scarf. Walking towards it, she yanked it off where he had hidden it, and she grimaced.


    It reeks of Arabe scents. And it was as if he had just brought it in.


    ze knew where Arabe was. He had fucking made her escape, and he must have been seeing her in private.


    That little whore!


    Thalia seethed. She was mad at ze¡¯s inability to let go of Arabe. Arabe was a fucking bane to him and could get him killed.


    Yet, he never heeded what she said. He always did his thing and didn¡¯t mind being killed. All for a little powerless human!


    Thalia wished she had killed her thest time herself. When she saw her helpless in the dungeons after being tortured, she should have done something to end her life.


    Now, she would ruin ze and make him suffer the same fate as her. As if he hadn¡¯t suffered enough.


    Thalia shredded the fabric and tossed it in the trashcan before wiping her hands. Thest thing she needed was to have Arabe¡¯s scent on her, implicating herself.


    She ran into Sandro as soon as she stepped out and shed him a smile.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± He asked, epting her embrace. He kissed her briefly on the lip before staring into her eyes.


    ¡°You asked me toe, remember?¡±


    ¡°I did, but you just stepped out of ze¡¯s room. Am I wrong?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡± Thalia lied. ¡°I rounded the corner and got startled as soon as you appeared.¡±


    Sandro nodded and kneaded his temple. ¡°Where the hell is ze? This headache is getting worse.¡±


    He shut his eyes briefly before opening them.


    And Thalia frowned. ¡°Is there something I can do? You don¡¯t sound as though you were sick when you called earlier. I¡¯d have gotten some pills for you.¡±


    ¡°Only ze can. And yes, I was fine until that whore¡¯s location was revealed. Also, the headache is something reurring and will disappear as soon as I take my shot.¡±


    The whore¡­? Thalia¡¯s frown deepened. ¡°Do you mean Arabe?¡±


    Sandro nodded. ¡°Someone had helped her escape because I heard she was sometimes visited. She lives far north.¡±


    ¡°Far north?¡± Thalia repeated, and Sandro scowled at her.


    ¡°Will you quit repeating what I say? It¡¯s adding to what I feel at the moment.¡±


    Thalia shed him an apologetic smile and helped him towards his room.


    ¡°I am perfectly fine.¡± He shoved her away as soon as they got to the door. ¡°I just need you or anyone to find ze.¡±


    Thalia nodded. She watched him walk indoors and clenched her fists. She knew where ze had gone to. Also, she was aware he had gone to take Arabe away from where ever he hid her since her location was known.


    ¡°The idiot will get himself killed if he keeps acting in this manner.¡± She walked away from the door.


    Thalia knew where far north was and the building where Arabe had been in. She¡¯d start her search from there.


    ********


    Thalia frowned as she nced around therge building. She stepped inside, using her nose to lead her. Arabe¡¯s scent was all over the house, and so was ze¡¯s. Yes, he had masked his scent so no one would know he was behind all that was happening. But she was his sister.


    She knew how he smelt like, masked or not.


    She booted the door to the room. It was just as it was. The building was originally their grandmother¡¯s, and they had been tempted to give it up after werewolves began to terrorise them.


    They weren¡¯t just terrorising them, but also they asked to hand over ze due to his unique bloodline.


    Thalia hadn¡¯t inherited the gene of their father. She had only inherited the werewolf gene of her mother and the human side of one of her ancestors.


    However, ze had inherited their father¡¯s genes.


    It was not easy to keep him when it was found. Initially, people with such bloodline were meant to be killed as soon as they were born, or if they were kept by their parents andter found out when grown up, they¡¯d be thrown into the evil of all evil forest. He¡¯d die in excruciating pain. It was said in the forest, there was a demon eater that fed on children with demon blood. Any other people could go in and out sessfully except for demons.


    Until their parents¡¯ death, they did all they could to keep him safe even as he attracted demons to himself, making him vulnerable to the demon hunters.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    Their grandmother had taken them after their parent¡¯s death, and the same process of them being on the run started over again. Hence, she went to a sorceress to suppress the demon side.


    Thalia doubted the magicsted even though it was said to be for eternity. Yet, with the many things ze said he kept seeing and feeling, she believed it wasing back. In no time, they¡¯d be on their trail.


    She wondered why he had never thought of such before going with Arabe, who made him even more powerless.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to kill the bitch myself,¡± Thalia said, stepping out the door.


    She presumed they left not long ago. However, she didn¡¯t know where they were anymore. She only prayed the moon goddess kept him safe and made ze return to her in one piece.


    She preferred them to be on the run and alive rather than dead.

 Chapter 76

    ¡°Shit!¡± Arabe gasped out, swerving to the side.


    She breathed out, having missed brushing an SUV.


    Arabe nced at ze and almost regretted it. He was up the car¡¯s roof with no protection whatsoever, and he was opening fire on the people on their trail.


    Even without being told about who sent those people, she was aware of who was involved.


    Alessandro De Luca.


    Arabe grimaced. Since she left the De Luca household, she had assumed he had forgotten about her. Yet, she doubted he¡¯d easily forget when he had threatened her over again.


    He had told her she would not hide from him forever, and he would kill her no matter what happened.


    Now, Arabe believed he was keeping to his promise. He had freaking kept tabs on her all this while, and he was going to kill her.


    She should be the least of his problem because she was just a freaking girl!


    A powerless one at that!


    But he made her his topmost mission. Heck, he made her seem as though she was a criminal that should not go unpunished, whereas shemitted no crime.


    ze settled into the seat beside her a minuteter, and he frowned at her. ¡°You drive even worst than my granny. Scoot.¡±


    Arabe¡¯s eyes rounded as she gazed at him. ¡°What about the attackers? You should concentrate on them and not me!¡±


    ¡°Come on; they are down.¡± He murmured.


    Arabe nced through the rearview mirror before staring back at him. She let out a breath and some of the tension coursing through her lessened.


    She let a small smile appear on her face. ¡°I guess we are not dying after all.¡±


    ze yanked off the mask on his face as he took over the steering wheel.


    ¡°Never say never.¡± He winced, pressing his hand to his side.


    ze nced down and noticed the shirt he donned was coated with blood. A bullet was buried deep inside of him, and he was d it was just mere lead and not the silver bullet coated with wolfsbane that Sandro often used on erring Werewolves.


    Arabe followed the movement of his eyes as he winced, and her eyes bulged out. ¡°You are wounded!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡± ze groaned as she pped his hand away whilst prodding his side to assess the injury.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t fine.¡± She red at him. It was worrisome, and he was losing blood fast. ¡°You need to pull over. This needs to be checked.¡±


    ¡°Of course, ma¡¯am. But I can¡¯t exactly pull over in the middle of a highway to get my wound checked out.¡± ze said with a southern drawl. Despite the pain and dizziness washing over him, he doubted he was pulling over until he reached a safe spot.


    ¡°That¡¯s not funny.¡± Arabe glowered at him. ¡°I need to drive.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t let you.¡± He said, nudging her hand that moved to grip the wheel.


    ¡°Do you intend to kill us? No one in your position should even take the wheel!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m unique.¡± ze shrugged. ¡°I can¡¯t help it.¡±


    Arabe let out a groan. She scowled, but she doubted he was going to let her drive. Although she noticed he was in pain, he was going just fine.


    Yet, that didn¡¯t make her feel less frightened because she believed he could lose control anytime soon.


    ¡°Just find a safe spot for us¡­¡± She trailed off.


    Arabe noticed a deserted hut. She didn¡¯t know exactly where they were, but she was convinced it was a safe ce to tend to his injury.


    ¡°Over there.¡± She pointed to the hut. ¡°You need to pull over.¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± ze grinned, and without further ado, he drove towards it.


    He climbed out of the car and staggered forward. ¡°Oh man, I don¡¯t feel too good.¡±


    Arabe caught him before he could fall. He was weighty, but she tried her best to keep him upright as she dragged him inside the hut.


    The inside was even better than the outside, which looked battered. She reckoned the harsh weather contributed to it. There was a tiny mattress at the side and a cab filled with supplies on a bedside table.


    Arabe frowned as she nced around, and she noticed a cross sign above.


    Not only that, it reeks of various scents, and it seems it was used a while ago. Moreover, she presumed people used the ce whenever they were injured.


    She wondered who was thoughtful enough to have built such.


    ¡°What am I supposed to do?¡± ze moaned. He yanked off the cloth he donned as he felt suddenly hot.


    It wasn¡¯t his first time getting shot, but this seemed even worst. He was hot and felt like throwing up.


    He had a lot of things going on with him, and he wondered if it was only an ordinary bullet that had been fired into him.


    ¡°Justy still. I have little medical knowledge. I did a few training in college. I can help lessen the pain until we get to a clinic.¡±


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t kill me,¡± ze murmured, and she turned to him.


    ¡°How can you even make jokes at this critical hour?¡± Arabe¡¯s hands were shaky, and she felt like she¡¯d go crazy anytime soon. Her heartbeat elerated each second.


    She didn¡¯t know what she was doing, but she prayed she didn¡¯t kill him as he said.


    ¡°To keep me awake and sane, I guess.¡±


    Arabe nodded, walking towards him. She squeezed his hand before staring at the injury.


    A grimace escaped her lips, and she shivered. Her hand went to his temple; his body temperature had spiked higher. She didn¡¯t know what he was going through, but by the look of things, he didn¡¯t look good.


    ¡°This might hurt, but you need to endure the pain.¡±


    ze gripped her hand. ¡°You don¡¯t seem like you know what you are doing. I¡¯ll be fine; you need not worry.¡±This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    She yanked his hand away and exerted pressure on the injury to stop the bleeding.


    ¡°Fuck, is that payback?!¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t look fine, and let me do what I can. Stop trying to stop me!¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± ze repeated. ¡°Don¡¯t just kill me.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t entirely a joke. Arabe realised he was scared. He was afraid to die. She was afraid as well. She only hoped what she was doing would work out and not make it worse for him.

 Chapter 77

    The night air was frigid, and ze jerked awake. His ears perked up as he heard sudden movement from the outside.


    He nudged Arabe gently, unwrapping her arms around him and rising to his feet.


    ncing through the small window, he glimpsed a furry creature that looked like a squirrel; he let out a breath, walking back to the bed.


    ncing at the injury, Arabe had tried her best to dress up; he noticed it was healing faster.


    He didn¡¯t know what she did and how it happened; ze figured out he passed out after she injected him with things she had seen in the first-aid box.


    He didn¡¯t care to ask her as well; all that mattered was that he was alive.


    ze caressed her hair, which created a halo about her as she slept. Her lips parted slightly, and a soft snore escaped them.


    ze chuckled, shaking his head. He winced at the movement he made as it caused him a terrible headache. He wasn¡¯t entirely healed, but he was looking better than earlier.


    He had Arabe to thank for it. He knew he could have gotten shot in any mission, and Francis would have been attending to him.


    But, he¡¯d have been allowed to feel most of the pain. Pain relievers were primarily never administered to Werewolves in the pack. It was said to enable them to endure when there was none. Again, werewolves had a high-level endurance of pain, and they could heal.


    But they were instances where they wouldn¡¯t be able to self-heal.


    His phone vibrated, snapping him out of his thoughts.


    He nced to see an unknown number, and immediately he read the content of the message shing on his screen; he knew it was Thalia.


    ze dialled her number to call her. She must have been worried sick about him. Yet, he didn¡¯t want her to know his whereabouts.


    On the first ring, she picked up.


    ¡°Where the fuck are you, Cole? Are you with that witch?!¡±


    ze grimaced, removing his phone from his ear momentarily before glueing it back.


    ¡°I am safe, Thalia.¡±


    Thalia snorted. ¡°That¡¯s not even what I ask of you.¡±


    ze imagined her ring at him and let out a chuckle. He missed Thalia. He missed her annoying him and their siblings¡¯ banter.


    But ze couldn¡¯t disclose his location to her. she was thest person that should know where he was due to the bad blood between Arabe and her. If it were different situations, she would have been the first he told.


    ¡°All the dratted Werewolves kept covering up for you. Although I am grateful, I am pissed off as well. Besides, your Alpha is going crazy¡­¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by going crazy?¡± ze cut her off.


    ¡°Alessandro looks as though he¡¯s going through the same phase as before. With red eyes and¡­¡±


    ¡°Where is he at the moment?¡± ze murmured.


    ¡°Howling nonstop in his room.¡±


    ze hissed. ¡°You need to leave there before my arrival and tell anyone that wishes to listen as well to steer clear from his room.¡±


    ¡°You never tell me what the deal between you and him is. I mean, why do you keep trying to order me to do some things when ites to Alessandro, but you keep many secrets from me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s for your safety, Thalia, and will you quit questioning me? I¡¯m on my way.¡± ze ended the call and stood to his feet.


    ze was still dizzy, and he couldn¡¯t leave Arabe in an unknown location for fear of her being found and killed.


    Yet, he didn¡¯t know what to do. Shit, Thalia was in the De Luca¡¯s household, and Sandro was on the verge of losing it as usual. He couldn¡¯t possibly let his stubborn sister do what was reckless because he knew she would go against him.


    Not only her but other Werewolves as well. When Sandro was in that state, he didn¡¯t care who was before him. He tended to hurt anyone on his path.


    ¡°Please, stay safe for me.¡± ze brushed his lips on Arabe¡¯s forehead and ced the note he had scribbled on the wall beside the bed.


    He stared at her onest time before walking out the door while securing the lock.


    ********


    Blood.


    He needed blood. But not even the many people he saw at the moment blood was enticing enough.


    ¡°We need her.¡± Lace whimpered, and the urge to shut out his voice from his head filled him.


    Lace was one of the reasons he was going into this phase. He had tried his best to suppress his hunger while awaiting ze¡¯s return.


    ¡°We need our mate.¡±


    ¡°Lace!¡± Sandro growled, pping his hand on the wall.


    The girl walking beside him shrieked and practically fell to the floor.


    Walking past her, Sandro red as she gripped the wall.


    ¡°Our mate is the key.¡± Lace mumbled.


    She wasn¡¯t the fucking key! Goodness, how he loathed when Lace was this stubborn and believed Arabe was the answer to all his problems.


    The whore! He would kill her as soon as the people he sent brought her to him.


    Shit, he would watch her grovel before him, beg him and even cry. But he would never let it affect him. He would kill her right away, and he¡¯d do it slowly.


    She had caused him a lot of stress, and he hoped she had enjoyed enough freedom before she came in because he wasn¡¯t taking the chance anymore.


    Delicate Rose or not, she¡¯d die as soon as he got hold of her. He¡¯d drain her blood and watch her die painfully!


    A few minutester, Sandro wasn¡¯t having it. He was seeing what he believed he shouldn¡¯t. Shit, his life was shing before his very eyes, and he saw his body burnt on the funeral pyre whilst his empty coffin was lowered slowly to the ground six feet under.


    He¡¯d be dead after going mad, and he was on the verge of running mad.


    Where the fuck was ze when he was needed?!


    He hated being helpless. He hated many things, and the current situation he was in was what he despised the most.


    The door to the room flung open, and Sandro nced towards the door.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    He snarled as Thalia stood there.


    ¡°She¡¯ll be our first kill. She looks insanely delicious, but she isn¡¯t our mate!¡± Lace said.


    Sandro shook his head as he stepped towards Thalia, but he couldn¡¯t brush off the image of her satisfying him out of his head.

 Chapter 78

    Thalia frowned. It was weird; how Sandro was smiling at her nonsensically made her even more afraid than what ze told her.


    As he stepped towards her, she backed away towards the door.


    ¡°You look creepy.¡± Thalia cleared her throat, attempting to sound normal even though she was scared shitless.


    She gripped the hem of the dress she donned and counted three as she prepared to run. But luck wasn¡¯t on her side.


    Sandro whooshed towards her and gripped her by her neck.


    Fuck! He was too fast!


    He flung her back into the room and sneered.


    Thalia stuttered, shaking her head as he moved nearer. ¡°S-stop. Whatever is going through your head, you need to stop!¡±


    She said thest word a little firmer, but she believed all she said fell on deaf ears as he pounced on her.


    Sandro gripped her neck, and he leaned into her.


    ¡°It¡¯s me, Alessandro!¡± Thalia shoved his chest. She kicked as his grip tightened on her neck. Her eyes rounded, and she hissed. ¡°You will kill me!¡±


    Sandro loosened his grip as he saw the tears shimmering in her eyes. ¡°Thalia?¡±


    Of course, he knew she was Thalia. But why couldn¡¯t he control himself? His wolf was on a rampage. And it was getting hard for him to concentrate.


    ¡°Please, control yourself.¡± She choked out.


    Sandro shook his head, ¡°I can¡¯t!¡±


    Thalia shoved at his chest, attempting to push him, but all her attempts to make him leave her proved futile.


    He pped both hands near her head and narrowed his eyes at her.


    She couldn¡¯t look away from him. Just like thest time, he had reddish eyes. It wasn¡¯t just a red glow; it was the berserker wolf eyes. She glimpsed the dark fur that had surfaced on his face.


    He was changing, and that might make it worse. Thalia recounted all the options in her head.


    One, Shove him until he freed his grip on her. That had proved abortive.


    Yell at him until he realised the mistake he was making. That was another useless option.


    Kick him in him below. That was the only option she hadn¡¯t used, and it seemed better as he would release his grip from her neck if she exerted much force into the kick.


    Unfortunately, his dick wasn¡¯t in view. He was practically sitting on her stomach!


    Thalia gritted her teeth. Her eyes brimmed with tears, and she shut them momentarily before opening them again. She pressed her hand into Sandro¡¯s chest, and with all the strength left in her, she shoved him before kicking his chin.


    He let out a painful howl, and his eyes narrowed at her.


    ¡°Now you¡¯ve got the big wolf furious. Fuck, you are going to pay.¡±


    Standing on her feet swiftly, Thalia froze on the spot she was in as he rushed towards her. She shut her eyes and waited for the impact of his run, but she felt none.


    She heard bones crunching, and she opened her eyes to see ze in front of her.


    He had intercepted the blow from Sandro midway.


    ze red at her. ¡°I told you to fucking stay away!¡±


    Thalia shrugged, ¡°I am fine, at least.¡± Of course, she appreciated ze foring to rescue her. She was thankful he had arrived on time, except he¡¯d have met her decaying body if he had appeared a minuteter.


    ¡°I never knew he was going to go all out on me. I wasing to tell him to keep calm that you were on your way!¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡± ze let out a grunt. ¡°Just stay out of my way.¡±


    Thalia shrugged again and did as he said. She doesn¡¯t want to be the reason he gets killed. She doubted ze could handle the Sandro in front of her despite how powerful he was himself.


    But she stayed behind, a safe distance, ready to butt in if he needed help.


    Sandro growled. He tilted his face in the air and let out a howl.


    ¡°Snap the fuck out of this,¡± ze mumbled, keeping an eye on him.


    He was almost reaching his limit himself. He was still injured and shouldn¡¯t be moving around. He didn¡¯t think he should be taking a berserker Sandro on.


    But he couldn¡¯t help himself. He needed to save everyone. And not only that, he needed to protect himself as well.


    Thalia bit her lower lip as it trembled.


    She sped her fingers together and gazed at ze, who was still watching Sandro. She didn¡¯t know what he was thinking about, but he needed to do something.


    Sandro was tearing at his skin, and if he went on doing so, he might kill himself in the process.


    ¡°Freaking, do something and stop spacing out!¡± She shouted.


    ze turned towards her. She wished he didn¡¯t. Sandro used the opportunity of his being distracted from tackling him to the ground.


    ¡°Col¡­ ze!¡± She cried out, rushing forward.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got this under control.¡± ze let out a grunt.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Thalia was about to retort when she saw Sandro convulse and roll off ze.


    She rushed forward and helped ze up.


    Thalia wrapped her arms around his midriff and ced her head on his pounding chest.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I never listen to you. But please never do something as reckless as this next time. You are the only one I¡¯ve got!¡± She stared at him, blinking back the tears she had in her eyes.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about me. I¡¯m not dying. I did save you, so give me some credit.¡±


    Thalia red at his attempt at a joke and pped his chest.


    ze groaned, doubling over.


    ¡°See why I can¡¯t give you credit? You are fucking weak.¡±


    ze rolled his eyes, straightening, ¡°I did save you.¡±


    ¡°Whatever.¡± She mumbled, turning to look at Sandro.


    He was still, and she moved towards him slowly.


    ze yanked her back. ¡°He¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll see to his well-being.¡±


    ¡°Are you certain he¡¯s breathing?¡± She asked, her brows furrowing as she chewed on her bottom lip.


    ¡°He is.¡± ze said.


    Thalia frowned as ze winced again. She stared at him intently and noticed he was gripping his side. She grabbed his hand, and her eyes rounded.


    ¡°What the hell?!¡± Thalia gasped as she stared at the blood coating the shirt he donned, and she tugged it up. She realised he had not doubled over from her punch because he was weak; he was fucking hurt. Shit, by the look of the injury, it didn¡¯t look good.


    ¡°See, I am not weak.¡± ze shot her a lopsided grin. He staggered forward, but she caught him midway.


    ¡°You are not,¡± Thalia affirmed. ¡°But you are fucking reckless!¡±


    ze chuckled before closing his eyes. He heard her cuss loudly and call his name several times until her voice faded.

 Chapter 79

    Arabe rolled over the bed and sighed. A smile appeared on her face as she tapped beside her.


    ¡°ze.¡± She mumbled. Although he had told her to call him by his given name whilst they were alone.


    Arabe didn¡¯t think she would be calling him that anytime soon as each time she wanted to, she ended up calling him ze.


    Besides, she liked the sound of ze better than Cole. She loved how it sounded to her ears.


    ¡°ze,¡± She mumbled again. As she got no response, she opened her eyes.


    The room was semi-dim. ze must have shut the windows.


    Arabe could make out objects in the room from the little light streamed inside from a crack in the door.


    She nced towards the bed to realise ze wasn¡¯t in it.


    Sitting up abruptly, she ran a hand through her hair.


    ¡°ze.¡± She mumbled, walking around the corner of the tiny room.


    Then she crouched to check underneath the bed. ¡°It is not funny. You are hurt and should not be moving around.¡±


    ze could barely fit under the bed due to hisrge frame. And there was no way he could have hidden from her in the room because she¡¯d have caught him.


    ¡°Did he leave?¡± Arabe clenched her hands and moved towards the door as she glimpsed a note on it.


    ¨CThis is important, and I had to leave. I¡¯ll be back before you know it. Don¡¯t miss me too much, and don¡¯t do anything reckless- ze.


    But he was doing the opposite of what he had written.


    Arabe wished she could see him this instant; she¡¯d have given him an earful. She was freaking pissed, and she wondered when he¡¯d stop risking his health for what wasn¡¯t even worth it.


    She gripped the handle of the door and yanked. But nothing happened. She tugged again and nced at the note. Shit, ze had locked her in.


    ¡°I¡¯m never going to forgive you for this!¡± She muttered under her breath before storming towards the bed.


    *****


    ¡°Please, no,¡± ze muttered. He jerked and tightened his grip on Thalia.


    Thalia frowned. His fever had gone higher. She had managed to dress the wound as the person who did it had done a terrible job.


    She believed it might have been for the moment to keep him moving until they got proper attention.


    But she was confused. She didn¡¯t know what exactly happened, but it seemed like ze had been shot.


    However, it wasn¡¯t wolfsbane or silver.


    Thalia would have been affected if it was any of the two.


    ze was reacting to whatever was in the bullet. It was strange for a werewolf to go into this phase due to an ordinary shot.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be fine,¡± Thalia said and caressed his hair before wiping his forehead with the damp towel with her.


    She stood to her feet, and he gripped her hand before she took a step.


    ¡°Help Arabe. Don¡¯t let them get to her.¡± He rasped. As soon as the words left his lips, he released his grip on her and slept off again.


    Thalia grimaced. It was the second time he was telling her. What the hell had Arabe done to him?


    The thought of the bitch made her furious. She had ced him in this position, and she was sure he was trying to save her before he was shot.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to kill her instead when I get hold of her.¡± Thalia gritted, stalking away from him.


    **********


    Sandro groaned. His head thumped, and he rolled on hisrge bed. He winced as his hand went to his neck, and he sat up slowly.


    It happened again, but he was lucky ze arrived on time. Before ze¡¯s arrival, he had sent several of his Delta to the clinic to acquire the blood he often used.


    But they hade with something else. That had made his condition worse.


    Was the supply finished? He was doomed if it was.


    He didn¡¯t know how ze kept getting the ones he used on him. Maybe he kept a lot of them and used them when he was in the phase.


    Sandro came down from the bed and went to the bathroom to do his business and freshen up.


    He tossed on some fresh clothes as soon as he was done and stepped towards ze¡¯s room.


    ¡°Thalia.¡± He mumbled, watching her go in. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Taking care of your Beta.¡± She said, walking in. She felt him follow her in.


    Thalia didn¡¯t care about whatever was running through his mind; she needed to care for her brother.


    Even if it would cost her life, she¡¯d care for him before she died.


    Sandro let out a cuss as he saw the state ze was in. ¡°D-did I bite¡­?¡± He trailed off, staring at the decaying injury.


    ¡°It looks like a bullet wound,¡± Thalia mumbled. But she didn¡¯t tell him it wasn¡¯t coated with silver or wolfsbane. It was best she left the part out before he went digging in, and ze would be in trouble if he happened to find out the real cause of his problem.


    ¡°That looks awful. Will he be fine?¡± Sandro mumbled.


    ¡°He¡¯ll be,¡± Thalia said. ¡°I already did what I could. Only praying he wakes up soon and his super healing kicks in as well.¡±


    Sandro nodded. He stared at ze for a while before ncing at Thalia. ¡°I almost hurt youst night.¡±


    ¡°You almost did.¡± She shed him a small smile before ncing back at ze.


    Sandro could see it in her eyes even as she tried to hide it; she was afraid of him. He wouldn¡¯t me her. He would be frightened of himself if he was in her shoes.


    He had literally wanted to kill her if  ze hadn¡¯t intervened.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± He didn¡¯t know the reason he was apologising to her. But he felt he needed to.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Thalia said. ¡°I¡¯m d you are back.¡±


    She nced away again. She avoided his gaze, but he didn¡¯t call her on it.


    Instead, Sandro watched ze as well, hoping he¡¯d recover soon.


    *********


    Sandro stared at Alessia for a while. She looked somewhat lifeless, and he would have thought she was dead if not for the rise and fall of her chest. Also, her fingers twitched.


    He gripped the bar of the cage she was in and leaned in. ¡°Alessia.¡±


    He kicked the cage with his booted feet, as she didn¡¯t respond to him. Slowly she lifted her head.


    Alessia nced at Sandro through blurry eyes. She didn¡¯t know what he wanted with her. She¡¯d prefer he killed her rather than watch her suffer and die.


    She had lost all hope. No one wasing to save her, not even ze, that promised to do his best to let her out of the cage.


    Ever since his promise, she had not seen or heard from him.


    Alessia only saw Janice, who did little to nothing to help her situation. It was as if she revelled in what was happening to her, just like Sandro.


    ¡°I¡¯m d you are not dead,¡± Sandro said.


    Alessia shut her eyes and opened them again. She could see him clearly, and she saw the frown on his face.


    ¡°I have a few questions to ask you. And I promise to let you go if you say nothing but the truth. And also, answer me correctly.¡±


    ¡°If it is about Arabe, I swear on my mama¡¯s life; I do not know much. I have never met her, and I only saw a picture of her with a delicate rose underneath.¡±


    Alessia¡¯s lips trembled. she didn¡¯t know if it was okay to give Sandro all the information she knew about the other girl.


    Arabe was in danger, and Alessia wondered what must have happened that made him so interested in her.


    Sandro snarled, ¡°You are telling me more lies.¡±


    ¡°I do not¡­¡± The words died in her throat as Sandro gave her a hot smack.


    Tears streamed down her face, and her cheeks stung.


    ¡°Where the hell is Arabe? Where are you all keeping her, and why was I deceived in taking you instead? Why the hell do you have to look so much like her?!¡±


    Sandro growled at her, kicking her face.


    Alessia¡¯s head reeled. She gasped and fell to the floor, although she was in a sitting position. The kick from Sandro made herid face t on the ground.


    ¡°Listen to me, Alessia.¡± Sandro snarled. ¡°You are paying for her sin. I do not care if you know nothing of what is going on; I am fucking killing you. It¡¯s your fault for looking so much like her. And when I get the bitch as well, I won¡¯t hesitate to do the same thing after I get what I wanted.¡±


    Alessia was a sobbing mess. Sandro had left after he told her what he would do with her. She was confused. In fact, his word confused her the more.


    She was going to die, and it was unavoidable.


    Alessia didn¡¯t see herself in the Rosette empire anymore. Instead, she would rot in Sandro¡¯s dungeon.


    ******


    ¡°Sweetheart.¡±


    ze opened his eyes as he heard Janice¡¯s voice.


    He creased his brows as he nced around the room. ¡°Where¡¯s Thalia?¡±


    Janice rolled her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m d to see you too.¡±


    ¡°When did she leave? I was expecting to see her when I came awake.¡±


    ¡°But I am here. Who cares if Thalia is here or not?¡± Janice almost snapped at him. But she remembered he was a patient, and she needed to be gentle.


    She shed him a smile. Too sweet for ze likening, and he grimaced.


    ¡°Smiling makes you look weird.¡±


    ¡°I think otherwise.¡± She said with a shrug. ¡°How do you feel?¡±


    ¡°Awful.¡± He mumbled, pushing her hand that was on his forehead away.


    He didn¡¯t know why; he did not enjoy Janice touching him. He felt as though he was betraying Arabe.


    ze hadn¡¯t mated with her, and maybe it shouldn¡¯t be called a betrayer, but it was what he felt as if they had been intimate.


    Janice leaned into him. Her breasts almost spilt out of the crochet top she donned, and he averted his gaze.


    ze nudged her gently and murmured. ¡°I need toe down. I don¡¯t know how long I have been confined on this bed.¡±


    And he needed to get to Arabe as well. He had left her in the hut. He wondered how she was faring and hoped she hadn¡¯t encountered any problems.


    Moreover, he could not stop thinking of how pissed she¡¯d be at him as he had locked her in.


    ¡°I can help you with whatever you need. I am here for a reason.¡± Janice said. She caressed his hand and let her breasts brush his arms as he let her help him up.


    He stepped towards the door, ignoring the sensual looks she was tossing his way.


    Janice intercepted him and gripped his shoulder. She pushed her chest into his bare chest and hoisted herself on her feet, kissing him swiftly.


    ze shoved her roughly, and he red at her. ¡°You need to stop this!¡±


    ¡°Being sick shouldn¡¯t make you a handicap. I can satisfy you¡­¡±


    ¡°Fucking stop it!¡± He yelled, and that got to her. He gripped her shoulder, shaking her slightly.


    ¡°I do not like you in the way you desire. Heck, I do not even see you as a mate. Of course, we fucked, but I guess you should have realised it was only because of Arabe I had touched you.¡±


    ¡°ze,¡± Janice mumbled. ¡°I love you.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t love me!¡± ze snapped. ¡°You feel nothing for me, and I feel nothing for you. No matter how often you keeping at me, I¡¯ll freaking reject you over again. It¡¯s best you look elsewhere.¡±Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Janice scowled. ¡°You are a jerk, and you know that.¡±


    ¡°A jerk that let you know the truth. That¡¯s who I¡¯ll be.¡±


    ¡°A bastard and a jerk.¡± She shook his hands off her and ran out of the room as she felt the first sting of tears.


    ¡°I overdid it, didn¡¯t I, Red? She seems sad and mad at me.¡± ze sighed, sitting on the bed.


    ¡°She¡¯s not our mate, and you should not care about her feeling.¡± Red let out.


    ze rolled his eyes. Of course, his wolf was cruel, and only when it came to Arabe, he only softened.


    His mind returned to Arabe again, and he prayed for her safety.

 Chapter 80

    Janice swiped at the tears clouding her vision angrily. He had rejected her again. She assumed he woulde to ept her as time went by, but she kept getting rejected by him.


    She knew from the onset that ze had his eyes on Arabe. Even when Arabe hadn¡¯te, ze never looked at her the way he did to Arabe.


    And when Arabe left, Janice assumed he would at least have some feelings for her.


    However, he felt nothing.


    Janice believed she was naive. She was freaking naive to have pinned too long on him, and worse was, she had let him use her.


    She wondered if he saw her as a mere tool for pleasure rather than a woman.


    She sat on the garden bench and brought her knees upwards, wrapping her arms around them; she hugged it and ced her head on it.


    Janice shuddered. The tears kept pouring out. The rejection hurt, and she doubted she would forget about it.


    Perhaps, she shouldn¡¯t feel as worse as this. But it still hurt.


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    ¡°Leave me alone,¡± Janice murmured as she felt Francis¡¯s presence.


    He sat beside her instead of letting her be as she said.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay to cry, you know,¡± Francis said.


    Janice sniffled. She raised her head, eyeing him. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Here,¡± Francis murmured, extending a face towel towards her.


    She huped and wiped at the snort, about to drip down her nose with the face towel before she nced at him again.


    ¡°Rejection hurts. We all need to feel that sometimes. We can¡¯t always have what we desire.¡±


    He knew, Janice mused. Had he been eavesdropping on her conversation?!


    She scowled at him and stood to her feet. ¡°Do you go about listening to all that people say without their permission?!¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t listen to your conversation with ze. And, of course, I saw you dashed out of his room.¡± He added as he saw the questioning gaze in her eyes.


    Janice hadn¡¯t noticed anyone whilst she ran out to the garden. She had assumed they were the only ones awake.


    Moreover, her tears must have made her vision too blurry.


    ¡°You love ze. I have known that for a while now. Heck, a blind man can see you have affection towards him.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not discussing this with you,¡± Janice murmured. Her cheeks were stained with a blush, and she moved to walk away, but he gripped her hand.


    ¡°I¡¯m not trying to make you feel bad. That¡¯s thest thing I want. I¡¯m just letting you know you can¡¯t have all that you wished.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I know that!¡± Janice snapped, shrugging his hand away. ¡°I know he can¡¯t have me, and it is all the fault of that bitch. She¡¯s going to pay!¡±


    Francis sighed. He knew who the bitch Janice was referring to was. But he doubted Arabe had anything to do with what was going on.


    ze never had anything for Janice right from the beginning. But she had been blinded by love for him.


    And when Arabe came, Francis had seen how ze stared at her especially. It seemed like they were mated, but no official announcement between them yet.


    ¡°I wish I know wherever she is hiding. She had a lot to answer.¡±


    ¡°Arabe is innocent,¡± Francis interjected. ¡°She didn¡¯t know you have feelings for him. Heck, she barely knows how this mate thing works because she isn¡¯t a werewolf¡­¡±


    ¡°When did you turn her defender?!¡±


    ¡°I stand for the truth,¡± Francis replied with a shrug.


    ¡°You stand for nothing, and she¡¯ll surely pay!¡± Janice let out. She started to walk away, and Francis yanked her suddenly.


    She let out a gasp and rammed into him. ¡°Don¡¯t do what you might regret.¡± He rasped, staring into her eyes.


    For the first time in a while, Janice felt like she was staring into his eyes. She glimpsed the dark eyes that went darker, and something else swirled in them.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Lust¡­


    It was weird; she could read everything on his face, and the heat radiating from his body to hers wasn¡¯t helping.


    Janice licked her lower lip and scrunched up his shirt. Her gaze zeroed in on his lips as she murmured. ¡°What are you doing? Let me go.¡±


    It was a feeble request, and within her, she didn¡¯t want him to let go. She wanted to see what he had in mind and what he intended to do to her.


    Francis¡¯s head dipped, and he murmured. ¡°Can I do this?¡±


    He tilted her chin and captured her lips before she could respond.


    Janice let out an oof sound, and her hand syed on his shirt, gripping him close.


    She opened her mouth as he teased her lip. Her hands wound around his neck, pulling him close to her. The kiss ended as soon as she got into it.


    Janice panted, staring at Francis, who did the same to her.


    Having realised what had happened, she flushed, shaking her head. ¡°That shouldn¡¯t have¡­¡±


    ¡°I do not regret it,¡± Francis said. ¡°I¡¯ve wanted to do so for a while now.¡±


    Confused, she stared at him. It seemed she was the only one not fullyprehending why he kissed her.


    Not only that, she had freaking responded.


    Shit, what the hell was wrong with her?


    She was crying for one and yet let another one have ess to her.


    Janice shook her head and moved backwards as Francis stepped towards her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m really sorry. I need to leave.¡±


    She dashed towards the pce before he could stop her.


    Francis grimaced, staring at her retreating form.


    Perhaps, he had gone too far by doing so. He was shocked himself and had expected her to p him and shove him away when their lips joined but otherwise had happened.


    He was somewhat d she was receptive, and he believed he wasn¡¯t the only one wanting to try it.


    Francis grimaced as he stared at his pant. He had a boner. It was not the first time he¡¯d be having it. Only the thought of Janice made him hard, and he didn¡¯t need to think of her naked before it happened.


    Fuck, he wanted her.


    Francis wondered how long he¡¯d have to wait to have her to himself.

 Chapter 81

    Arabe paced around the small room. She peered outside the window and let out a sigh as she was greeted with total darkness.


    ze didn¡¯t arrive yet. She couldn¡¯t reach him as well.


    She ced her hand on her thumping chest as more howls sounded from near where she was. It was weird, but she felt something awful was about to happen.


    She didn¡¯t know what it was, and her intuition never failed her.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    However, she doubted she¡¯d escape whatever wasing. ze had foolishly locked her in, and he hadn¡¯t returned.


    She might as well be prey to the predator she was getting apprehensive about.


    Arabe picked up her phone and typed on it; she read the message again before sending it to ze. She had sent hundred of the same message, but she hadn¡¯t gotten a positive response.


    The message was; Call me when you see this and get your fucking ass back here. We need to leave!


    She doubted he would reply to the one she had just sent.


    Perhaps, he was busy, she pondered, sitting on the bed.


    sping her face in her palms, she let out a groan. ¡°That jerk. How can he leave me in the middle of nowhere?!¡± She red at nothing in particr, and as if to answer her question, a growl sounded.


    Arabe frowned, and she listened as she heard the growl again. It was from outside.


    She stood to her feet and stealthily walked to the window. She gripped the first-aid box, made with steel, to m into whoever it was in case she was attacked.


    Her breath lodged in her throat as she peered out of the window, and she yelped as her face collided with arge dog.


    ¡°What the hell?!¡± Arabe eximed, gripping her pounding chest.


    It growled, and she doubted it was a dog. It was just like the ones she had seen several times, and no dog would be around at this time of the day in the middle of nowhere.


    And surely none would look her straight in the eyes as though it was promising to kill her when she stepped out of the room.


    It disappeared, and she heaved a breath.


    Arabe jumped as something rammed into the door. She believed it was the animal. The relief that surged into her before turned into trepidation.


    She gasped, staring at the door while reaching for her phone on the bed.


    ¡°Please, pick up!¡± She cried into the phone as she ced it on her ear.


    Arabe shivered. It was not because of the cold air that suddenly drifted into the room; it was because of what was going to happen to her the next minute if the animal seeded in breaking the door.


    Shit! She¡¯d be dead even before ze came. Tears shimmered in her eyes as she thought of how her life went from bad to good and then to worse suddenly.


    She was going to die, just like her father.


    She¡¯d never know of her mother. Goodness, although she didn¡¯t know who the bitch that left her was, Arabe at least wanted her to see that she was doing better without her.


    Now, there was no way she¡¯d meet her. She doubted her mother would want to know who she was either.


    ¡°ze!¡± She yelled as the call went to an automated message. ¡°I¡¯m going to di¡­¡±


    Arabe was yet toplete her voice message when she heard ze¡¯s voice. But not only that, the animal had broken the door and looked at her in the eyes.


    She had reached him, but it might as well be herst night.


    Tears streamed down Arabe¡¯s face as she gripped the phone tighter in her trembling hands.


    ¡°ze¡­¡± She stuttered. ¡°I-I¡­¡±


    ze frowned. His mind was foggy as he had just woken up. He groaned as the muscle at the back of his neck ached, and he kneaded it before concentrating on what Arabe was saying.


    He couldn¡¯t make out any words aside from his name, which she had called out in a stutter.


    He heardboured breathing and something else¡­ He sensed fear.


    ze winced as he sat up. He hadn¡¯t healed as he assumed, but he was doing better. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°You promised to be here!¡± She shouted.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡­ ¡± ze didn¡¯t get toplete his statement as she snapped at him again.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be gone, and I sure hope you are happy.¡± Arabe sniffled.


    He realised she was crying and he sat up straight. ¡°What do you mean you¡¯ll be gone? I told you not to leave the room in the letter I dropped. Besides, it was locked. Did you break yourself out?!¡±


    A few minutes ago, he heard about where he locked Arabe. It was a territory for rogue werewolves.


    They were always there to terrorise poor people and other supernatural creatures.


    It wasn¡¯t only werewolf rogues that were present; the bad eggs in other supernatural beings were also there. But werewolf rogues were the dominant ones.


    And he had wanted to save her, but somehow he had gotten weak and knocked out cold. He wondered if it was from the injury or if Thalia had added something else to the injections she had administered to him.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t leave; it came to me.¡±


    ze didn¡¯t understand what she meant at; first; it was after hearing the fear in her trembling voice as well as the hidden plea for him to get to her as soon as possible that made him snap out of the daze he was in.


    ¡°Hold on!¡± ze started to say, but the line already went dead.


    ze cursed, sitting up. The pain at his side was fast forgotten as he pulled on a clean cloth before darting out the door.


    *****


    Arabe swallowed the lump in her throat as she let the phone tter. Today was her end. She was sure of that.


    Even as ze told her he wasing for her, she doubted he would meet her alive or, worse, be able to resurrect her after the animal was done with her.


    Arabe jumped to her feet as it sprang towards her. She didn¡¯t know the force that propelled her forward, but she was sure whatever it was didn¡¯t want her to give up easily.


    It wanted her to fight back.


    Arabe gripped the club beside her and tightened her hands on it.


    As if the animal knew what she intended to do, it let out a growl and leapt into the air.


    Arabe swung without thinking. Then she yelled and lurched back as the club connected with the face of the animal.


    It fell to the ground and jerked up back.


    ¡°Shit, it¡¯s strong.¡± She murmured, her eyes trained on it as it prepared to attack again.


    Arabe didn¡¯t know how long it was, but she kept attacking it and sometimes missed the attack. Yet, that didn¡¯t stop her.


    Eventually, thest blow she gave to the animal made it fall to the ground.


    Arabe let out a staggering breath. Her eyes shut and opened as she heard more howl.


    Was moreing?


    She had barely killed the one on the floor, and more were on their way. Shit, she might not be lucky.


    Arabe stared at the scratch the werewolf had inflicted on her; it was fast bing purple on her wrist, and she felt a burning sensation. She wobbled to the door, gripped the doorknob and her eyes rounded as she saw two more of the same creature.


    Not just two, she counted ten altogether, and they wereing at her.


    Fuck, she was doomed; that was the only thought that stayed in her head as they sprinted towards her.

 Chapter 82

    She was free. She was!


    Alessia sprinted into the woods with legs that felt like jelly. She wondered why she hadn¡¯t copsed since she began the journey.


    She didn¡¯t know exactly who rescued her as she was unconscious, but she had met herself in the woods with a note written on her body.


    She was grateful for whoever it was that saved her from the cruel fate Sandro had nned for her.


    Goodness, she would never forgive all that he did to her. The more she thought about the unjust punishment, the more it brought tears to her eyes.


    Still, she was free. Alessia believed it was all that mattered at the moment.


    Not only that, and also how to get to her parents in one piece was all she thought of.


    Alessia didn¡¯t know where she was going, but she knew she could get help from a few people who passed by. However, she hadn¡¯t seen anyone yet because she was in the forest.


    She got to an opening, and her eyes dimmed as she saw the light from a car sh ahead to where she stood.


    She pped her hands in the air and muttered incoherently while staggering towards whosoever wasing.


    ¡°Saviour.¡± She mumbled as she stumbled to the road. She didn¡¯t care if she got hit. At least the driver would slow down when they noticed someone jumped in front of their car ande out to help her instead of killing her.


    She wouldn¡¯t die; she believed that. Alessia groaned and doubled over in pain as her side hurt. Her head pounded, and the light from the iing car made it hard for her to see anything.


    She lurched forward, and she heard the sound of the honking of a car before falling to the pavement.


    Alessia heard a few cuss words from the driver before she shut her eyes.


    She let out a relieved sigh as her saviour¡¯s voice didn¡¯t sound like Sandro or anyone from his camp.


    She would get home safely; Alessia knew that as the driver plucked her from the ground.


    ****


    Janice turned over again. She didn¡¯t know how long she¡¯d keep turning. She grasped her pillow and punched it several times before screaming into it.


    What the hell was wrong with her? She had acted as though she was amon whore and let men treat her the way they wanted.


    Goodness, she had let Francis kiss her, and worse was she responded to it.


    Yet, she still had nasty thoughts about ze. She was definitely the whore; she had tagged Arabe and Thalia. She was worse than them.


    At least Thalia was pinning on Sandro alone, and ze and Sandro were pursuing Arabe.


    They had done the pursuing, and Arabe had even rejected them over again for it.


    However, she was doing otherwise. ze had rejected her, and it still hurt. Janice tried forgetting about the rejection a few hours ago, but she couldn¡¯t.


    She wiped at the tears blurring her vision before sitting up straight as she heard a knock.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    Her room was closest to the entrance to the De Luca vi, and she was the one who was assigned to open it as she was the only maid and omega who didn¡¯t live in the servant quarters.


    Janice believed her migration was because of Arabe. Although she was Sandro¡¯s maid, she never had a reason to live in the vi until Arabe¡¯s arrival.


    Janice shuffled to the door slowly and undid the lock. She tugged the door¡¯s handle and her eyes collided with a pair of familiar dark-brown eyes.


    Janice gasped and staggered backwards as she took in the appearance of the tattered girl in front of her.


    Her dress was torn in several ces, blood adorned her dirty, ebony skin, and her hair was unkempt; it looked like she hadn¡¯t run ab through it since she was born.


    ¡°J-Janice?¡±


    Janice shook her head. She pinched her skin and winced as she realised she wasn¡¯t in a nightmare.


    ¡°Annalise, what are you doing here?!¡± That was the only word that came out of Janice¡¯s mouth before she was tackled into a hug.


    *******


    ze didn¡¯t know how long he had been driving, but he begged the moon goddess to help him get to Arabe in record time. He had tried reaching her, but she didn¡¯t pick up her phone, making him the more frustrated as he didn¡¯t know what she was going through.


    ze stepped hard on the elerator, exceeding the speed limit. The road was clear, and he was sure he would not run into anyone. He just needed to get to Arabe, and running someone over was thest thing on his mind.


    As soon as he got to a safe distance, he ran out of the car and sprinted towards the hut.


    He was almost there when he saw the werewolf surrounding the ce. They reeked, and he didn¡¯t need to guess what they were from the horrible odouring from them.


    ¡°Rogues,¡± ze growled as he drew close, but they weren¡¯t what caught his attention. The door was broken, and he narrowed his eyes.


    He darted into the hut as he heard a scream from Arabe. A rogue was on her, wing at her face and skin.


    ze let out a howl and, with all his might, transformed into his wolf form. A huge golden brown wolf with zing golden eyes flecked with silver. He rammed into the ck werewolf tormenting Arabe and let his concentration stay on it.


    ze ignored the disbelief in Arabe¡¯s eyes. He didn¡¯t think he could hide from her any longer.


    She needed him in this state to save her.


    ¡°Jesus, ze! Y-you are a dog?!¡± Arabe gasped out.


    ze ignored her question and couldn¡¯t respond to her as he wasn¡¯t in his human form anymore. He knew a werewolfmunicating with a human in their true wolf form was impossible, except they were mated and marked.


    ze watched her run into a corner. He didn¡¯t know how she could still stand on her feet despite the terrible-looking injury the rogue had inflicted on her.


    Nevertheless, he was d she was out of the way. He¡¯d exin himself to herter, and that was only if they came out alive.


    ze noticed the other werewolvesing towards the hut. He gripped the ck wolf by the fur and flung him outside. He growled while the several werewolves outside tilted their head and let out several howls before staring back at him.


    Pain. That was all we needed, Red murmured. They injured our mate, and we need to hurt them, doing back what they did to her in tenfolds!

 Chapter 83

    Arabe hurt all over.


    She didn¡¯t know what was going on. It felt as though several needles had been stuck into her system.


    The beast had wed at her body as though it was having a nice meal. She had thought it would let her be until it suddenly jumped on her.


    But she guessed after the several blows she hadnded on it, it decided to take revenge on her, and she shouldn¡¯t me it.


    On her face, mainly because that was where the most damage was done.


    Arabe didn¡¯t think worrying about her face was what mattered at the moment; it was ze that mattered.


    He hade to rescue her, which she was grateful for. She had thought she¡¯d be a steak for the beast as it kept on wing at her face, not even stopping one bit.


    But what was baffling was what she was staring at in front of her.


    ze wasn¡¯t ze. He wasn¡¯t the human she was used to.


    Fuck, he was an animal. He had assumed the structure of the beast that attacked her. And he had called himself a werewolf!


    Arabe assumed the creature to be extinct until now. And it all made sense to her, seeing as what she had been seeing weren¡¯t dogs but rather a werewolf.


    Shit, she had been living around wild animals. And the first time she had seen it in ze¡¯s house, she should have realized that, but then her brain hadn¡¯te up with anything reasonable due to the situation she was in at the period. Was Sandro one too? Was everyone in the De Luca a Werewolf or just ze?


    Arabe couldn¡¯t help but look around in bewilderment. She didn¡¯t understand what was going on, and she believed she needed an exnation as to the reason he had shifted and howled like a Werewolf. She wanted answers as to why he had kept such vital information from her.


    However, it wasn¡¯t the right time for any of the questions currently running through her mind.


    She watched in a blur as ze tackled another werewolf to the ground; it felt as though the more he fought them off, the more they kepting.


    Arabe furrowed her brows as she tried to concentrate on what was happening instead of the dizziness washing over her, having lost a lot of blood.


    She grimaced as ze transformed back into his human form.


    She stared at him intently as he bent, and then she realized the blood that coated his naked torso- the boxer brief he donned earlier must have shredded when he shifted, and he was only in his pant.


    Arabe was d he wasn¡¯t entirely naked. Maybe she shouldn¡¯t have such nasty thoughts about him due to their current situation. But she couldn¡¯t help herself. Reluctantly, she let her hazy vision wander away from the bulge in his pants.


    Arabe recalled he was wounded, and he had left without having taken proper care of the injury. She stood to her feet and staggered to where he crouched.


    ¡°Stay back,¡± ze growled.


    ¡°You are hurt,¡± Arabe said, attempting to grip his hand.


    ¡°And you are in no position to help me!¡± ze let out a grunt, glowering at her.


    Arabe halted, and it wasn¡¯t because of the re ze was shooting her way; another beast was slowly creeping toward him.


    She was stunned at the intrusion and was too exhausted to say a word.


    She pointed her finger and stuttered, ¡°B-ze¡­¡±


    ¡°Stay back, Arabe,¡± ze said, still ignoring her.


    ¡°Watch out!¡± She yelled, but it was toote.


    The werewolf rammed into him, knocking him to the ground. Arabe heard bone scrunching and wondered whose it was.


    No one stood up, and she assumed ze was dead until she saw him tilt his hand in the air but not only his hand alone, she glimpsed a beating heart in it, and she was confident it was from the werewolf and no one else.


    But how did he pluck out its heart without noticing it wasing?!


    ze was exhausted. He needed a lot of rest, and if he coulde out of the situation he was in alive, he¡¯d definitely be resting for the whole day wherever he and Arabe ended up in.


    He tossed the heart he was lucky enough to yank out of the werewolf¡¯s body to the ground.


    Of course, before Arabe yelled his name, he had sensed its presence, and he was lucky to act fast; else, he believed the wolf had nned on tearing off his head.


    ze turned to Arabe; she stood unmoving a few meters from him. He knew she was horrified by all that was happening and maybe even more stupefied seeing the heart he had pulled out, whereas she had thought he¡¯d be the one losing.


    ze wanted to grab her and wrapped his arms around her while whispering everything would be alright. But he knew he couldn¡¯t do that.


    He couldn¡¯tfort her at the moment as he needed to get them away from the Rogue werewolves first.


    Staring at rogue Werewolves again, they weren¡¯t as much as they had been when he first arrived, and the worse was they were not backing down.


    He wasn¡¯t backing down as well, but there was a possibility he would tire out before any of them.


    ¡°ze¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± ze asserted, standing to his feet. He shed her a small smile which he knew wasn¡¯t convincing enough.


    Yet, he was d he didn¡¯t need to exin himself.


    ¡°Just get this over with,¡± Red growled.


    An unknown energy surged through him. It didn¡¯t empower him entirely, but at least he could stand on his feet and keep on fighting.


    ze felt the energye from Arabe standing near him. Also, him wanting to keep her safe.


    After a while, it ended, and Arabe ran into his arms. She fell to the ground, but he caught her, and her eyes fluttered close momentarily.


    She was hungry and thirsty, but most of all, she was exhausted.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    Arabe attempted to open her eyes to nce at ze as he caressed her face and shook her gently.


    She couldn¡¯t see him, but she listened to his voice instead of trying hard to see his face.


    ¡°ze,¡± she mumbled. Her hand tilted, but it fell to her side again. ¡°I-I¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t speak.¡± He ordered, caressing her hair. ¡°I¡¯ll get you to a clinic. You¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    Arabe nodded. At least it felt like a nod, as she barely had the energy to move any part of her body. But she believed him. She knew he was going to keep her safe. So, she sumbed to the darkness calling on her.

 Chapter 84

    ¡°Shit.¡±


    ze let out a groan as he glimpsed the greenish liquiding out of the injury inflicted on Arabe. She was still passed out, and by the look of the things, it didn¡¯t look as though she woulde to any moment from now.


    Moreover, the injury was infected.


    ze knew a lot about the werewolf rogues moving about in Cooan.


    They were poisonous werewolves that never hesitated to inject their poisons into any supernatural beings they attacked. Even human. The reason for injecting them with poison was to render them powerless before feeding on them.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    That would have been the fate of Arabe if he hadn¡¯t arrived.


    Yet, he was not lucky enough for her not to get poisoned. He was only fortunate they hadn¡¯t fed on her.


    ze had never thought anyone he knew would be in the position to have been beaten or scratched by them.


    He caressed Arabe¡¯s cheek, brushing out the hair on her face as he stepped on the gas pedal. He didn¡¯t know exactly where he was going, but he knew staying close to the hut was dangerous.


    After ze thought he was done fighting the rogues off, more surfaced.


    He had to flee with Arabe as it seemed they were all there because of her. They hade because of her and didn¡¯t know why they were aggressive towards a human.


    For one, ze knew Rogues werewolves didn¡¯t just attack humans except being threatened by them, or the overly hungry rogues that needed to feed were the ones who attacked anyone without thinking. But then, seeing alling for Arabe at once as though she was a scrumptious meal was what he¡¯d never understand.


    Getting to a dead end, ze grimaced. He got down from the car to assess the environment, and he let out a cuss as several howls sounded from afar.


    ¡°Could today be any worse?¡± He mused, ring at the bright moon.


    It was as though the moon goddess had decided to ruin today for him. He assumed she was overly joyous; they were in such predicaments as the moon shone even brighter.


    Aside from being chased about, he was wounded, and so was Arabe.


    The moon goddess could have kept them safe. She was their guardian, after all. Even if she never guarded him due to his demon gene- ze believed the moon goddess was partly responsible for his predicament of being chased about as she never did anything to help save him from any iing attacks from demons-she could have kept Arabe safe. She was his mate!


    Instead, she let them fight off the rogues alone and almost got them killed.


    Now, he had nowhere to run, and by the stench in the air, he sensed they were near.


    ze darted to the car as the stench became stronger. He didn¡¯t know what creature wasing, but he was sure it wasn¡¯t a werewolf.


    It didn¡¯t smell like it.


    Getting into the car, he sighed, staring at Arabe. He didn¡¯t know how much longer he needed until he got to a clinic where she¡¯d be treated.


    His eyes widened as she didn¡¯t move a limb. Her head was lolled to a side, and it felt like she had stopped breathing.


    Panicked, ze ced his hand underneath her chin to feel her pulse. He let out a sigh as he felt the steadiness of her heartbeat.


    She was alive, but it wouldn¡¯t be for long.


    .


    .


    .


    .


    Arabe turned; her heartbeat raced as she stared at the darkened forest.


    ¡°ze¡­¡± She mumbled, but it sounded louder than she imagined. Her voice echoed throughout the woods, and she jumped as she heard rustling behind her.


    Her heartbeat quickened, and she chewed on her bottom lip. She didn¡¯t know how she got to the forest in the first ce.


    She was with ze. She was sure of that when they suddenly got separated.


    Arabe had tried retracing her steps back, but each turn she took led her to a dead end. Not only that, she felt as though something was calling on to her.


    Arabe heard a growl, and she staggered backwards, a ck werewolf jumped out of the shrub, and its wicked red eyes red at her.


    ¡°ze!¡± She shouted. Perhaps, it wasn¡¯t the right time to call on him in this manner, as she doubted she would be saved. She didn¡¯t think there was any harm in trying.


    ¡°ze.¡± She repeatedly tried, calling his name and trying to reach out to him. But nothing seemed to be working.


    She was met with total silence, and the beast still stood in front of her. She believed it was happy she was met with silence, and no one wasing to rescue her.


    The werewolf growled and moved towards her slowly. Arabe stumbled over a branch and fell to the ground.


    She let out an oof, grimacing as her butt hurt from the fall.


    ¡°Please stop.¡± She mumbled, realising she was alone and no one wasing to save her.


    ¡°Stop.¡± Arabe shook her head frantically, and her eyes darted around the darkened forest.


    But the beast kepting towards her. She doubted it heard any of the things she had said.


    She held out her hand she let out a loud, piercing screech as it leapt in the air.


    ze stepped on the elerator. He grunted as the car skidded to a halt due to Arabe¡¯s scream, and he continued almost immediately as he nced at the beast he was running from in the rare view mirror.


    It was just one, but it seemed almost impossible for him to take him on.


    ¡°No!¡± Arabe gasped.


    He gripped Arabe¡¯s hand with his free hand and squeezed. She had been in the situation for about an hour, and he doubted she¡¯d be waking anytime soon. It was the poison; it was taking its effect on her system.


    ze¡¯s free hand tightened on the steering until his knuckles turned white. The urge to go back and punish the people involved in her predicament filled him.


    But he had killed most of them. He doubted if he¡¯d have been satisfied if he killed all of them.


    The worse was it would never make Arabe wake up. He¡¯d only have the revenge, which was a momentary victory.


    ¡°ze.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here,¡± ze mumbled, although she could not hear him. He was still offering the support he could.


    ze stared at Arabe for a while as her mouth moved, but no word came out. He only saw her writhe and stiffen under his hold.


    ze¡¯s eyes strayed to the road momentarily, And he gasped, marching on the break as fast as he could.


    Someone was in the middle of the road, blocking him. His eyes narrowed, and he cursed under his breath as he pressed the honk several times but got no reply.


    He undid the seat belt and moved to slide out of the car, but Arabe¡¯s hand shot out to grip his.


    ¡°Don¡¯t.¡±


    ze frowned and turned to her. The voice didn¡¯t sound like hers.


    It sounded cold and foreign to his ears.


    He stared at her intently, and almost immediately, as if sensing his eyes on her, Arabe jerked and opened her eyes.


    ze blinked several times as he stared at her once beautiful blue eyes. They were partly yellow, a sapphire blue flecked with ck and red.


    It wasn¡¯t like anything he had seen before. And what scared ze the most was the wicked glint in them.

 Chapter 85

    ¡°Arabe.¡± ze gripped her hand, pulling her back, but she pped his hand away and unlocked the car.


    ¡°Be.¡± He called desperately to her, but it felt like he was talking to himself and a hard wall.


    He watched her with wide eyes as she stepped out of the car and walked towards the ck figure.


    ze came down as well. He didn¡¯t know what was happening to her, but he couldn¡¯t let her go to the ck figure alone.


    He halted a few metres from where the ck figure was, and he frowned.


    ze rubbed his mmy palms on the leather pant he donned and shook his head.


    He was terrified, and it wasn¡¯t because the area they were in got darker.


    The moon going back in contributed to his fear, and it was the fact that he could not tell what specie the figure was.


    Although he was aware it was a Supernatural being, he didn¡¯t know what exactly it was.


    ze moved towards Be and gripped her hand. He turned her to face him, and he cupped her face.


    ¡°Look at me, Be.¡± He said firmly.


    Her eyes were still the unusual colours, and her body felt hot and cold simultaneously.


    ze gripped her shoulder and shook her. ¡°Come on, snap out of the daze you are in!¡±


    He yelled, but that didn¡¯t do the trick. Instead, she stretched forth her palm, and he flew backwards.


    ¡°Goddamn it!¡± ze groaned as he mmed into the hood of his car.


    He grimaced as he stood to his feet. The dent he had created on his car didn¡¯t look like what an ordinary shove would do.


    Arabe had only stretched out her hand and made him fly backwards.


    Perhaps, the wind blowing had hurled him backwards. But ze knew it was impossible as it wasn¡¯t that strong.


    ze knew Arabe didn¡¯t have any hidden powers except her being Delicate Rose. He never saw her exhibit any supernatural powers. However, she was acting strange.


    Could it be because of the poison from the rogue werewolves in her system? He wondered.


    He walked up to her again as she neared the ck figure.


    Arabe was possessed; that was the only way he could exin what was happening.


    Everything happened so fast. One minute ze was staring at Arabe in front of the ck figure; the next minute, they were going head-to-head.


    ze opened his mouth agape, watching in awe as shebatted with it.


    He didn¡¯t and had never imagined Arabe was this powerful and could fight until now.


    Staring at her, it felt as though he was seeing a whole new person.


    The ck figure hoisted Arabe, swung her in the air, and mmed her to the ground.


    ze heard her grunt, and he surged towards them.


    But he was shoved backwards. He tried again as the ck figure held Arabe by the neck. He felt the same energy thwarting his effort to reach them.


    ¡°Arabe!¡± He shouted, trying to push through the force field, but it was useless.


    ¡°Please stop!¡± ze yelled as Arabe turned to him.


    ze saw her eyes. They had changed to their usual colours, and her mouth moved, but he didn¡¯t know what she was saying.


    ¡°Run.¡±


    He heard her say as he concentrated on her.


    ze red. ¡°How the fuck am I supposed to leave you in a chokehold?!¡±


    ¡°Please.¡± She said.


    ze scowled and turned.


    He narrowed his eyes as he heard a crackling sound.


    He glimpsed a blue sh, and his eyes flickered towards the sky as it sounded like lightning. However, the sky was dark, and He couldn¡¯t feel any iing storm.


    Perhaps, he imagined the sound, ze pondered.


    But the tiny sh had gotten more expansive, and it widened more, he realised it was a portal, but he didn¡¯t know who had created it.


    ze shook his head and turned again, and pinched the bridge of his nose before staring at Arabe.


    He noticed she was the one creating the portal. Fuck, he glimpsed the bright energy around her and how hard she tried to make it moreprehensive.


    How was it happening?


    Arabe was human. Her father was human. But how was she able to make a portal?!


    ze knew only a powerful creature could make an advanced portal like that, but he couldn¡¯t wrap his head around what was happening.


    Arabe knew she was dying. She felt it, and thest life force within her; she used it.


    She didn¡¯t know what she was doing, but a voice in her head told her to.


    It instructed her to open the portal, which was the only way ze would be saved.


    The ck figure was draining her. She barely had any energy left, and she wondered how she was still conscious of seeing everything moving around.


    ze¡­


    She saw the fear in his eyes. And how he desperately wanted to help her. But she knew it was near impossible.


    It had been a dick move that she walked towards the ck figure without thinking. But she had barely done it herself. She felt the control; just as the voice had told her to open the portal, it had made her walk out of the car to face it off.


    Arabe was still confused, but at least whatever she was doing worked. She had sessfully distracted it from ze.


    He¡¯d be alive. She didn¡¯t mind dying for him.


    Arabe gasped as she felt herself being yanked out of where she was.


    She nced at ze, and he gritted his teeth at her. ¡°I¡¯m not letting you die, and we better die at the same time if you¡¯re thinking of that!¡±


    Arabe shoved him. ¡°Fucking, let go and save yourself!¡±


    ¡°Do you understand what you are saying? Do you want to be the heroine of the day? You are no fucking heroine, Be!¡±


    Arabe shoved him. But he didn¡¯t let her go. He held unto her. ¡°I¡¯m trying to safe you.¡±


    ¡°I need no saving. And whatever is going on, I need an answer to it. You are the only one who can give it to me, and I need you alive!¡± He shoved her sideways and red at the ck figure.


    ¡°Fight me,¡± ze shouted.


    ¡°He¡¯ll die.¡±N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    A voice said in her head.


    Arabe shook her head.


    ¡°He¡¯s destined to die.¡±


    ¡°Liar,¡± Arabe said.


    She gripped her head and shook it. ¡°leave me alone!¡±


    She let out a cry, and the ck figure staggered backwards.


    ze furrowed his brows. He saw the movement. The more scream Arabe made, the more powerless the ck figure seemed.


    And that gave him an advantage.


    ¡°Do whatever you do; I¡¯ll take care of him!¡± He bellowed.


    ze rushed at the figure, but he didn¡¯t do anything before it disintegrated.


    He heaved out a breath, sping his knees. He turned to Arabe, and the smile on his face vanished.


    Arabey sprawled on the floor, perhaps from the intense scream.


    ze ran to her side and felt her pulse.


    It was faint, but she was alive. However, he knew she needed treatment.


    Yet, he couldn¡¯t go back home. There were too many enemies at the back, and he was sure it was the same way in the front.


    Without further ado, ze jumped into the portal she had created, and it closed almost immediately.

 Chapter 86

    Janice gulped as she stared at Annalise once more. She shook her head, not believing she was in front of her.


    Walking towards her, she gripped her hand. A gasp escaped her lips as she felt how warm it was to her touch. She was real.


    Even though Janice didn¡¯t need the affirmation as she had pinched herself and felt the pain. She still did it because it was surprising to see her.


    Annalise was her twin sister. They both lived with their father until she left.


    Annalise being in The De Luca¡¯s household didn¡¯t make her happy.


    Instead, Janice was furious. She let out a frustrated sigh and red.


    ¡°What are you doing here? You should be with father!¡±


    Janice¡¯s n would get foiled. Annalise¡¯s presence would destabilise everything, and her secret would be known in no time.


    Annalise shook her head. Janice was in front of her. She had felt her hands. She was real.


    She had assumed Janice was dead due to the many stories their father had told her. Also, she had felt the twin bond between them severed, and she hadn¡¯t bothered to look for her.


    Even if Annalise had wanted to, their father wouldn¡¯t have let her. He restricted her in all things, and worse was¡­


    Annalise staggered forward. Luckily, Janice rushed towards her and gripped her before she could fall to the ground.


    ¡°How the hell are you here? Looking so unkempt and beaten!¡±


    Annalise let a smile appear on her face. She had thought Janice was unfeeling as she hadn¡¯t shown signs that she cared about her being in her presence. But being in her arms, she felt otherwise.


    ¡°I missed you,¡± Annalise murmured and heaved a breath.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    Janice glowered. Then she gritted her teeth as she noticed she had grown limp in her hand. She¡¯d have thought she was dead if not for the steady rise and fall of her chest.


    Hoisting her, Janice strode to her room and dumped her on the bed, filth and all.


    Janice paced around the room and asionally stared at Annalise whilst thinking of all that she¡¯d done since she was here.


    She doubted Annalise knew what she was doing. There was no way she¡¯d have known because their father was a dodgy man.


    He never revealed all that he did to anyone. And Janice had only done what he wanted because she was threatened.


    She knew no matter what she said and when the truth came out, no one would believe her.


    Sandro might use the opportunity to kill her as he had wanted to do that for a long time.


    Janice shook her head. She needn¡¯t stay another moment here. She could not. It was far more dangerous, and staying in the household would kill her.


    Janice flung the wardrobe open, careful not to wake Annalise, but she doubted Annalise would wake because she was a heavy sleeper.


    Picking what she deemed fit, she stuffed it all in a duffel bag. Casting ast nce at Annalise as shey sprawled on the bed, snoring, Janice slipped out of the room and into the night.


    She was returning to her father. That was the only ce she could go to, and with the information she had, she believed he¡¯d receive her wholly and not assume she was the useless child he never wanted. She and Annalise were the useless child.


    Janice stopped a taxi. It halted, and she leaned forward. ¡°West Haven.¡± She mumbled, handing him the note she had scribbled beforehand.


    ¡°Come on in.¡± The driver said in a southern drawl.


    Janice slumped into the chair as she thought of all that would happen when the morning came and how people in the De Luca household would react to the news of her departure and the arrival of her sister.


    All in all, her father would be happy. She had the information she needed, and he would give her the freedom she desired.


    Finally, she would be free without fear of living in the world.


    ******


    Annalise¡¯s head hurt. But not only that, all her body ached. It was as though she had been run over by a truck.


    She attempted to move her hand, but it felt like something heavy was pressing down on them.


    She could not move.


    ¡°Janice,¡± She mumbled, rolling over.


    But that was a mistake. She had forgotten how tiny the bed was!


    Annalise groaned as shended on the floor. She opened her eyes and rubbed at her sore backside.


    Her eyes moved around the rooms slowly, taking in everything, and she noticed Janice wasn¡¯t near her. Perhaps, she had gone to get some things, she mused.


    But Annalise doubted it. Her twin sense couldn¡¯t feel her anywhere around. It was as if she had run away again.


    Annalise furrowed her brows. And she stood to her feet.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t funny, Janice.¡± She mumbled, opening the door slightly to peep. But she was met with an empty hallway.


    She shut the door and opened the room again. She noticed a paper stuck to the nightstand.


    Grasping it, she skimped through the content and scrunched it up.


    ¡°What the hell?!¡± Annalise¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°You better not be serious about it.¡±


    How the hell did she leave after she had just arrived? She had searched for her for so long, only for her to leave her again!


    After searching the room for more information about Janice¡¯s whereabouts, Annalise waited a long time and didn¡¯t see her; she plopped on the bed.


    Annalise was sure she was meant to be a sorrow to everyone. That was the reason their father loathed her and wanted her to be like Janice. Their mother had died whilst giving birth to them, so she had technically left as well.


    Everyone in her life had left and made her feel worthless.


    The only person she believed she could rte with, even after seeing each other for a while, had left too.


    She knew she was gued. She knew she was tainted.


    Annalise covered her face with her hands and sobbed.


    It wasn¡¯t just for Janice¡¯s disappearance; it was for everyone that disappeared in her life.

 Chapter 87

    Sandro paced around therge meeting hall and balled his hands into fists. He gritted his teeth and red at nothing in particr. How had he not noticed?


    He must have been too preupied with his problem to have thought of that.


    Allesia had escaped the same way as Arabe, and he wondered how no one saw her leave as well.


    He red at the gathered Werewolves, and his eyes narrowed on Francis.


    ¡°Where the hell is Janice?¡±


    Francis stood to his feet abruptly. He shook his head and wrung his finger together. ¡°I do not know.¡± He stammered, avoiding the re Sandro was shooting his way.


    Francis hadn¡¯t seen Janice sincest night. And he assumed she was mad at him for having kissed her without permission.


    It wasn¡¯t his fault, he had wanted to do so, and he had used the opportunity.


    ¡°How the hell don¡¯t you know? Isn¡¯t she your girl?!¡± Sandro red.


    ¡°She isn¡¯t my girl,¡± Francis mumbled. Then he heaved a breath and nced around as if she¡¯d magically popped out.


    But she had also denied him, and he doubted if she¡¯d care he was saying this.


    ¡°She left me for her room in the gardenst night, so I haven¡¯t heard from her ever since.¡±


    Sandro grunted and strode out of the hall without a word. He walked toward Janice¡¯s room and booted the door.


    It gave way, and he narrowed his eyes on her figure, which was curled on the bed.


    He heard her sniffle, and he frowned.


    ¡°Why the hell are you crying when I have something far more important to ask you?!¡± Sandro barked.


    The urge to yank her out of bed filled him, but he waited on her to face him herself.


    Annalise didn¡¯t know what to say. She couldn¡¯t utter a word for fear of being caught, but there was no way she could stay forever in that manner.


    She was facing the bed with her hands covering her face, and whoever had entered the room seemed like he was the boss.


    ¡°Janice!¡± He yelled.


    He sounded impatient and irritated. She¡¯d be as well. But Annalise was aware if it were Janice in her position, she¡¯d have done something and even let him know she wasn¡¯t the person he sought.


    Janice was fast to act, while she was the opposite. They were opposite in so many ways except for their almost identical look.


    Annalise raised her head after a while, and her eyes collided with sea-green eyes that narrowed on her.


    ¡°Who the fuck are you?¡± He growled, gripping her hand.


    He yanked her up, and Annalise gasped as he shoved her toward the nearest wall.


    Annalise saw him sniff the air while she tended her hand, which she believed was bruised.


    ¡°You are a werewolf.¡± He said, stating the obvious. ¡°And you smell familiar.¡±


    Annalise stared at him. She couldn¡¯t look away. It wasn¡¯t the frown on his face or the authority he exuded that made her mesmerised; it was his beauty. Golden brown hair, angr face, and high cheekbones. A strong jawline and pouting lips. He was mesmerising, and she hadn¡¯t seen someone like him.


    It felt as though she was standing in front of a god. His golden brown hair was held in a low ponytail, and he raised his bushy brows as he gazed at her.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Janice, and who are you?¡± His voice sounded almost soft this time.


    However, Annalise had dealt with many people like him, and she guessed it was only a matter before he lost his patience and snapped at her.


    ¡°I¡¯m Annalise.¡± She said after a while.


    Annalise flushed, seeing the re he was shooting at her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about your name. Who are you, and what are you doing here?!¡±


    He was rude, Annalise noticed. She wondered how Janice had lived so long here with him.


    Perhaps, he was the Alpha. She knew there was nothing Janice could do, even if he said anything. He was the pack¡¯s leader, after all.


    ¡°I¡¯m Janice¡¯s twin and¡­¡±


    ¡°Wait¡­¡± Sandro blinked, halting her. He moved towards her slowly. And his eyes narrowed on her. ¡°You are twin with Janice?¡±


    Annalise nodded, and she continued as he didn¡¯t say a word. ¡°I do not know where Janice is, and I just arrivedst night. But she left me alone.¡±


    ¡°Twin, doppelganger, runaway. The hell?!¡± Sandro let out a huff and shoved his hand into his hair.


    He didn¡¯t know what was going on. Arabe escaped, her double showed up, Janice left, and her twin showed up.


    Why the fuck was he having doubles around his vicinity?!


    ¡°I came here for sce. My father is after my life, and he ns on killing me because I happened to hear a discussion of him wanting to kill a certain man named Sandro De Luca¡­¡± Annalise grimaced. It was awkward she was talking in front of a stranger. She shouldn¡¯t divulge some secret, she was aware of that, but she couldn¡¯t help herself.


    She wanted all she felt to lift off her chest and feel somewhat light after divulging what she knew and had been carrying around.


    ¡°Alessandro De Luca, you say?¡± Sandro furrowed his brow, and he stared at the girl before him. She nodded and bit her lower lip before twisting her finger.


    ¡°Who the hell is your father, and what does he want with me?!¡±


    ¡°You are Alessandro?!¡± Annalise¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°That is not my question.¡± Sandro bellowed. He pped his hands on the wall before turning to her again.


    ¡°P-Paolo S-Salvatore,¡± Annalise stuttered.


    Sandro let out a low growl, and he stalked towards her. ¡°Why the hell do my enemies keeping around me?!¡±


    He had no questions to his answer, and he doubted he¡¯d have any as he was still confused with the connection of everything going on and how it all had to do with him.


    .


    .


    .


    Janice¡¯s hand met air as she was about to knock. She nced down, and her eyes went up as her father stood in front of her. It was as if he was expecting her and had opened the door as soon as she arrived.


    ¡°Hello, father.¡± She murmured, eyeing the big man. It had been a while since she saw him, and he hadn¡¯t changed.


    Except for the greying hair, he looked the same to her. His grey eyes twinkled, and his moustache twitched.


    ¡°Hello, my littlemb.¡± He grinned, pulling her into a hug.


    Janice trembled as she was in his embrace. She felt her eyes watered and willed the tears away, but it was futile.


    She sobbed softly in his arms. She didn¡¯t know the reason she was crying. She didn¡¯t miss her father, Paolo Salvatore.


    She¡¯d do anything to be far away from him at the moment. Janice believed it wasing back to the house that saddened her.


    Nheless, she was sure it would be thest time. She had what he needed, and he¡¯d let her go.


    That was the n, and he had promised to adhere to it.

 Chapter 88

    ¡°That¡¯s an interesting update, daughter dearest.¡± Paolo grinned, stroking his moustache. ¡°She¡¯d be one of the pawns to us being the most influential and powerful people in this world.¡±


    ¡°Sandro weakens by the day, and we need to act fast. I do not think there¡¯s a cure at present for him. He often used some shot given by his Beta, but I doubted it is avable now.¡± Janice said.


    Paolo nodded. He stretched out his hand, and Janice reluctantly ced hers on his.


    He squeezed it gently before caressing it.


    Janice squirmed under his scrutiny. She attempted to yank her hand away, but he held on tighter.


    She grimaced as he continued to watch her, and that made her even more ufortable.


    ¡°What is it, my littlemb? Didn¡¯t you miss daddy?¡± Paolo raised his brow.


    Janice swallowed down the lump in her throat. And she yanked her hand away from his before standing to her feet.


    ¡°I came back to give you the information you needed. I think I fulfilled all that you asked of me. It¡¯s your turn to do the same.¡±


    Paolo stared at her for a while before tossing his head back and letting outughter.


    Janice didn¡¯t find it funny. She clenched her hands at her side. She wondered what was going through his head, but she knew it wouldn¡¯t be any good.


    ¡°You are my toy, darling child. You¡¯ll never be free, and the earlier you know, the better for you.¡±


    ¡°You promised!¡± Janice yelled. Her eyes glowed golden as she red at him. ¡°You promised to grant me my wish; why are you going back on your word?¡±


    ¡°I let that bitch and useless child escape; what else do you need? I can¡¯t let you both go, and if it were in my power, I¡¯d keep you both.¡±


    Janice shook her head. ¡°It doesn¡¯t work that way. You don¡¯t treat me this way and make use of my weakness!¡±


    Paolo shrugged. ¡°You are the perfect daughter, Janice. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anyone that¡¯d do this better.¡±


    He stood and stepped towards her. His hand snaked around her waist, and he pulled her into him.


    Janice ced her hand between herself and him so her breasts would not hit his chest.


    ¡°You¡¯ve gotten even more beautiful.¡± He grinned.


    Janice clenched her teeth as his hand moved downwards. She shoved him slightly, but he didn¡¯t bulge, and her eyes stayed on him defiantly.


    ¡°I¡¯m not that little girl I was years ago.¡± She shoved again, and this time it was enough to move him.


    She dashed towards the room, locking the door.


    Janice curled in the corner of the dark room. She was that little girl again. She remembered vividly all that had happened.


    As much as she tried to push back the memories of her past and live in the present, she couldn¡¯t.


    It alles back to haunt her, and might she add, it was even worse.


    She flinched as she heard several pounding on the door, followed by the yelling of her name.


    Janice covered her ears and shook her head.


    ¡°Never again.¡± She let out over again whilst letting the tears she was trying to keep away fall slowly.


    ¡°Never again.¡± She murmured, curling into a ball. A whileter, the knocking stopped, and the pain in her heart also stopped.


    Her eyes fluttered against her cheeks. She was exhausted.


    A yawn escaped her lips, and shey on the cold tiled floor. As soon as her eyes closed, she drifted off.


    .


    .


    .


    Allesia turned and let out a groan. Her stomach churned, and she pped a hand over her mouth as the urge to throw up surged through her.


    She let out a staggering breath and slowly opened her eyes. For some reason, they were heavy and seemed as though they were glued together with the help of an adhesive.


    Allesia squinted and furrowed her brows as she stared around the spacious room. Instantly, she knew where she was, and all that had happened flooded into her head at once.


    She jumped down from bed abruptly and moved to dash out of the room, but a voice halted her.


    ¡°Allesia, darling.¡±


    ¡°Mom?¡± Allesia turned, and her eyesnded on her mom¡¯s bleary ones.


    Allesia¡¯s lips trembled as she stared into the beautiful eyes of her mom. They were red-rimmed and teary, and she wondered how long she must have cried.


    ¡°Mom.¡± Allesia walked slowly to her as if in a trance.


    ¡°It is me, my precious. It is me.¡± Her mother opened her arms wide, and Allesia ran into it.


    ¡°Mom.¡± Allesia cried as she grasped her mother¡¯s chiffon dress. ¡°I-I¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, darling; you are saved now.¡± She mumbled over again.


    Francesca caressed her daughter¡¯s back for a while. She couldn¡¯t remember thest time she had done something like this; it felt like it had been forever. She was d, though. Her daughter was bruised but alive.


    Francesca was grateful to the good Samaritans that had recognised her and brought her home. She didn¡¯t know what she¡¯d have done because she was already losing hope of them finding her.


    She had lost one, and losing the other was something she couldn¡¯te to terms with.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, mom,¡± Allesia mumbled.


    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault, darling. You are saved now, and I am d you are here.¡±


    Allesia continued to sob despite the reassurance. She didn¡¯t believe she¡¯d get another chance to be in the empire. She was home and in front of her mom. She couldn¡¯t believe it.


    The fruity fragrance her mom often wore wafted into her nostrils, and she exhaled.


    Briefly, the tears subsided, and she disengaged from the embrace.


    Francesca cupped Allesia¡¯s face and ced a slight kiss at the corner of her mouth. Then she led her to the bed.


    ¡°You should rest.¡±


    Allesia shook her head and gripped her mother¡¯s hand as she was about to leave. ¡°Please, stay.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere, darling. I need to prepare some things for you to eat, and we can discuss themter after you have had enough rest.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not hungry,¡± Allesia murmured, and her stomach grumbled, betraying her.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    The urge to eat had eluded her. She had no intention of eating, but she couldn¡¯t help it.


    Francesca shed her a brief smile and patted her hair. ¡°I¡¯ll be with you soon.¡±


    With that, she left the room, leaving Allesia to herself and her thoughts again.

 Chapter 89

    They were in a bottomless pit. That was ze¡¯s guess. He could see nothing, and there was no light even to know if they were in a sort of cave or not.


    The worse was his secondary vision didn¡¯t work. It was as if he was blind. It was frustrating, but he had Arabe with him. That he was grateful for, she was curved into him and even during the fall, she didn¡¯t let him go.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Arabe asked.


    ze frowned as he stared at Arabe, even though she couldn¡¯t see him and he couldn¡¯t see her.


    However, he was startled. She had been badly wounded, yet she was still conscious. What exactly was she?


    He had never seen a supernatural creature that could stay a long while after ingesting the poisons from the rogues.


    At least, not Arabe; that seems as though she was an amateur.


    Yet, he doubted she knew anything. She had opened the portal, and only someone that had been practising magic for a long time could have that much power.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± ze asked.


    ¡°That bright light over there.¡± Said Arabe.


    ze saw nothing. No matter how hard he stared around the darkness, he saw nothing.


    He heaved a breath and brought her closer to him. ¡°I think you might be hallucinating, Be. You need to rest until I figure out where exactly we are and what we can do.¡±


    ¡°A light ising towards us.¡±


    ze shook his head. He opened his mouth to speak, but a loud voice stopped him.


    Startled, he stared around, and his eyes stayed on a light.


    Indeed, she had seen it, but how was he only noticing?!


    ¡°You only realise because you don¡¯t have foresight.¡±


    ¡°Foresight?¡± ze mumbled.


    As the figure approached, he could see everything. The figure illuminated the room, carrying an extra torch with him, although it was unnecessary.


    ze realised they were in a room with a well-made bed and not the cave he had assumed.


    ¡°Her foresight is still at the novice stage because her powers were unlocked some while ago. And it is one of the many things she can do.¡±


    ze shook his head. He didn¡¯t understand what he was saying, and the more Orga spoke, the more confused he was.


    He turned to Arabe and noticed she had gone back to sleep, and he turned to the man before him.


    He had buffed muscles, and his face was covered with white beards. His green eyes shined with golden light in them, and his hair was white, and it bellowed around him.


    Then, he noticed the wings.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got a nice custom.¡± ze blurted out before he could help himself. It wasn¡¯t the time to make jokes, but he couldn¡¯t help but admit it.


    ¡°This custom?¡± The stranger pped his wings and let out a chuckle. ¡°I should be offended, but I won¡¯t be because you rescued our queen.¡±


    ¡°This is not custom,¡± he continued. ¡°It¡¯s what I am, and thousands of us are present in this part of the world.¡±


    ¡°ze.¡±


    ze gazed down and noticed Arabe¡¯s eyes on him. His hand moved to her cheeks, momentarily forgetting they weren¡¯t alone.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Arabe said and started to get up, but ze pushed her down gently.


    ¡°You are in no position to,¡± ze said.


    Ignoring him, Arabe let her gaze wander around, and she stared in awe at the angelic man in front of her.


    ¡°What is this ce?¡± She mumbled.


    ¡°Allow me to introduce myself formally, I am Orga, and I am at your service, my queen.¡±


    ¡°What, queen?¡± Arabe mumbled, confused he was bowing to her.


    ¡°The phoenix queen, mydy, and you are thest of her kind.¡±Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    .


    .


    .


    Arabe was more wide awake than ever. Although she felt pain, she didn¡¯t think what she heard made any sense.


    ¡°Queen? Phoenix? What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°You see, mydy¡­¡±


    ¡°Arabe.¡± Arabe cut in. ¡°Arabe Collins.¡±


    ¡°Mydy¡­¡±  Orga continued as if she hadn¡¯t cut him off and corrected him. ¡°You are the descendant of the phoenix, and your powers were locked away as soon as you were born because you almost destroyed the world¡­¡±


    Arabe snorted. ¡°That¡¯s absurd. How possible is it for a helpless infant to destroy the world?¡±


    ¡°You are special, and you were separated from your twin¡­¡±


    ¡°I am twin?¡± She asked, cutting him off.


    Orga affirmed with a nod. ¡°You are, mydy. And you were separated from each other because she¡¯s dangerous to you.¡±


    Arabe frowned. She didn¡¯t know what to say. She didn¡¯t know, which surprised her. The fact that she was a powerful being or the fact she had a twin.


    Recalling the picture ze showed to her some days ago, she had felt the connection and had assumed they had met before. But she didn¡¯t read too much meaning into it since she never knew if she was a twin.


    Her father had told her she was the only child and, in fact, had no mother.


    ¡°Your father did it to protect you,¡± Orga said.


    Does he read minds? Arabe stared at Orga briefly, and he chuckled before shaking his head.


    ¡°I can read whoever frees their mind, and I can only read yours because you are vulnerable.¡± Orga paused and continued. ¡°We need to take care of that nasty-looking injury before it gets infected further. I¡¯ll need your help, wolf boy.¡±


    ze frowned. How did he know he was a Werewolf?!


    He had not said anything about it, and it seemed as though the man was all-knowing.


    ¡°And the answer to your question is, I smell it in you. You reek, and I¡¯d have sent you back if not for thedy¡­¡±


    ¡°Quit reading my thoughts.¡± ze gritted his teeth. ¡°And you must beat me up if you wish to send me away. Nothing can make me leave Arabe, not even the angel of death himself.¡±


    Briefly, Orga¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°Be careful what you wish for, wolf boy.¡±


    ze let out a grunt, ignoring him. He hoisted Arabe and ced her gently on the bed before sitting beside her.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Arabe said.


    ze turned as she gripped his hand. ¡°He¡¯s trying to rile you up. It would be best if you didn¡¯t mind whatever he says, and I barely believe him. When I get better, we¡¯ll leave and try to find our way back.¡±


    ze nodded. But even with the assurance, he doubted they¡¯d be leaving anytime soon. It was weird, and he didn¡¯t know how he felt it, but there was something sinister about where they were, and it might get darker the more they stayed.

 Chapter 90

    Arabe writhed on the bed, and ze furrowed his brows. He rubbed at his tired eyes and watched her. She had been thrashing around for some minutes, and he had tried his best to shake her awake. It didn¡¯t work. Heck, nothing seems to be working!


    ze watched Arabe mutter helplessly while tightening his hold on her hand.


    Arabe let out a shrill cry. She yanked at the chain used to hold her down in several ces, but it didn¡¯t give away.


    ¡°ze!¡± She yelled. However, nothing happened. He stilly sprawled on the floor and in his pool of blood.


    If she didn¡¯t act fast, he was going to die.


    ¡°He¡¯s meant to die.¡±


    Arabe gazed around. She saw no one. She narrowed her eyes at the walls and yelled.


    ¡°Fucking show your face, coward. You enjoy seeing a helpless girl in pain and killing an innocent man?!¡±


    ¡°You call yourself helpless? Arabe Collins, or should I say the Delicate Rose!¡±


    Arabe shook her head. Thetter wasn¡¯t her name. She didn¡¯t know who that was, but she had heard it countless times to want to deny who the actual bearer was.


    ¡°You are doomed, Arabe. You¡¯ll destroy the world, and before that happens, I need to do my part and kill you.¡±


    ¡°Coward,¡± Arabe muttered. She gritted her teeth and yanked on the chain again.


    She felt a sizzling heat in her hand and grimaced as the chain scorched her.


    Her eyes watered, and she stared ahead. Whoever was in the shadow had decided to make an appearance and sauntered towards her.


    Arabe noticed she was a woman from the red feminine ankle boot she donned.


    ¡°I know your weakness, and I know you are not immune to iron. It¡¯s the reason the chain had been made with more iron.¡±Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Arabe fell to the floor as it burned her more.


    A while ago, she hadn¡¯t felt anything. Heck, she felt normal and was staring at ze, who was trying to help her out of the restraint until he was shot.


    Now, it was her turn. She didn¡¯t know what was going on with her, but she could feel herself getting weaker by the minute.


    ¡°Show yourself!¡±


    ¡°I am here.¡± The voice said, and Arabe¡¯s head snapped upward.


    Her mouth hung up, and she let out a startled gasp.


    She was staring at herself; how was it possible?


    ¡°I am you, Arabe, and you are me. However, we only need one of each other in this world, and it¡¯s your time to go.¡± With that, Arabe¡¯s double pulled out a syringe and stabbed her multiple times.


    ¡°Die, Arabe, die!¡±


    Arabe wheezed and jerked awake.


    Her heart thumped wildly in her chest, and her head reeled. The urge to throw up surged through her, and she darted out of bed and went through the first door she saw, not minding where it led her.


    Luckily, it was the toilet. Arabe emptied the content of her stomach in it before standing to her feet.


    However, that was a mistake as she stumbled as soon as she did.


    Before she could fall, she felt strong arms around her.


    ¡°ze.¡± She mumbled, staring into his concerned brown eyes before falling unconscious.


    A whileter, Arabe came to and was slightly better than before.


    However, she was still apprehensive. She stared around the room and noticed ze wasn¡¯t in it.


    ¡°ze.¡± She mumbled, climbing down from the bed.


    Almost immediately, the door swung open, and ze stood at the doorway.


    Arabe heaved a breath, walking towards him.  She wrapped her arms around him and murmured. ¡°Where did you go?¡±


    ¡°Looking around. There¡¯s nothing much to see as they won¡¯t let me leave the vicinity.¡±


    ¡°Were you worried about me?¡±


    Arabe nodded, and she disengaged from the embrace. She cupped his face and stood on tiptoed, kissing him.


    She didn¡¯t know why she was kissing him, but she felt the urge to do so.


    ze let out a groan as he kissed her back. Only briefly. He removed his lips from hers slowly and kept her at arm¡¯s length.


    Arabe frowned. ¡°Why did you stop?¡±


    ze shook his head and opened his mouth to speak, but she halted him.


    ¡°Never mind, I guess I am the only one having such feelings. I am too vulnerable and let myself be used. I am¡­¡±


    ze shut her up with a kiss and red after releasing her.


    ¡°Why¡¯d you think of yourself in that manner? What¡¯s the matter with you?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter with me? I should ask you that. And why do you kiss me?¡± She red at him.


    ¡°I thought you wanted that. I feel confused, Be. What¡¯s going on with you? Are you mad at me for something I did? You should tell so I¡¯d apologise.¡±


    ¡°Stop acting like you don¡¯t know!¡± She scowled and moved to walk away, but he yanked her back.


    Pulling her into a hug, he caressed her hair. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Be. You shouldn¡¯t be mad at me.¡±


    ze didn¡¯t know why he was apologising, but he felt he needed to do it. He loathed seeing her angry.


    ¡°You literally shoved me away like I mean nothing, then you act as though you did nothing.¡± She pouted as soon as he released her from the hug.


    ¡°Is that what this is all about?¡± ze chuckled as she swatted his chest.


    ¡°Of course, jerk.¡± She scowled. ¡°I came awake and didn¡¯t see you; what do you expect, considering what we¡¯ve gone through?!¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± ze said, his grin widening. ¡°I¡¯m genuinely sorry this time.¡±


    ¡°So, you weren¡¯t sorry before?!¡± Arabe red at him and attempted to swat his chest, but the door opened.


    ¡°Sorry for the intrusion, mydy.¡±


    Arabe let out a sigh and turned to whoever had disrupted them. It was Orga.


    ¡°I¡¯ll like to give you a tour of this ce,¡± Orga said, and Arabe nodded. ¡°I¡¯m d to see you are well, and I am no surprised; no queen of the phoenix had been a weakling.¡±


    Except that she was. Arabe recalled her dream and how being the phoenix queen fitted into everything.


    She didn¡¯t have any idea about what it was, and she hoped the tour would give her more insight into who she really was and also help her save ze from dying.

 Chapter 91

    Arabe let out a sigh for the umpteenth time. She had passed by the hundredth person, she believed; he had bowed to her, and so did the rest.


    She wondered what Orga had told them as they all stared at her in awe. Like she was, a kind of God that hade to redeem them. Or maybe they were all staring at her because she was the only one without a wing. And ze too. Yet, they didn¡¯t ord the same respect to ze.


    Perhaps, she should start getting used to it, seeing as Orga told her she was a powerful being but having hundreds of eyes looking at her as though she had suddenly sprouted a horn was unnerving.


    Orga halted in front of what seemed to be arge gallery. Differentrge portraits decorated the wall, and with each one Arabe passed, it felt as though it was alive.


    She shuddered as she licked her bottom lip. Her eyes darted around as she sensed eye movement on her, or maybe she was being paranoid.


    But then, she seemed to be the only one distracted. ze and Orga walked towards the portrait freely whilst she did reluctantly.


    Somehow, she was frightened. She didn¡¯t know why. But she sensed it was the intensity of the gaze of the people in each portrait that sent a chill down her spine.


    ¡°Who are they?¡± Arabe murmured. She touched a picture and retracted her hand as she felt the emotion it emitted.


    Also, it scorched her. She gazed at her hand and then at the painting and shook her head as she saw smoke which disappeared almost immediately. Her eyes rounded, and she stared at Orga and ze. Did they notice as well? She wondered.


    Or did she imagine the smokeing out?


    ¡°These are your predecessor, and I know you feel the emotion thates out of each painting,¡± Orga said and proceeded to touch it, but he didn¡¯t retract his hand as she did.


    Arabe heaved a breath. She wasn¡¯t crazy after all.


    ¡°I feel nothing. I am in no way connected to them. Only the true and chosen one can feel, and the picture also speaks to them.¡± Orga said.


    As if the pictures heard all that was said, Arabe heard several whispers. All at once, and she clutched her head as it reeled. She pped her hands over her ears and wheezed. ¡°Make it stop!¡±


    ¡°Be?¡± ze frowned. He saw the glint in her eyes. The one he had seen before she attacked the ck figure was back again and, might he add, somewhat scarier.


    ¡°Fucking stop this!¡± Arabe growled, she staggered backwards and stumbled on her feet, but ze caught her.


    ze stared at the Orga, who had a knowing look on his face, and he glowered. ¡°What are you doing to her?! Can¡¯t you see she¡¯s in pain?!¡±


    Orga shrugged; he pped his wings as if he was enjoying all that was happening to her.


    ze was confident he was because he should have helped rather than watched her cry out in pain.


    ¡°Fucking help her!¡± ze bellowed.


    ¡°She can control it. She has the power to. She removed the poison from her system herself without any medication. She can do this without any help.¡± Orga said.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    ¡°How do you expect her to when she knows little to nothing about what¡¯s going on? She doesn¡¯t even know what the hell a phoenix is until now!¡±


    Perhaps, he spoke too soon, ze didn¡¯t know, but the next minute, Arabe jumped to her feet and stalked towards Orga. She gripped him by the neck and flung him across the room.


    ¡°Arabe!¡± ze gasped out, and she turned to him. The dark, evil glint was still in her eyes, and she bestowed him a smile. It wasn¡¯t a smile he often saw on her, and he was scared.


    Arabe gripped her head and shut her eyes. ¡°Please help.¡± She mumbled and fell forward.


    ze caught her and wrapped his strong arms around her.


    ¡°Arabe.¡± He mumbled, shaking her slightly, but she was out cold.


    Perhaps, it was the number of powers she had used. ze believed it was the reason she was always out because the same thing had happened with the ck figure.


    ¡°She¡¯s alive. You needn¡¯t trouble yourself, and it might take a while until she gets used to this new side of hers.¡± Orga said, rubbing his neck. ¡°Even for a newbie, she¡¯s powerful. What more when she learns the hangs of it?¡±


    Ignoring Orga, ze let out a sigh and gathered her in his arms. He walked towards the room, several rooms before the gallery, and Orga followed suit.


    ze booted the door and stepped inside. ¡°You could have helped her.¡±


    ¡°The phoenix queen needs to find her path, and her loyal subjects can do little to nothing to help her with it. Our involvement will do nothing to help her. It¡¯ll only hinder her.¡±


    ze shook his head as heid Arabe gently on the bed. ¡°It makes no sense.¡±


    One minute, she was just Arabe Collins, the daughter of a traitor and the Delicate Rose, which he doubted she still was because there could be a mix-up, and now, she was a phoenix queen. Under another circumstance, he¡¯d haveughed his ass off and called the person¡¯s bluff.


    But it didn¡¯t look funny. And it was even weirder that she was doing strange things.


    ¡°She is the Delicate Rose,¡± Orga said quietly.


    But ze heard him. He furrowed his brows. ¡°How do you mean she¡¯s the Delicate Rose, and what do you know about her being it?¡±


    ¡°I told you she¡¯s many things; she¡¯s the Delicate Rose and the only one keeping this n alive.¡±


    ¡°What about her so-called twin?¡± ze asked.


    ¡°She¡¯s out to destroy her. She doesn¡¯t know her mission until she meets the evil of all evil that¡¯ll use her as the pawn to his game.¡±


    ¡°The evil of all evil?¡± ze mumbled. It was getting confusing. He had to admit it.


    Delicate Rose, the Phoenix queen and now evil of all evil. What else did he need to know? He mused.


    ¡°The world is in danger, and the Phoenix queen needs to act fast else it¡¯d be destroyed in her very eyes. When the twin meets, the word shall be one, and there¡¯s a death that¡¯ll unleash powers from within¡­¡±


    ze stared intently at Orga. His voice sounded eerie, as though he wasn¡¯t the one speaking. And his eyes had gotten darker; smoke surrounded him, and his wings pped, creating a gentle wind around the room.


    ¡°Doom is nigh, and only the Phoenix queen can eradicate it.¡±


    ze jerked as he felt a hand on his. His eyes moved around the room, and he noticed that Orga wasn¡¯t with him. He wondered when he left, and he stared at Arabe as she called his name.


    He shed her a brief smile and squeezed her hand gently.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I had to¡­¡± Arabe whispered.


    ¡°You need not apologise, and I believe we¡¯ll get to the root of it all soon,¡± ze said.


    Arabe nodded and smiled.


    ze was supportive; she believed that was all she wanted in a man. Being in a world both of them didn¡¯t understand, yet he understood everything going on with her. She couldn¡¯t ask for anything more.

 Chapter 92

    Sandro let out a growl. He pped his hands on the wall, and he narrowed his reddened eyes on Giuseppe. Thetter backed away towards the door as Sandro neared him.


    ¡°What did you just say?!¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I am quitting¡­¡± Giuseppe stuttered. His breath came out in short gasps.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    Sandro wasn¡¯t surprised. It often happened when the weakest member of a gang saw that too many crises were going on and they wouldn¡¯t be able to handle all the problems thate with it. Someone like Giuseppe, even if he didn¡¯t say he was quitting now, Sandro knew it was only a matter of time.


    And he loathed such people. People who run away at the littlest challenge.


    ¡°Do you remember the agreement you signed?¡± Sandro smiled wolfishly. ¡°Tell me, Giuseppe, what was the rule on quitting?¡±


    Giuseppe shook his head, but no words came out of his mouth as he opened it to speak.


    Sandro whooshed towards him and snapped his neck. He tossed his limped body sideways and growled.


    He knew a day like this woulde-a day where he had to question the loyalty of everyone in his pack.


    His eyes narrowed at the rest that was present. He didn¡¯t know if they were scared of what just happened but liked the horrified look on their faces.


    Sandro preferred seeing them terrified because they¡¯d think twice about wanting to betray him.


    Francis stood to his feet, and Sandro glowered his eyes. ¡°Are you about to betray me as well?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± He shouted. ¡°I happen to have information I believe to be useful.¡±


    Sandro grunted. ¡°Speak.¡±


    Francis nodded hastily and cleared his throat. ¡°Here.¡± He extended the man envelope with him towards Sandro. ¡°I saw this in the mailbox, and I did some research.¡±


    Sandro snatched the envelope and skimmed through it. His eyes narrowed, and he gritted his teeth. ¡°Paolo Salvatore,¡±


    Sandro scrunched the paper, and his eyes strayed towards Annalise; he saw her tremble slightly. Then, he stormed towards her and flung the paper in her face. ¡°What does he wants with me?!¡±


    Annalise opened the paper with trembling hands, and she skimmed through the content before letting her wide eyes wander to Sandro.


    ¡°What does your father fucking wants with me?¡±


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know.¡± Annalise stuttered, unable to look away from the murderous glint in his eyes.


    ¡°And for that bitch aiding him, I¡¯ll make her wish she never existed in the first ce.¡±


    Francis bit his lower lip and grimaced. He didn¡¯t know why Janice did what she did, but he believed it wasn¡¯t for herself. He doubted she had been willing to spy on Sandro of all people. Also, hemended her for staying this long under his roof without getting caught.


    ¡°Please,¡± Annalise begged, standing to her feet. ¡°Janice is innocent. My sister will never do such.¡±


    Sandro tutted. ¡°Don¡¯t go about trusting anyone because even siblings betray each other. I doubt you know who she is.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the closest to her. My father is a maniptor; he must have done something for her to do what he wanted.¡±


    Sandro growled. ¡°I don¡¯t care who made her do it; I only need my hands on her first! What¡¯s the situation on the ground?¡± He turned to James.


    James shuddered, and he stuttered. ¡°We learnt about the iing attack from the Phi(The spy in the group).¡±


    Denzel, leader of the Phi, stood to his feet as Sandro¡¯s gaze trained on him. ¡°It will be an impromptu attack. We don¡¯t know exactly when it is happening. Father of the Delicate Rose said he¡¯sing to take what is his.¡±


    ¡°What is his?¡± Sandro let out a grunt as Denzel nodded.


    He didn¡¯t know what that meant, but he knew they needed to be prepared for whatever wasing their way.


    He furrowed his brows, ncing around him. ¡°Where the hell is ze?!¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen him since morning. Did he leave somewhere?¡± James mumbled.


    ¡°If he did, he should at least let me know. He¡¯s my Beta for a reason. Who¡¯d take my ce when I am not avable?¡± Sandro muttered.


    ¡°I will,¡± Thalia said as she walked in.


    Sandro gazed at her and shook his head. ¡°I love you, Thalia, but I have to decline. You are no fit to take on whatever ze takes. He¡¯s stronger and has all the durability of a warrior. Heck, he¡¯s undoubtedly the strongest after me in the group, and I doubt you can take on what is toe.¡±


    ¡°Try me,¡± Thalia said and red as Malcolm, a gamma, stood to his feet.


    ¡°I have something to say about the Beta, Alpha,¡± Malcolm said.


    ¡°What about him?¡± Sandro asked.


    Malcolm creased his brows. ¡°There¡¯s something sinister about him, and he¡¯s been acting all weird. I saw him left in his sports car earlier on.¡±


    Thalia grimaced and interrupted Malcolm as he was about to speak. Whatever he had to say next would definitely ruin ze. ¡°He left for some business. He told me he¡¯d be here soon.¡±


    ¡°He told you and not me?¡± Sandro asked in disbelief. ¡°That¡¯s absurd. I¡¯ve never seen you close to ze.¡±


    ¡°We might not be close, but we still talk,¡± Thalia said. Blowing ze¡¯s cover as the one helping Arabe was thest thing she wanted to be done.


    And if Sandro knew she was helping him to cover up as well, she¡¯d be dead.


    Sandro seemed to believe her, or maybe he wasn¡¯t interested in questioning her. But she knew it wouldn¡¯t be long before all hell broke loose.


    ¡°I want the strongest in each group to surround the building. And Denzel, we need more information about what is toe. I don¡¯t want any enemies to infiltrate my territory unknowingly.¡±


    Denzel nodded and turned to the group. ¡°Phoebe, Jade and Jane, you¡¯ll assist me.¡± Two blondes and a brte stood to their feet.


    They followed Denzel out of the meeting hall, and Sandro stared at the rest and then at Annalise. ¡°I need more information about your father.¡±


    Annalise stood to her feet. ¡°Will Janice be spared? She¡¯s the only one I got, and I wouldn¡¯t want anything to happen to her, whereas she¡¯s been helping me.¡±


    Sandro ignored her question and beckoned on Thalia. He handed his phone to her. ¡°Get a message to ze to get his freaking butt here as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Will do that.¡± Thalia shed him an overly bright smile before turning towards Annalise. ¡°Think about your survivor and not your sister.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about me. I want her to be well.¡± Annalise said.


    ¡°You mentioned you were twin?¡± Thalia asked. And she tsked as Annalise nodded. ¡°You should be the dumbest I have ever seen. And if I were you, I¡¯d take my advice. Do not take Alessandro De Luca, likely.¡±


    With that, Thalia strode out of the room. Annalise didn¡¯t know what to do with the information, but she kept it and assumed it would be helpful and, at the same time, prayed for the safety of Janice.

 Chapter 93

    A lot of things were wrong with today. Aside from Allesia and Janice¡¯s mysterious disappearance, ze was nowhere to be found.


    He had literally searched for him everywhere but couldn¡¯t seem to know where he had been to.


    Not even his Alpha to Beta mind link worked. It was as if he was sucked into a hole where a signal couldn¡¯t be gotten.


    The worst of it all was he was going to rage.


    ¡°This has the worst timing ever,¡± Sandro growled, clutching his palpitating chest.


    He staggered towards the bags filled with blood he had taken from Allesia and tore it open, drinking from it.


    Sandro jerked and gritted his teeth as the blood seemed to quench his thirst momentarily. But that was all.


    It was as if the more he drank, the thirstier he was.


    He red at the three blood bags he had emptied, but yet, he was still very much hungry.


    He clutched his stomach and gasped as he felt a twinge.


    The door opened, and he stared towards it. Thalia stood at the entrance.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t reach him.¡± She said.


    Sandro heard the frustration in her voice. It was as if she was the most affected by his disappearance, whereas he was the one.


    ¡°Whatever he gave you to calm you down, I can¡¯t find it either,¡± Thalia said.


    ¡°Son of a bitch¡± Sandro clenched his hands and groaned.


    ¡°What do we do?¡± Thalia asked. Her brows were scrunched up.


    ¡°Stay away from me,¡± Sandro said as she tried to move closer.


    ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± She muttered.


    ¡°Stay the fuck away!¡± He barked as he felt the familiar rush of energy surge through him.


    Thalia backed away towards the door, wiping at the tears beginning to slide down her cheeks.


    Her body trembled as she watched helplessly.


    Sandro had run to the corner of the room where the restrain he often used to hold himself in ce whenever he was about to transform into his beastly self.


    He wrapped the chain about himself and nced towards Thalia. ¡°I told you to fucking stay away!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± She bit her quivering lip. ¡°Tell me, is there a particr blood or shot that needs to be gotten? I can go to the Rosette¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± Sandro growled. It was too dangerous. Thalia going to the enemy¡¯s side when he knew they were about to attack was a suicidal mission.


    Despite his feelings for Thalia, he wouldn¡¯t want her to hurt herself.


    ¡°I can help you. I don¡¯t need to go there myself.¡± Thalia said. ¡°Is it a certain smell it something? It seemed normal blood don¡¯t work for it.¡±


    Smell? Sandro pondered. He tried to recall if there was any scent associated with the shot he was often given.


    ¡°Vani and Strawberry.¡± He said.


    ¡°Vani and Strawberry? Isn¡¯t that the bitch scent?¡±


    ¡°Arabe,¡± Sandro mumbled. That was the only person he knew with that scent. The scent that had often driven him crazy when she was near and simultaneously calmed him when he was going into a rampage.


    Was Arabe a cure for him?


    Sandro shook his head. Despite the raging thought running around in his mind, he knew he couldn¡¯t be far from the truth.


    Arabe was his cure. She was Delicate Rose. And not Allesia.


    Fuck, he recalled it now.


    How had he not known it before? Perhaps, it was because he was blinded by revenge and the need to do what her father had done to him.


    Sandro red as Thalia stepped closer. ¡°It¡¯s Vani and Strawberry. I don¡¯t know whoever got that smell, but the only person that does is nowhere to be found.¡±


    Also, Sandro realised when he was with Arabe, whilst she was under his roof, he hardly had any attack. Except when she left the first time and now this. Somehow being in her presence seemed to make all his worries vanish. He wished he had realised this before now.


    At least he¡¯d keep her closer a lot longer than he intended.


    ¡°Wait for me.¡± Said Thalia as she moved towards the door. ¡°I¡¯ll get one as soon as I can.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t die.¡± Sandro rasped. Although within him, he wished she could get what he needed and be saved, he didn¡¯t know what to think.


    And ze¡­ He couldn¡¯t think of where he had gone, but he sure hoped he would be getting here as soon as he could.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    .


    .


    .


    Thalia strode into therge facility with ease. A smile sttered on her face, and it ached. She didn¡¯t want to look overly suspicious as the guard from before had asked several questions which could blow her cover. But somehow, she had answered all. And now he was at her back, perhaps acting as a chaperone.


    Thalia only wanted to get the fucking cure and leave the facility as soon as possible. However, it seemed as though everything she did to dodge him was futile.


    She turned to the security guard and shed him a smile, as she didn¡¯t know where he was taking her.


    ¡°Move along, Miss.¡±


    Thalia frowned. She narrowed her eyes at him as she glimpsed the glint in his eyes.


    At first, she had assumed his grim expression meant he was trying to help her but looking at him closely; it seemed there was something else in his eyes.


    She couldn¡¯t fathom it, but she knew it wasn¡¯t good. As they rounded the corner, from the corner of her eyes, Thalia realised they were the only ones around the vicinity, and there wasn¡¯t any camera in sight.


    As soon as the door closed, she shoved him and ced him in a headlock. ¡°Now, tell me, what the hell are you up to? It doesn¡¯t look as if you are about to help me.¡±


    He chuckled and tilted his hands in the air. ¡°I¡¯m Elisha.¡±


    Thalia red at him as his grin widened. ¡°Whatever do I need your name for?¡±


    ¡°I know you are ze¡¯s sister, and I am here to help you.¡±

 Chapter 94

    Thalia stared at him. For a moment, she wondered if she should trust him or not. She didn¡¯t like the glint in his eyes.


    But then, she believed she had no choice. He knew who she was. If he had wanted to rat her out the moment he saw her step in, he¡¯d have done so.


    Instead ofing to do so in a corner and revealing who she was.


    ¡°How can you help me?¡± Thalia asked, staring around the hall.


    ¡°I know you are here for Sandro¡¯s shot, and it is the reason I am already on duty to allow ze easy entrance. Although no one knew I was acquainted with him and not even Sandro. It¡¯s a secret between us.¡±


    Thalia nodded. She didn¡¯t know the deal between them, but she guessed it would help her this instant.


    ¡°ze helped me when I was in need, and I had vowed to help him each time we met. Not only that, but I also vowed to do so to any of his siblings. Good thing he has one.¡±


    Thalia sighed. ¡°Can I get the cure? It¡¯s very crucial.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you enjoy it when I talk,¡± Elisha said sarcastically, and Thalia let out a huff.


    ¡°How about you release your grip on me? There¡¯s no way I can move if you keep holding me like that.¡±


    Thalia flushed, and she released her hand around his neck. She had ced him in a chokehold. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Wow, you have got a strong grip,¡± Elisha said, caressing his neck.


    He strode towards a counter, and Thalia followed him.


    He halted, and she did as well.


    Perusing through the blood bags that were disyed in front of him, Elisha yanked one out, and he extended it towards Thalia.


    ¡°This is all?¡± Thalia asked, wrinkling her nose as she stared at the sparkling crimson liquid. She never knew blood sparkles until now.


    ¡°That¡¯s thest supply, and apparently, whoever it was gotten from had been missing six years ago,¡± Elisha said, and Thalia nodded.


    She didn¡¯t care about who owned the blood; she only cared about Sandro¡¯s health.


    She wondered if he¡¯d be back to normal if she administered what was in it to him.


    ¡°Call me if you need me.¡± Elisha did a call sign.


    ¡°Whatever do I need you for,¡± Thalia muttered, walking away.


    She rolled her eyes and let a smile brighten her face as she got to the security guard.


    ¡°Wait.¡±


    Thalia stopped, and one stepped towards her.


    ¡°We must search to know you don¡¯t take what isn¡¯t yours.¡± He said, his voice thick with a Korean ent.


    Shit. No one told her about security guards searching. She never knew it would be asplicated as this.


    Thalia clenched her fists as the urge to punch thenky man prodding her body surged through her.


    She waited patiently, and when nothing was found on her, he proceeded to grip her bag.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    ¡°She¡¯s with me.¡±


    Thalia swirled as she heard Elisha¡¯s voice. ¡°And you shouldn¡¯t search a helpless woman like that.¡±


    ¡°S-sorry, we didn¡¯t know that.¡± The security guard searching her dropped his hand swiftly as if her bag burned him. He then waved his hand towards the gate. ¡°A pleasure to have you, ma¡¯am.¡±


    Thalia tilted her brows as she gazed at Elisha. He shrugged. She didn¡¯t know what he did, but she was grateful.


    She rushed out of the building before anyone noticed she wasn¡¯t supposed to be there.


    Thalia got to the De Luca vi at the right and wrong times.


    The right time because Sandro hadn¡¯t transformed, and he seemed to be doing much better than she imagined. The wrong time because there was a war going on at the moment.


    She had left the house peacefully, and now she had walked into a gang fight.


    She ducked as a shot fired out. She heard several yelling, and most were from Sandro.


    Peeping from where she hid, she saw him at the front side, knocking out everyone that came at him.


    Sandropletely ignored the bullets that were fired out, and for some reason, they didn¡¯t prate him.


    It was as if someone was guarding him. But Thalia knew better. Perhaps, he had made his skin more rigid and imprable. There were only a few werewolves who could do that, and they were all Alphas. Although she didn¡¯t know how much power Sandro possessed, she believed he was dangerous and possibly could deflect bullets.


    That was one of the reasons he was called ck Sandro. He was formidable.


    Despite dodging all the bullets fired out, he seemed weak. Thalia saw it, and she knew it was only a matter of time before he copsed.


    ¡°I need to help.¡± She mumbled, twisting the locket of the ne around her neck.


    She stood abruptly and rushed forward but got yanked backward by Sandro.


    ¡°What the fuck are you doing?¡± He growled.


    ¡°Helping you, of course.¡± She asserted.


    Sandro grimaced. He ran a hand through his hair. ¡°I¡¯ve got this under control.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a trophy, Sandro. I am a Werewolf, and I need to help.¡± Thalia reminded him.


    Sandro stared at her for a brief second before nodding. ¡°Don¡¯t get hurt.¡±


    ¡°Back at you,¡± Thalia said.


    As soon as he gave her the authority to fight, Thalia dropped the bag with her in a safe spot and rushed towards it. She didn¡¯t stall to think about the advantage(the gun with the opponent) they had over them. She only wanted to get it over with and attend to Sandro.


    The battlested for another hour, and when they were done, Thalia¡¯s assertion was correct. Sandro copsed. But not only that, he started convulsing and releasing some weird liquid from his mouth.


    ¡°Get him to his room.¡± She cried, pointing to James and the rest of the Delta.


    ¡°I need you.¡± She rushed to Francis. ¡°You are the doctor; you should be able to do something.¡±


    ¡°I am,¡± Francis affirmed. ¡°But there¡¯s little to nothing I can do if there¡¯s nothing to give him to calm him.¡±


    ¡°I got all I need here.¡± Thalia tapped her bag. ¡°Just fucking let him be normal.¡±


    Francis nodded. He followed the Deltas that had picked up Sandro, and entered the room.


    Thalia caressed his forehead; his temperate was spiking higher than usual.


    She bit her lower lip and gasped as Sandro sprang up from the bed.


    He dashed to the corner of the room and let out a growl. Gripping the shirt he donned, he ripped it, and his eyes shed.


    Four of the Deltas present marched forwards, and they were able to hold him down and locked him with the Chain at the corner of the room.


    Sandro swiped at them and roared. He crouched to the ground as his muscles popped. The bones in his body broke as he began to take his wolf.


    ¡°Do something!¡± Thalia yelled. She doubted the restraint could hold him longer than intended. His skin had almost changed, and what was weird was he didn¡¯t look like the usual werewolf.


    Heck, he wasrger, and at the instant, as he growled and howled into the sky, she realized Alessandro De Luca wasn¡¯t just an ordinary werewolf; he had gone into a bloodlust.

 Chapter 95

    First, it was ze being a demon wolf. It was as if he couldn¡¯t manage the curse he was in.


    ze heard strange voices and things calling unto him. When he was younger, ze harmed himself due to the voices and did many horrible things. She was surprised he could manage himself until he fled.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    Now, it was Sandro.


    The huge beast before her was Sandro. He was a full fledge bloodlust werewolf and not like anything she had seen before. Thalia could swear it was her first time seeing him.


    He growled and jumped, but the chain luckily held him back.


    Thalia saw Francis shivering. He was scared, and so was she. Perhaps, for a different reason entirely.


    ¡°Be careful.¡± She murmured, and he halted.


    Francis¡¯s eyes stayed on her, and he shook his head. ¡°I-I can¡¯t.¡± He stuttered.


    He didn¡¯t mean to back down, but this was the worst situation he had ever faced. Seeing Sandro in his beastly form, which had little resemnce to a Werewolf, was frightening. It was enough for him to copse or run out of the building without looking back.


    He wondered how ze had managed to contain him and give him the shot. Well, he believed Sandro had chosen ze as his assistant due to this reason


    ze was fearless and could defeat even people stronger than he was. He was fucking as strong as Sandro and could be the next Alpha if Sandro died. But he was nowhere to be found.


    Francis avoided Thalia¡¯s gaze, and she huffed, stalking toward him.


    ¡°How the hell did you be a doctor with an attitude like that? I thought doctors were meant to be fearless, whether to humans or beasts!¡±


    ¡°I have emotions, too, and I have all the right to be scared,¡± Francis said.


    ¡°Give me the fucking shot and leave my sight.¡±


    Francis extended the shot towards her and grumbled. ¡°Be careful. This is not an ordinary werewolf, and you can get killed.¡±


    ¡°As if I don¡¯t know.¡± Thalia snapped. She snatched the shot from where he ced it and took a staggering breath.


    She let a small smile y on her lip and grimaced as she knew it would do nothing to alleviate the fear inside of her.


    Sandro growled at her, and his body strained against the restraint.


    ¡°Just be calm.¡± Thalia puffed out a breath. She was telling herself that and not Sandro entirely.


    She shut her eyes and opened them, then rushed towards him.


    She was at his back; that was the only ce he wouldn¡¯t be able to attack her.


    She gripped his thick dark golden fur and stabbed the shot in his neck.


    Sandro roared, and somehow, he turned towards her. He smacked her with his paw and sent her flying toward the entrance before he began to howl.


    Thalia gasped, she gripped her side, and her eyes turned blurry.


    She tilted her hand in the air to grasp what seemed to be the curtains in front of her, but it was useless. Her hand met air, and she let it fall back to her side.


    Momentarily, her eyes closed, and she gave in to the darkness.


    .


    .


    ¡°What are your questions, my queen?¡±


    Arabe turned to ze, who was standing by her side.


    Only a chair was avable, and they had told ze to stand as he wasn¡¯t meant to be part of the council, whatever they had called it.


    They had told him to leave, but he had insisted on staying, and Arabe was d they could not prod him enough to leave the room.


    She didn¡¯t know the creature she was sitting with, but they had called themselves the Phoenix.


    They had strange lighting surrounding them, and it was one of the lighting she had noticed while at the house before they fled.


    However, the one she saw was different from all these, but it was the same.


    ¡°It is called Aura,¡± Orga said. ¡°And with time, you¡¯ll learn it all and be less confused. Your Aura is different from ours because you are the queen, and it consists of all our Aurabined. It forms a powerful energy and can destroy a third of the earth. It is just like the power of the star. But it can destroy the wielder as well. So, anyone using the aura power must learn to control it.¡±


    ¡°How do you know I am a phoenix and the Rose? I¡¯m still confused. And who is the evil of all evil?¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    Orga pointed to his shoulder. Arabe glimpsed a dark tattoo, a tiny bird withrge bright wings. It didn¡¯t look like a tattoo, it seemed more like a birthmark, and she felt he had tried to conceal it with charcoal but failed miserably.


    ¡°All phoenixeses with a birthmark, and you, Arabe Collins, had all the phoenix mark on you. It is arge birthmark, and it pulsates and emits heat when you touch it.¡±


    Arabe knew what he was talking about. Hers wasn¡¯t exactly on her shoulder, but it was on her back. It was one of the reasons she loathed stripping. The mark appears and disappears as if it was hiding from people seeing it.


    She touched herself and sighed as she felt the familiar burst of energy, and she turned to the Orga, who nodded.


    ¡°The mark hides from those it believes would harm the wielder. Anyone who knows you are a phoenix might use you to their advantage. Hence, it hides and never shows until you are alone.¡±


    ¡°Too many unnecessary talks,¡± ze murmured under his breath.


    ¡°Careful, child of the moon.¡± Orga eyed him. ¡°Your end is nigh.¡±


    Arabe creased her brows, ¡°What do you mean by his end is near?¡±


    Orga shrugged. ¡°I mean, he¡¯s dying soon, and only then would your full formes out.¡±


    Arabe red and stood to her feet abruptly. ¡°That is absurd!¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t call prophecy of the great seer absurd; there are consequences!¡± Orga bellowed.


    ¡°I¡¯m not interested in listening to any more of your nonsense, and we are leaving here at the first light when morninges.¡±


    Orga sighed, and he shook his head as the eldest in the council, James, moved to call Arabe back. ¡°She¡¯ll realize soon enough. It¡¯s best she experienced it all herself.¡±


    ¡°She needs our guardians, and she¡¯s the queen. We shouldn¡¯t let her leave to her doom.¡± James said.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Orga affirmed, his eyes shing white. ¡°But she¡¯s not going far.¡±


    Orga saw it. He saw several dooms surrounding her, and it was bleaker. He didn¡¯t know if she was victorious or not. But he prayed she¡¯des out victorious as they had stayed a long time without a leader and wouldn¡¯t let one slip away through their hands.

 Chapter 96

    Sandro let out a grunt, and he crawled towards Thalia. She was still unconscious from him having smacked her. He remembered everything that had happened, yet it didn¡¯t make him feel any better.


    He gripped her shoulder, shaking her. Then ced his head on her chest as she didn¡¯t move.


    He felt a pulse, sighed, then grimaced as he glimpsed the blood oozing from the back of her head. She must have mmed into the wall hard when he shoved her.


    Sandro managed to get to his feet and hoisted her on his shoulder. He staggered towards the door and to the infirmary. Although he was exhausted, Thalia needed more treatment as she had saved him from doing something drastic.


    He turned to Francis as the door went open. ¡°Make her feel better.¡±


    Sandro gripped his throat as it began closing up.


    ¡°Are you Alright, Alpha?¡± Francis asked, moving towards Him.


    ¡°Back off; I am fine!¡± Sandro extended his hand and gritted his teeth.


    He felt his canine protruding. He didn¡¯t know what was happening. He had never felt this way until now. He glimpsed his hand and noticed he was shifting as well.


    It was not a full moon, and although not morning, he shouldn¡¯t be transforming!


    Yet, he was, and he couldn¡¯t seem to control it.


    ¡°Alpha¡­¡±


    ¡°Fuck off!¡± Sandro shouted and dashed out of the room as Francis moved towards him.


    He clutched his chest as his heart constricted and wheezed.


    What the hell was happening? He had fucking taken the shot and should be fine¡­ But he was obviously the opposite of fine.


    Did she administer it wrongly? Had she poisoned him?


    Sandro gripped the shot container and scanned it.


    It was the same as the one that ze often brought. He pped his head mentally because he thought Thalia might have tried to poison him.


    ¡°We need her.¡± Lace whimpered.


    ¡°Who?¡± Sandro growled.


    ¡°Our mate. We need Arabe.¡± Lace said.


    ¡°Fuck off,ce.¡± Sandro scowled. He walked towards the bed and plopped on it.


    ¡°Did you recall the curse?¡± Lace asked.


    Sandro didn¡¯t want to be reminded of it. He didn¡¯t want to remember all his troubles because of her and her family. Yet, he couldn¡¯t escape it. Of course, he remembered all the shit she ced him through. Although not her, but her father.


    Yet, he saw them as the same person.


    ¡°It¡¯s manifesting,¡± Lace said. ¡°Your mate fled your side due to your anger, and now you¡¯ll be a beast without help. You¡¯ll fucking die. The worse is without a legacy to carry on the name!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not dying,¡± Sandro said firmly.


    ¡°It¡¯s all your fault,¡± Lace whined.


    ¡°Shut the hell up, Lace. Arabe left, and I didn¡¯t chase her away. She fucking left!¡±


    ¡°You did,¡± Lace said. ¡°Everyone that should be around you, you push them off because of your cruelty.¡±


    Sandro blocked out Lace¡¯s voice, and for a while, he sat staring at nothing until he let out a breath again.


    ¡°We won¡¯tmunicate again until you find her,¡± Lace said.


    ¡°You have no right to cut offmunication, Lace!¡± Sandro bellowed. ¡°I am the one in control, and I can chose not to speak to you and not the other way around.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a person of my own, and leaving you to figure out yourself is the best thing to do now. Before now, I knew all this would happen, I thought it could be prevented, but I was wrong. I¡¯m leaving.¡±


    With that, the connection between his thought and Lace severed.


    Sandro roared and rammed into the wall several times. He wed at the curtains, ripping them. But that didn¡¯t bring Lace back.


    Lace was fucking cruel. How the hell was he going to move without a wolf? He was good as being dead.


    And Sandro had never seen anywhere a wolf would have control of the owner until now. Shit. The urge to pull out wherever he was filled him. He wished to strangle him, and it was all because of the bitch.


    She was nowhere to be found, and he was wolfless.


    Arabe must be freaking happy where ever she was.


    .


    .


    ¡°Why the hell will he say that? Why do they think it is okay to speak to you in that manner?!¡±


    Arabe paced around the room and red at nothing. ¡°I don¡¯t care about whatever is being said here; I won¡¯t be intimidated.¡±


    ze chuckled, walking towards her. He gripped her hand and pulled her into him.


    ¡°The idiot prophesied about you dying, and you are hereughing? Is it funny?¡± She scowled, attempting to push him, but he didn¡¯t let go.


    ¡°You look funny,¡± ze said. Of course, the situation wasn¡¯t funny since he had been thinking of all that had been said since he left.


    He didn¡¯t know if Orga was being serious or not, but he didn¡¯t want to think about himself dying eventually.


    He had barely gotten half of what he wanted. Answers to him being a demon wolf and getting to im Arabe finally.


    ¡°What¡¯s on my face that makes it funny?¡± She narrowed her eyes at him.


    ¡°You look as though you are about to kill him.¡±


    ¡°Because I am about to kill him.¡± She clenched her hands. ¡°However, he didn¡¯t look like someone that can easily be defeated.¡±


    Arabe moved away from him as soon as he released her. She walked to the window side and let out a breath as a gust of wind streamed into the room from the opened window.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t,¡± ze mumbled, walking towards her. He gripped her hand, pulled her into him, and cupped her face.


    Arabe frowned as she stared into his eyes. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so beautiful,¡± ze mumbled.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    ¡°You say that countless times.¡±


    ze nodded. ¡°I can¡¯t seem to look away. I am fascinated.¡±


    Arabe giggled as he caressed her cheek, and she stood on tip toes to kiss him on the lip. But ze had other things in mind.


    He pulled her towards the door and did the lock before pulling her back to the bed and pushing her to it.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Arabe murmured, eyeing him as he began to strip.


    ¡°I want you.¡± ze rasped. ¡°I can¡¯t seem to get enough of you, and if you don¡¯t want it, it¡¯s okay. I won¡¯t get mad.¡±


    His hand stopped on his belt buckle, and he gazed at her expectantly.


    Arabe stood slowly from the bed and sauntered towards him.


    She slipped her hands underneath his shirt and syed her hands on his abs before whispering. ¡°I want you as much as you want me.¡±


    ze sucked in a breath as her hand moved downwards slowly, ¡°Perfect, and you might need to stop groping me in the manner I haven¡¯t fully healed.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± Arabe pulled her hands out of his shirt swiftly. ¡°I forgot.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± He said, not wanting to ruin the moment any further.


    He pulled her into him again and stared at her lips for a while before kissing her and leading her to the bed.

 Chapter 97

    ¡®There¡¯s nothing you can do about it. He needs to be out of the way.¡¯


    Arabe shook her head and red at the grey-haired woman before her. ¡°ze is mine, and I will never let anyone take my happiness from me the second time. I might be naive before; I am a lot smarter now.¡±Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t all about you being smart, Child.¡± Said the woman. ¡°It¡¯s about your destinying into fulfillment, and that man needs to go!¡±


    Arabe gasped as she was yanked forward and then flung backward simultaneously.


    Her back mmed into arge tree. Arabe¡¯s eyes widened, and her eyes darted around the gloomy forest; the woman wasn¡¯t in sight, but she knew it wasn¡¯t the end.


    She groaned as she felt a prick on her neck, and she fell to the floor almost immediately, gasping for breath.


    ¡°He needs to go!¡± A shrill voice said, almost deafening her.


    Arabe shivered and jerked awake.


    It was a dream, she reminded herself, and it wasn¡¯t the first time it was happening. Ever since she came to the Phoenix pce, she had never stayed without a nightmare, and it was all centered on ze. Orga had said it as well. ze needed to die. But why?


    Arabe didn¡¯t know the reason. As much as she tried to think of why ze needed to die for her destiny to be fulfilled, her mind came up with nothing.


    It was nk.


    She couldn¡¯t think of how ze wronged anyone because, as far as she was concerned, he was the sweetest soul, and only the Alpha that shall not be named should be in his shoes.


    If she were given the opportunity, she¡¯d do the killing herself.


    At the same time, she was d she didn¡¯t have to kill him. At least she was far from him.


    ze strode into the room, and Arabe sat up straight.


    She frowned as she glimpsed his stormy expression.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±She mumbled, climbing down from the bed.


    A wince escaped her lips as the reminder of what had happened the night before flooded her mind.


    She shook her head and limped towards him.


    ¡°You are limping.¡± Said ze, staring at her and momentarily forgetting why he hade into the room in the first ce.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Arabe said. ¡°You look worried.¡±


    ¡°I did?¡± He furrowed his brows.


    ¡°You were,¡± Arabe said. ¡°And I know you are trying to dodge my question. But you must think about it again because you can¡¯t easily evade it as you used to.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not evading your question, but I don¡¯t think you must know.¡±


    ¡°Whatever troubles you trouble me as well. So, I am concerned.¡±


    ze nodded. And he gripped her shoulder. ¡°Promise me you won¡¯t freak out.¡±


    ¡°You are making me freak out already.¡±


    ¡°Just promise me, and I am here to protect you no matter what.¡±


    Arabe shuddered slightly for emphasis and rolled her eyes again to make it seem as though she was barely serious and only wanted to know what was going on. ¡°Now, this is making me more frightened.¡±


    ¡°Sandro ising.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s what?!¡± She snapped, moving out of his embrace.


    ¡°He¡¯sing,¡± ze murmured.


    ¡°What do you mean by he¡¯sing? He¡¯s at Cooan.¡± Said Arabe, as if ze was dumb to have forgotten that.


    ¡°He was,¡± ze said. ¡°But somehow, he¡¯sing. I don¡¯t know how he could locate here, but¡­¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Arabe mumbled, shutting out what he was about to say. ¡°No, no, no. He shouldn¡¯t be here!¡±


    ¡°Hey¡­¡± ze gripped her hand.


    Arabe pped ze¡¯s hand from hers and stalked towards the door. ¡°He can¡¯t fucking be here!¡±


    ze ran a hand through his hair and heaved a breath. He was confused as well. He didn¡¯t know what was happening, but Orga had talked about world discement.


    Someone had done that, and he said it was the necessary thing to do at the moment due to the greater devil that wasing. Also, it had been done to disce the location of the chosen one, who was Arabe, since her current location was known.


    The more he thought about all that was said and the information he was able to collect, he didn¡¯t think he couldprehend all.


    .


    .


    ¡°Where the hell is this ce?¡± Thalia¡¯s voice echoed in his mind.


    Sandro shook his head and stared at where they were. It was dark, but somehow he could see. Even better than he would have thought.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± He mumbled as she strode towards him.


    One minute he had been on the bed writhing in pain even after he was administered the shot again; the next moment, he was sent flying out of his room.


    And he was at an unknown destination at the moment.


    ¡°Signore?¡±


    ¡°Alpha?¡±


    He wasn¡¯t alone. Sandro realized. He had thought only he and Thalia was teleported, but it seemed as though everyone in the Vi had been.


    Sandro turned, and he frowned as he saw all his pack members huddled together.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± James stepped towards him. ¡°I was strolling by the dungeon, and I found myself here next.¡±


    Sandro was confident every other person had simr stories to his and James¡¯s own.


    And if allowed them to start speaking one after the other, he doubted they¡¯d be able to get out of where they were.


    Sandro sighed, ¡°It seemed something happened. The world had been disced and reconstructed.¡±


    ¡°How and who¡¯d do such?¡± Thalia asked and she swatted her hand in the air, trying to make out a wall. But she felt nothing.


    ¡°Only a powerful sorceress can, and it is most especially used when the location of something or someone doesn¡¯t want to be revealed,¡± Sandro said.


    Sandro could guess whose location didn¡¯t want to get revealed. He assumed it was Arabe¡¯s location as the rose. As it was said in the prophecy, anyone who got the Rose would use her for evil deeds.


    But Sandro didn¡¯t care about that. Although his primary purpose wasn¡¯t to find Arabe before, it was now. He needed her.


    He needed to be alive. He couldn¡¯t die. He hadn¡¯t done what he wanted, and he needed to break the curse as well. Time was running out for him, and he doubted he would get to her before it became toote.


    ¡°There¡¯s a light!¡± Thalia eximed


    Sandro narrowed his eyes toward where Thalia pointed to. He squinted and shielded his eyes as a bright light shed in his eyes.


    Grimacing, he turned, waiting for it to dim before he¡¯d look.


    Then he saw something, or was it someone walking towards him? Sandro couldn¡¯t figure out what it was as he was immediately yanked forward.


    He gasped, opening his eyes, and for a second, his eyes collided with Arabe¡¯s.


    Before he was shoved back andnded somewhere else.


    But it wasn¡¯t just somewhere else; it was Ascostan, a ce where his pack formerly was.


    But that wasn¡¯t the worst. He had been shoved into his enemy¡¯s hand, wounded and unprepared. Could it get any worse?

 Chapter 98

    Sandro blinked once and then again as soon as he could see clearly.


    He observed his environment.


    It was the same as before. It felt the same way, at least; the lush grasnd that surrounded everywhere, the calm wind that promised calmness yet hopelessness, the light blue sky that seemed as though all was well until that fateful morning.


    All memories of the past flooded through him at once, and he winced, clutching his pounding head.


    ¡°On your knees!¡±


    Sandro¡¯s head snapped to one of the enemies who stormed towards them. He gripped a massive club and swung it in the air.


    A wide smile adorned his lips as he moved towards them, and his dark eyes glinted.


    ¡°Ezra.¡± Sandro breathed out.


    ¡°Long time no see, old friend.¡± The man named Ezra said, his smile seemingly getting wider. ¡°And might I add, it¡¯s great to see you are alive.¡±


    Sandro scowled at him. Of course, he had lived as he had escaped, but he couldn¡¯t say the same for him.


    Ezra had been his best friend. The only friend he knew until now.


    Sandro had never imagined a day without both of them until the tragedy.


    Shit, Sandro saw him get stabbed and torn into pieces. But why the fuck was he alive and acting as though nothing had happened?


    Something wasn¡¯t adding up. Sandro mused as he stared at him harder. Something was wrong, but how was he going to get to it? Because it seems Ezra standing in front of him was his enemy rather than an old friend he introduced himself as.


    .


    .


    Ten years ago


    16 years Old(Sandro¡¯s age at that time)


    ACOSTAN PACKHOUSE


    THE DE LUCA WEREWOLF FAMILY(MOONSTONE PACK)


    ¡°The enemies infiltrate the wall already!¡± Bryce Roman, moonstone pack beta, shouted as he strode into the great hall.


    He shoved his hand into his dark hair and red at the wall before turning to Ro De Luca(Sandro¡¯s father and Alpha of the pack), who walked towards him.


    ¡°It¡¯s now or never, Alpha.¡± He said, bowing slightly to him.


    ¡°We have no other alternative, but the n even seems more dangerous than we are making it look.¡± Ro De Luca said.


    Of course, it was a dangerous n. Yet, they had no better option.


    Despite the protection ced around the pack by the witches, it didn¡¯t do much to stop the enemy. However, it seems they had better witches than them, and they were far stronger.


    ¡°What¡¯s the n?¡± Ro asked, striding towards the window, and he peeped. That was the only ce they could currently be used to check the situation at hand.


    Ro¡¯s brows creased as he stared from his son, the intending Alpha, to his friend.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°The youngsters need to be out of the pack. Let them go through the secret tunnel. Then we can face the enemy and fight them off safely.¡±


    ¡°Father,¡± Sandro said as he walked towards his father. ¡°Let me fight too. I trained a lot in the academy, and I am one of the best fighters in¡­¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Ro cut him off. ¡°You have a legacy to uphold, child. Keep your strength till when you be an Alpha.¡±


    Ro caressed Sandro¡¯s cheeks and smiled wistfully. ¡°Protect your mother, and always remember I love you.¡± He kissed the top of Sandro¡¯s head, and he grimaced, attempting to move out of his reach.


    Ro chuckled. ¡°I know you don¡¯t like that, but it might be thest time I do this.¡±


    Ro straightened as he sensed movement outside the hall. His nostrils red, and his ears twitched. ¡°Now leave!¡± He shouted, shoving Sandro out of the way. ¡°You need to take the children out of here, Isabe.¡±


    ¡°Come back to me in one piece, Ro. Else I won¡¯t forgive you.¡± Isabe said. She kissed him briefly and stared at him sternly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll try my best!¡± Ro murmured.


    The door opened, and troops of the attackers¡¯ pack marched into the room. Without even saying it, they were vastly outnumbered.


    Ro knew it would only take a miracle for them to win the fight.


    ¡°The children stay, and who¡¯s the Alpha?¡± One of the attackers asked. He seems to be the leader; he stepped forward and tilted his head covered with a helmet before yanking it off.


    Sandro shivered. The leader¡¯s face was covered with bruises. It was as if he had fought with a werelion the day before because his face had several w marks.


    It wasn¡¯t him alone; the others with him had the same mark. They all looked hideous.


    ¡°I am he.¡± Said Ro as he stepped forward. ¡°Your fight is with me and not the youngsters. Let them leave.¡±


    ¡°I am not leaving a stone untouched in this pack. Adult, infant, or any age whatsoever, they are all my Alpha¡¯s enemy, and I had been ordered to kill all.¡±


    He drew out the spear with him.


    ¡°Isabe.¡± Ro murmured, ¡°Stay by the door and try your best to escape. We¡¯ll hold them off the best way we can.¡±


    Isabe nodded as she moved to the door. One of the enemies darted forward, and Ro gripped him by the neck, tearing it off his head.


    ¡°Leave my family alone; you want me, then kill me!¡± Ro shouted.


    ¡°And always be on alert when making such a word; an enemy might be lying in wait for you!¡± The hideous face leader said and rushed forward with the knife with him.


    He stabbed the silver knife into Ro, and thetter gasped, shoving him.


    ¡°No!¡± Sandro yelled, but he was held back by his mother. ¡°No, father!¡±


    Sandro¡¯s eyes bulged out as he glimpsed the devilish grin on the attacker¡¯s face as he stabbed his father over again with the silver knife.


    ¡°Come on; we need to leave here!¡± Ezra said.


    He had forgotten other werewolves were in the room.


    But only his father seemed to be his main focus.


    No one had been attacked except for him.


    ¡°Come on,¡± Isabe said as the attacker starteding towards her.


    Sandro darted towards the entrance, and Ezra followed suit. He halted as he heard an agonized howl behind him


    It was Ezra, and he had been hit!


    Sandro growled. His shoulder popped, and his eyes shed goldenly. He was transforming. Shit, he had finally changed but at the wrong time. Yet, that didn¡¯t stop him. He shoved the iing attacker with all his might and tore his head off.


    Sandro grunted as the attacker howled in anguish, but he didn¡¯t stop what he was doing to him.


    Sandro wed at his face several times until he realized he was dead. Also, he heard his mother¡¯s startled voice.


    That was what snapped him out of the daze he was in.


    He shifted back and rushed towards Ezra, ignoring the pain in his side from the swipe he had taken from the attacker.


    ¡°We¡¯ll get the healer soon.¡± He mumbled, cradling Ezra¡¯s pale face. ¡°You and my father will be healed. Anyone injured will be taken care of.¡±


    Sandro knew he was rambling, but he couldn¡¯t help it.


    ¡°I¡¯m cold.¡± Ezra stuttered. He attempted a smile, but it turned into a grimace instead.


    ¡°Please, stay with me. I can keep you warm.¡± Tears streamed down Sandro¡¯s cheeks.


    ¡°Allesandro,¡± Isabe murmured.


    ¡°No, mother.¡± Sandro shook his head and shrugged his shoulder as she gripped him.


    ¡°Let him go; he¡¯s gone.¡± She said.


    ¡°How can you say that?!¡± Sandro shouted. ¡°The witches can heal him. They can¡¯t be useless. That¡¯s their work. We need to get back to father too!¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s gone.¡± She repeated, and Sandro gazed at her.


    ¡°Do you care at all? You didn¡¯t even attempt to save father! You didn¡¯t even cry; I didn¡¯t see a tear drop as your mate was stabbed. You seemed okay and¡­¡±


    Sandro¡¯s head whipped backward, and he gasped as his mother¡¯s palm collided with his cheek. He gripped his chin while the other was in Ezra¡¯s limp hand.


    ¡°I am freaking out!¡± Isabe shouted. ¡°I am trying my best to be fine for you. I can¡¯t break down because I need to look strong for my son. I am your mother, Allesandro, and at this time, I am doing the best I can to keep you safe!¡±


    Sandro saw her lips and body tremble violently. He was wrong to have thought she didn¡¯t care. He saw the tears swimming in her pale green eyes, and she tried her best not to let them fall.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, mother, that is insensitive of me.¡±


    ¡°This is not the time for an apology, Allesandro. Except we are certain, we¡¯d live. Still, we need to leave here else we¡¯ll be in the same shoe.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to leave him, mother; I don¡¯t believe he¡¯s gone,¡± Sandro mumbled, holding Ezra¡¯s cold hand.


    He knew the truth. He knew he was making himself feel better and didn¡¯t want to ept that Ezra was dead. There was no way he¡¯d ept it because somehow he believed he could be cured.


    The door opened, and in strode the leader of the attacker and some more men.


    ¡°Look at their faces,¡± Isabe said.


    And Sandro did just that. Hatred for the Alpha and the member of the pack surged through him. He had gotten his wolf, but he couldn¡¯t attack by himself. He was weak!


    The people before him were stronger and were using some weird magic that made them even more powerful.


    ¡°Memorise their features¡­¡± His mother continued. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to live ande back stronger to avenge your father and Ezra?!¡±


    Sandro heard the hurt in her voice at the mention of her father. She was even taking everything better, or maybe it was the way she could handle grief. She was not giving in to it.


    Sandro nodded and stared at her briefly, ¡°I want to kill them all.¡±


    ¡°Tough luck, little boy.¡± The leader seemed to say, but Sandro wasn¡¯t listening anymore.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s leave ande back stronger.¡± With that, Isabe jerked him upward, and he let her drag him out of the hall.


    Sandro didn¡¯t know how they had escaped; he only saw himself in another town afterward. And he was grateful for that.


    But the death of his father, Ezra, and the pack takeover never left his mind. It had always been his dream toe back and have his revenge, but perhaps, he shouldn¡¯t have made it all that¡­

 Chapter 99

    Sandro wondered how many more people would betray him. John, Arabe¡¯s father, was a trusted man in the gang, and he had betrayed him, getting his mother and mate killed in the process.


    He was only eighteen years old when it happened. And now, ten years after his father¡¯s death and eight years after his mother¡¯s, he was in the presence of another betrayer.


    Ezra was the son of the Alpha of the attacker pack.


    Sandro believed he should have known what he was up to, but then his naivety was used against him.


    Even if he did know about it, he didn¡¯t think his younger self would have read any meaning to him being an enemy. He only wanted to make friends, and Ezra had been avable.


    ¡°I saw you died,¡± Sandro mumbled. He didn¡¯t know how Ezra had gotten resurrected, but he was sure he did die.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s what you call magic and some acting. I insulted your intelligence. Didn¡¯t I?¡± Ezra chuckled.


    Hisughter started irritating Sandro, and he wished he could shove him into the wall and snap his neck. Then pull out his heart after torturing him.


    However, he was bounded. He had been fucking ced in chains!


    Then he remembered Thalia as he glimpsed her scarf lying on the floor.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Thalia? What have you done to her? I swear by the moon goddess; I¡¯ll kill you myself this time.¡±


    Ezra scoffed. ¡°Just for a woman that means nothing to you?¡±


    Sandro red and grunted. ¡°You don¡¯t know what you are talking about.¡±


    ¡°Anyway, she¡¯s doing fine, although acting like a witch herself.¡± Ezra winced and tilted his shirt. ¡°She did this. Might I ask, where did you get her?!¡±


    Sandro shook his head and chuckled despite the situation he was in. ¡°She never disappoints.¡±


    ¡°You think so?¡±


    Sandro shrugged. ¡°I know so. Thalia is¡­¡±


    ¡°Drag out the bitch by her hair!¡± Ezra growled, cutting off his word.


    Sandro stood to his feet and yanked at the chain around him. His eyes narrowed as Thalia was shoved into the opening.


    ¡°Leave her be!¡± Sandro barked.


    ¡°Sandro!¡± Thalia gasped out. She stumbled to the ground, and her knee grazed the soft earth.


    She moaned as she felt it bruise, and her eyes flickered to Sandro as she heard his voice.


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you all for hurting her!¡±N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t result to threat if I were you. You never know what will happen to you next¡­¡±Ezra trailed off, tapping his hand on his chin. ¡°Five minutes is a lot of time. How about you start saying goodbye to each other?¡±


    Sandro gritted his teeth. ¡°I¡¯m warning you, Ezra! Not a hair on her body should be touched.¡±


    ¡°That, I can¡¯t promise you,¡± Ezra said. He walked towards Thalia and leaned into her. ¡°Why don¡¯t you cooperate with us except if you wish to see your Alpha go up in mes¡­¡±


    Thalia shuddered. She didn¡¯t know exactly where they were, but by the look of things, the pack leader in front of her wasn¡¯t bluffing.


    As soon as she separated from Sandro, she was tossed into a dark dungeon. She hadn¡¯t seen much despite having keen eyesight. She didn¡¯t know what lurked in the dark dungeon, but she felt it.


    It made her frightened and shook her to the core. Thalia didn¡¯t see herself going back there. Also, she didn¡¯t see Sandro being killed in front of her. It was thest thing she could imagine.


    They were outnumbered, and all the pack members she hade with were nowhere to be found. So, there was no saving her.


    .


    .


    ¡°What just happened?¡± Arabe blinked as soon as the white light vanished.


    ¡°A powerful witch disced the world setting,¡± Orga said grimly.


    Arabe turned to him with a frown. ¡°What do you mean by discing?¡±


    ¡°Location switching. The witch must have sensed danger and had moved the trouble away from the prize. However, only a powerful witch can do this.¡±


    Arabe nodded. She was still confused. However, she didn¡¯t know what to say. A witch had switched the location of where Sandro was, she should be d, but somehow, she wasn¡¯t.


    It felt as though it was more trouble to have moved him to another location, whereas what needed to be done could have happened sooner thanter.


    ¡°What¡¯s the prize, and why was it done?¡± ze asked, getting Arabe attention.


    She walked towards him and gripped his hand. ze did the same and pulled her into him, wrapping his arms around her.


    All that didn¡¯t go unnoticed by Orga, but hemented not on it. ¡°I suspect the coven must have noticed the shift in the atmosphere. If it weren¡¯t done, the prize would be killed even before the prophecy came to a past. Everything is happening for a reason.¡±


    ¡°The prize¡­¡±


    ¡°You have always been the prize,¡± Orga said. ¡°You are the chosen one, the phoenix queen and the moon goddess blessed descendant. Arabe, you have what the enemy is looking for, and you must be guarded at all costs.¡±


    Arabe heaved a breath. ¡°I feel this is getting weirder by the day. Why do I keep getting different titles added to me?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just any title, Arabe. You were blessed. The blessed of the twin, and you¡¯ve been chosen by the goddess even before birth. You are the world¡¯s redemption and shouldn¡¯t be taken from us under our noses.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m still confused,¡± Arabe mumbled.


    ¡°It¡¯s normal to be.¡± Orga shrugged.


    She nodded and murmured. ¡°Everything is happening so fast. And I am curious as to why all was kept from me until now.¡±


    ¡°Your father did a good thing to have kept you away from evil eyes until his demise. And you should remember the location he sent you to was where we should have taken you, but the enemy got there before us.¡±


    ¡°Phoenix, don¡¯t hurt people on purpose. We were nning the perfect time to take you back, but all were for the prophecy to be fulfilled.¡±


    Arabe rolled her eyes. Everything he was saying was absurd. She was taken by Sandro and almost tortured to death. All were for the stupid prophecy toe to pass.


    Now was her chance to avenge Sandro, but he was taken away so the fucking prophecy would pass!


    She turned to Orga and red at him, but he shrugged again.


    ¡°You should concentrate on getting out your powers. Anything can happen, and waiting for that to happen when you are powerless will be ludicrous. Moreover, you must take over the throne as soon as possible and free us.¡±


    Arabe sighed. For someone just knowing about her authentic self, she sure had a lot of jobs to handle. She didn¡¯t know how she¡¯d go about it, but she believed with ze beside her, it would go smoothly.

 Chapter 100

    ¡°Taking the pack by surprise should be the best thing ever¡­¡±


    Janice tuned out her father¡¯s voice and ced a hand over her chin. She licked her lips and furrowed her brows as she stared at nothing.


    Annalise. Her thoughts were filled with her sister¡¯s well-being. She didn¡¯t know how she was faring. She didn¡¯t know if her secret was known and if Sandro punished Annalise just as he did to Alessia because of Arabe.


    Her mind was muddled, and she wished she coulde up with a good enough answer.


    She had been in the house with her father for a week now, and nothing much was happening, save for the usual, threatening to kill her if she went against him, trying to force her into doing what she didn¡¯t want and n about the attack on Sandro¡¯s pack.


    Janice didn¡¯t know exactly what happened, but ording to him, Sandro had what he wanted. And with that, he could make a mighty army.


    That was all that they wanted. Sandro was after the Delicate Rose blood and looking to make a battalion, likewise the whole pack she knew. They all had the same mission.


    They all wanted to subdue the world and trample on the powerless. Even her father, Janice, doubted Alessia was what Sandro needed.


    Perhaps, there was something else he wasn¡¯t letting her on.


    She snapped her eyes to him as he pped his palms on the table.


    ¡°How much more time do you need on spacing out? You barely listen to whatever I say!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, father,¡± Janice mumbled. Although she wasn¡¯t, there was no point in telling him her thoughts, as she¡¯d endangered herself in the process.


    ¡°I was just lost in thought.¡±


    Paolo harrumphed, and swiftly, he moved to where she sat and gripped her chin, forcing her to stare into his eyes. ¡°Let your eyes never leave me and answer every damn question I ask of you.¡±


    Janice gritted her teeth, but she nodded. ¡°Yes, father.¡±


    ¡°Good girl.¡± He said, patting her hair.


    Walking away from her, Janice watched her father, and she twisted her hands together. She didn¡¯t know what to do. Although all her escape ns were in her head, she doubted she could go far before he found her again. Moreover, all she was doing was because of Annalise.


    Since she was the older twin, she needed to do everything to keep her safe. Yet, she doubted there was anything she could do.


    A whileter, Janice went to the shopping mall as she needed some groceries. Also, she wanted to escape her father¡¯s ranting and the nonstop evil n he was trying to make her partook in.


    Janice nced at the list she carried with her. Shopping was one of the things she loathed doing, even in the De Luca household. She didn¡¯t enjoy the eyes of people on her. Currently, a boy and a girl were pointing at her and whispering nonstop.


    Janice assumed it was due to the disguise she had donned. She didn¡¯t want to be recognised, so she used a mask to cover her face, and a hoodie was on top of her head.


    ¡°Excuse me!¡±


    Janice jumped and sidestepped the girl in front of her, and she was lucky to have avoided hitting her.


    Her eyes widened as they stayed on hers.


    Fuck, it was Alessia. What was she doing here?!


    Janice¡¯s eyes flicked around; she searched the giant mall for Sandro and heaved a breath as she didn¡¯t see his wicked-looking Cadic anywhere nor any of the De Luca household cars to have signified anyone of them were present.


    Janice furrowed her brows as Alessia passed by her. For one, she was d Alessia didn¡¯t recognise her, but then she couldn¡¯t help but wonder why she was in the mall by herself, nked by two hostile bodyguards.


    Did she escape? Just as Arabe did?


    Janice couldn¡¯t figure out what was happening but needed answers. Yet, she wondered where she could get it. She wasn¡¯t on speaking terms with anyone. Maybe Annalise could tell her what she wanted, but she didn¡¯t wish for her location to be known. And asking Francis was thest thing she¡¯d do.


    She sighed and finished picking up what she needed before going home, hoping to get answers soon.


    Janice finished her chores as usual before slipping out of the house. Her father had retired for the night. He was a heavy sleeper and wouldn¡¯t be aware of anything until the morning came.


    But any slight movement could keep him awake. Moreover, she added something to the tea he had taken to prevent that from happening.


    Janice heaved a breath and pulled the hoodie she donned atop her head.


    She needed a clear head. Staying indoors was already making her feel as though she was confined in a tight container. Although the house was big enough, she was getting ustrophobic.


    She rubbed her palms together and brought them to her mouth, blowing hot air on them; she stuck them into the hoodie¡¯s pocket.


    Outside was cold than she imagined. But then, it was during winter, and she wasn¡¯t expecting much.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    Her eyes darted around as she walked. asionally she stopped to see if she was being followed. Somehow, she felt like someone was watching her.


    The shoppers were gone due to the extreme weather, and only a few people were out.


    Janice stopped in her track and tilted her head. Her ears perked up, and she narrowed her eyes as she felt whoever it was approaching her.


    She clutched the pocket knife she often carried about in case she was too slow to shift. She could use it to incapacitate the attacker before transforming into her wolf form.


    Slowly as the figure approached, Janice¡¯s hand tightened on the stic handle of the knife, and she heaved a frosty breath.


    She turned and pointed the knife at the figure.


    ¡°It¡¯s me!¡±


    Janice shuddered as her eyes collided with Alessia¡¯s.


    Janice staggered backwards and nced around frantically in search of the hefty men that often followed her about.


    But she found none. Were they hiding and waiting for the right time to attack? How did she find her and¡­


    Janice¡¯s head reeled. She was going to get taken. She shouldn¡¯t have gone outside, but could that have made Alessia unable to find her? Because it looked as though she had been watching her for a long time.

 Chapter 101

    ¡°Can you drop the knife?¡± Alessia asked, tilting her hands in the air.


    ¡°No!¡± Janice grunted. ¡°What do you want from me? I am not Sandro and¡­¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Alessia mumbled. ¡°I am not here to attack you.¡±


    ¡°Then what do you want?!¡±


    ¡°I need your help,¡± Alessia mumbled, then staggered forward.


    Janice furrowed her brows and caught her midway before she fell to the ground.


    ¡°Alessia!¡± She shook her as her eyes flustered. ¡°What¡¯s going on?!¡±


    ¡°Help me!¡± Alessia gasped, clutching her side.


    Janice followed the movement and let out a gasp. Arge gash was at the side of her belly. How had she not noticed this? She guessed it was because of her safety, and she was afraid for herself.


    ncing around to see if anyone was approaching, Janice hoisted Alessia on her shoulder as she saw no one. She darted across the road and arrived at a secluded area. She stepped into a small building after sniffing the air and dropped Alessia on the floor.


    Tearing at the light material she donned, she pressed it on the injury to stop it from bleeding further.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening? Who did this?¡±


    Alessia eyes fluttered close. Her mouth opened to say something, but nothing came out of it. She stared at Janice, and somehow she looked hazy.


    ¡°Come on; you need to tell who attacked you. What do I need to do? I don¡¯t even have the address to your residence!¡±


    Of course, Janice knew all about the Rosette empire, but she hadn¡¯t for once gone there. Her father never allowed her and Annalise to go out and, worse, associate with other kids. She was a loner with only Annalise to y with until her escape.


    Not even under the roof of Sandro, where she had more freedom, had she once gone there. And the tattoos she had drawn, even though she had made hers secretly temporary, would draw more attention to her and could get her killed instantly.


    ¡°I need to call your home¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± Alessia mumbled. ¡°Take me to your home.¡±This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    That wasn¡¯t an option for Janice either. Her father wanted the Rose, and getting Alessia was the easiest way to get what he wanted.


    Yes, she had vowed to help him; she had done her part, she presumed. And handing Allesia to him was like making the whole world unfit.


    ¡°You need to tell me the reason before I help you.¡±


    ¡°My father wants me dead,¡± Alessia said, closing her eyes.


    Janice stared at her for a long time before realising she was unconscious. She never knew this part of Alessia and had always seen her as a sheltered princess that could get whatever she wanted at the snap of her fingers.


    But now, seeing her this helpless could only mean they had the same parent issues. Their fathers wouldn¡¯t mind using them to get their bidding.


    She hoisted Alessia again and walked towards the direction of home.


    .


    ¡°Bitch!¡±


    Janice bit her lower lip as her father pounded on her door repeatedly. But she made no move to open up for him. Also, she knew he could boot the door and let himself in; however, he didn¡¯t do it.


    ¡°I¡¯ll let this slide!¡± He yelled.


    Janice heaved a breath as she heard his retreating footsteps.


    She slid to the floor and sped her hands over her face while her body trembled.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    Her head lifted, and she stared at Alessia. She nodded and shed her a wide smile.


    Although Alessia could see the pain hidden behind the smile, she said nothing.


    Janice stood to her feet and walked to the wardrobe. She flung it open and yanked several pieces of clothing on the group.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Alessia asked, sitting up straight.


    ¡°My father is a brilliant man. He is a Werewolf. An Alpha and a gangster. He has a great sense of smell, and I am certain his nose led him here. He let me go, but he won¡¯t if hees back again. And you might get in trouble with me.¡±


    ¡°Are you trying to discard me? I told you I am on the run and..¡±


    Janice shook her head. ¡°We are running away before hees back.¡±


    ¡°That sounds dangerous.¡±


    Janice nodded. ¡°I know that, but we have no other options. Do you have anyone better? Perhaps, we can use your suggestion.¡±


    Alessia shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know anywhere around here. It¡¯s the reason they have advantages over me. Also, the reason my father was eager to kill me.¡±


    Janice creased her brows. She stopped what she was doing and turned to Alessia. She had wanted to ask Alessia why she was on the run before her father arrived.


    ¡°Well, my father is a selfish man. I thought he loved me. Apparently, he was keeping me for something else.¡±


    Alessia overhead all the discussion the day she went back home. Although she was weak, she heard everything that was said and pretended to be asleep.


    She was a tool. He was waiting to kill her and use her as he deemed. However, he hadn¡¯t gotten the missing part of the puzzle.


    ¡°That¡¯s awful. And how did you escape the De Luca household? Aside from Arabe, which I believe someone aided her, It is hard to leave Sandro¡¯s clutch.¡±


    Alessia shrugged and winced. ¡°I found myself in the woods. And I used the opportunity to flee, and I don¡¯t think Sandro would mind as he was nning on killing me already.¡±


    ¡°You are the Rose. Sandro wouldn¡¯t do anything to harm you until he got what he wanted.¡±


    Alessia shook her head. ¡°Unfortunately, I am not. My missing twin is Rose. It was written in a picture of her in the cer.¡±


    Aside from that, her father said the same. It was confirmed, but Alessia guessed Arabe was never avable, and he had been waiting for the opportunity to get to her.


    ¡°You are rted?¡± Janice asked.


    ¡°We are,¡± Alessia said. ¡°I wish I could meet her. I have a lot of things to say and do.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say the same for myself.¡± Janice grimaced. She wasn¡¯t still happy about Arabe. She had made ze reject her, even in her absence. The idiot had been hung up on her.


    Janice turned to Alessia and shed her a smile. ¡°Good thing we have the same wish to run off. Where do you have in mind? The Bahamas? Hawaii? d¡­¡±


    ¡°Actually,¡± Alessia mumbled. She plucked out the paper in the hoodie she donned and stared at what she had scribbled before running away from home.


    ¡°I¡¯ll like to visit Acostan.¡±


    Janice frowned. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Someone wants me there.¡± Alessia said.


    The old pack house was in Acostan. But then, the reason for Alessia wanting to go there, she didn¡¯t know.


    Janice shrugged after a while. ¡°I¡¯ve wanted to visit. Now that makes us two!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good to know.¡± Alessia giggled and watched as Janice went on packing.


    She squeezed the paper back into her pocket, and somehow, she felt a tingling sensation in her hand. She didn¡¯t know why it was happening, but she knew something awful wasing.

 Chapter 102

    ¡°Can you run faster?!¡± Janice yelled over the howling wind.


    She nced back at Alessia to see she was still far behind.


    Janice desired to stop, but she couldn¡¯t. She knew what would be of her if she did.


    Also, it was a matter of life and death, and they had been on the run for more than three hours or so. She didn¡¯t know what the time was precisely, but ording to her weary body, she knew it was more than that.


    As soon as they were done packing, they attempted to sneak out, but it hadn¡¯t been a fruitful one.


    When she and Alessia had stepped out, they had met with the gangs from Alessia¡¯s father. Unfortunately for them, a chip had been on Alessia that had been used to trace her location.


    Janice had done the first thing on her mind as soon as she heard her father¡¯s voice.


    As they were still running, the gang was gaining on them; Janice wondered if she could outrun them if she tried harder.


    She halted and heaved out a breath. Although it was thest thing she should be doing, she couldn¡¯t let Alessia be caught. She couldn¡¯t leave her alone!


    Janice sprinted back towards Alessia.


    ¡°What the hell are you doing? Fucking save yourself!¡± Alessia yelled.


    Janice grunted. ¡°And leave you to be caught? Never!¡±


    She gripped Alessia¡¯s hand and yanked her forward. Both sprinted through the forest that was bing darkened.


    Alessia and Janice halted a few hourster; they were deep inside the darkened forest and didn¡¯t know exactly where they were.


    Janice¡¯s ear perked up as she heard the rushing of water. She furrowed her brows and sniffed the air. ¡°There¡¯s a waterfall here.¡±


    With wide eyes, Alessia swirled, ncing around. ¡°I can¡¯t swim. We are going to die!¡±


    Janice nudged her and sighed. ¡°We won¡¯t.¡± She said firmly, cracking her knuckles.


    ¡°We need to face them off. That¡¯s the only way to make them stop chasing us.¡±


    Alessia shook her head frantically. They were with bullets. Silver bullets and wolfsbane. It was useless trying to fight off someone who could kill them instantly with a shot.


    The gang from the Rosette empire were trained and barely missed a shot trained on their targets.


    ¡°Janice¡­¡± She began, but Janice shook her head.


    ¡°Just follow my lead, okay? You don¡¯t need to fight.¡±


    ¡°As if I¡¯ll watch and act pretty when you are being¡­¡±


    ¡°Nowhere to go?¡±


    Janice¡¯s eyes narrowed as the gangs burst into the opening they were in. Their guns were trained on her, and she tilted her hands in the air.


    ¡°Fucking don¡¯t move, or I¡¯ll blow off your brain!¡± A blond yelled, and Janice halted in her tracks.


    She felt Alessia¡¯s grip on her as well as felt her shuddering.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to die,¡± Alessia muttered again, and Janice gritted her teeth.


    ¡°I¡¯m fucking trying to think. Can you be a little quieter?!¡±


    The wind whistled, and leaves rustled around her. It waspletely dark, a disadvantage for most of the gang since they couldn¡¯t see in the dark and an advantage for Janice.


    The full moon was not out, but she knew it was only a matter of time.


    Janice thought of how she¡¯d shift without getting shot, but nothing was forting in her mind. Her head was nk, and she stared at the enemies before her.


    They were a piece of cake if she could switch. She nced at the sky again; The moon was out and full, just as she wanted it.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    Janice tugged the stic band holding her hair together, and she shook her hair out before letting out a low growl.


    Alessia gasped, jumping away as she saw the change in her demeanour. She heard the snapping of muscles, and her eyes widened as she saw Janice crouched on the floor.


    She was changing! Of course, she knew Janice was part of the De Luca werewolf before now, but she was startled as she hadn¡¯t seen an actual werewolf shift until now.


    She was mesmerised and couldn¡¯t look away. A howl sounded from Janice as she tipped her head to the sky.


    Alessia gasped as Janice turned to gaze at her with her glistering beautiful golden eyes. She was by far the most beautiful she-wolf she had seen. However, all the she-wolves she had seen were on television.


    Staring at Janice this instant in her wolf form was enthralling. And somehow, Something weirdly builds within her.


    Alessia didn¡¯t know what it was, but she blushed as Janice stared at her.


    From the corner of her eyes, she sighted guns pointed at Janice, and they were cocked. Soon after, a bullet came speeding towards them.


    ¡°Watch out!¡± Alessia yelled.


    Janice turned and growled. She rushed towards the enemies, not minding if she could get hit.


    The fight was in a blur, and Alessia could barely keep up with all the movement made. She also did her part to m rocks into those creeping on Janice unexpectedly.


    The fight ended a whileter, and Janice shifted back to her human form, naked and shivering.


    ¡°Fuck, I have no alternative!¡± Janice grimaced as she stared at the ripped dress. She could wear her jeans because it was in better condition than her blouse- it was torn, and wearing it would make people wonder if she hade out from the asylum.


    ¡°Take this.¡±


    Janice turned as Alessia extended her jacket towards her. She frowned and shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s cold, and you are in thin clothing.¡±


    ¡°You are in nothing.¡± Alessia reminded her and shoved the jacket into her hand. ¡°You should put it on, and we must get out of here. I doubt we are free because I can hear more howls from afar.¡±


    Janice heard it as well. She gripped the jacket and slipped into it. Instantly, Allesia¡¯s scent infiltrated her nostrils.


    Fuck, rose and cinnamon?


    She furrowed her brows as she gazed at Alessia, and something unfurled within her. A weird feeling she couldn¡¯t describe.


    She stalked towards Alessia and gripped her hand. ¡°Mate?!¡±


    ¡°What is that?¡± Allesia murmured, gaping as Janice¡¯s eyes shed a dangerous golden colour.


    ¡°You¡¯re destined to be with me,¡± Janice said.

 Chapter 103

    Alessia was clueless about the creature that had entered the clearing, but one thing was sure-they needed to escape. The only viable option was to leap into the water below, even though it was frigid and possibly unsafe for swimming.


    Having passed many frozenkes on their way, she doubted the waterfall was any different. Without a moment to lose, she seized Janice¡¯s hand, but Janice still gazed at her.


    ¡°Janice!¡± Alessia hollered. ¡°Fucking snap out of your daze!¡±


    Janice¡¯s attention snapped back to reality, immediately sensing the terror in Alessia¡¯s eyes as they widened by the second.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Janice asked, her heart pounding as Alessia¡¯s fear enveloped her.


    Alessia attempted to speak, but the words wouldn¡¯te. Janice followed the line of her gaze and immediately regretted it.


    Janice wished she hadn¡¯t zoned out earlier and had started to run the instant she had defeated the gang, for what she saw in front of her was beyond her worst nightmare.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    A monstrous beast towered before them, with the head of a goat, razor-sharp teeth, and flesh and blood hanging from its jaws.


    Wide-eyed, Janice muttered, ¡°What in the world?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s¡­ Krampus!¡± Alessia stuttered, her voice trembling with fear.


    ¡°Krampus, who?¡± Janice asked, still bewildered. She could sense that the monster was immensely powerful, as evidenced by the sheer terror on Alessia¡¯s face. Also, it appeared that Alessia was quite familiar with the creature.


    ¡°It¡¯s the evil Santa!¡± Alessia shrieked. ¡°We¡¯re so fucking dead!¡±


    Alessia¡¯s mind raced back to her childhood when she had been obsessed with mythology and had amassed a vast collection of books on the subject. She vividly remembered reading about Krampus, a legendary figure from Alpine folklore that appeared only to punish naughty children every December 5th.


    Alessia wondered if she had been naughty or nice as she recollected everything she had done both in the De Luca household and in her twenty years on earth. While she had indeed done some good deeds, the evil she had perpetrated far outweighed the good.


    Krampus growled as it advanced toward them.


    ¡°We can¡¯t fight it,¡± Alessia whispered, rising to her feet. ¡°We have to run.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± Janice warned, rising to face the approaching beast. She winced as it tilted its head, emitting a piercing screech that sounded like nails on a chalkboard amplified through a megaphone.


    The sound reverberated through the air, shaking the foundation of the ground they stood on and causing difort in every muscle of her body. Even after the noise had ceased, Janice¡¯s ears still rang.


    Janice wondered if she was the only one affected by the sound. Alessia didn¡¯t seem fazed; instead, she stared intently at the creature before them.


    ¡°Are you naughty or nice?¡± Krampus let out a guttural growl.


    Janice gagged as a greenish smoke spewed out of his mouth, leaving behind a putrid stench. As Krampus neared, the smell became even more unbearable, making it difficult for her to breathe.


    ¡°This is nauseating!¡± Alessia recoiled, pinching her nose. ¡°Fuck, is he a corpse or something?!¡±


    ¡°Pull yourself together,¡± Janice said. ¡°We need to face it off. Whether we were nice or not doesn¡¯t matter. It¡¯s obvious that it¡¯s here to kill.¡±


    Before Janice could finish her statement, Krampus attacked. She gasped as Krampus rammed into her, and the horn on his head jammed into her stomach, causing her to cough up blood.


    ¡°Janice!¡± Alessia yelled, rushing forward.


    Janice pushed her away and yelled, ¡°Can you swim?!¡±


    Alessia¡¯s brows scrunched together before shaking her head. ¡°You¡¯re bleeding!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care!¡± Janice snapped. ¡°Just jump into the damn water and leave as soon as possible. Save yourself because I¡¯m a lost cause.¡±


    Alessia glowered at her and dragged her to the edge of the cliff. ¡°We¡¯re jumping into the water together!¡±


    ¡°Please stop!¡± Janice screamed, tugging her hand away. ¡°I need to fight it!¡±


    ¡°Naughty, naughty children,¡± Krampus cackled. He sprinted towards them and rammed into Alessia from behind. His whip cracked, and it descended on Alessia¡¯s back.


    ¡°Fuck! That hurt like hell!¡± Alessia cried, darting away and narrowly avoiding another whip Krampus sent towards her.


    But Krampus was too fast, and he caught up with her. He gripped and tossed her in the air before kicking her with his hoof.


    Landing on the ground with a thud, Alessia screamed in pain.


    ¡°Mate¡­¡± Janice growled softly. Alessia was her mate, and she wondered if the feelings she had for her were real. Yet, as she watched Alessia getting beaten by Krampus, she couldn¡¯t stand it.


    Janice was somewhat weak, but there was still some energy within her. She knew she had to shift and fight off Krampus, but Janice wasn¡¯t sure if she could. She hadn¡¯t shifted in a long time.


    Janice howled, her eyes trained on Krampus, and thetter growled back at her.


    ¡°I¡¯m fucking killing you!¡± Janice barked, her muscles popping as she winced in pain. She crouched on all fours, watching the full moon as she shifted. It wasn¡¯t long before she transformed into her wolf form, and then she rushed towards the Krampus, who charged back at her.


    From the corner of her eye, she saw Alessia attempting to stand, but it was futile. Despite that, Janice was d she was alive.


    Janice rammed into Krampus, but the damage she inflicted on him wasn¡¯t much, while Krampus did the opposite to her.


    Flung sideways, Janice whimpered, but she didn¡¯t give up. She panted and charged again.


    The fight continued for several minutes, but it didn¡¯t seem like it would ever end. Janice was fast losing strength, while Krampus seemed to be renewing his own.


    Paolo stood a few paces away from where the fight was happening. He watched with a grimace as Krampus mauled Janice while he absentmindedly stroked his beard before shaking his head.


    ¡°Poor kids,¡± he murmured to himself.


    Despite Janice being his blood, he felt no sympathy for her. He enjoyed seeing her punished, but he didn¡¯t want her to die because he had a use for her.


    Paolo¡¯s eyes narrowed as he saw Alessia lying on the ground, struggling to pull out the horn of Santa lodged in Janice¡¯s midriff.


    ¡°Is that Delicate Rose?¡± He mused, suddenly feeling excited. ¡°But she looks powerless,¡± he wrinkled his nose as he watched her struggling to help Janice.


    Paolo took a step forward, then hesitated. He wanted to help them, but he didn¡¯t want to get caught in the middle of the fight.


    However, if he kept stalling, Paolo knew both women would die, and that would ruin his ns. He wouldn¡¯t be powerful, and he definitely would not achieve world domination.


    He took another step forward and halted as the woman he believed to be Delicate Rose let out an ear-splitting scream.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± Paolo cursed under his breath, covering his ears as the scream reverberated through the air. He had never heard such power in a scream before. His eyes widened, and he gasped in shock, watching as a burst of dark energy emerged from her body.


    Alessia¡¯s scream enveloped her, pushing back not only Krampus but also Paolo, who was standing far away.


    ¡°What was that?!¡± Paolo¡¯s mouth hung open as he stared at the scene before him, his eyes wide with shock. He watched Delicate Rose march towards Krampus, facing him head-on despite her injuries.


    He didn¡¯t think she would win the fight, as Krampus seemed much stronger than her. However, he realised that he shouldn¡¯t have underestimated her. Delicate Rose pped her palm on Krampus¡¯ chest and plucked out his heart. The fightsted only a few seconds after she intervened, and Paolo was somewhat impressed with her abilities.


    Although Krampus didn¡¯t die, Delicate Rose managed to chase him away as he disintegrated into the soft earth. Paolo exhaled heavily before walking towards them.


    Janice shifted back into her human form and crawled towards an unconscious Alessia. She gripped her shoulder and tried to shake her awake, but it didn¡¯t work. She sniffled, and her eyes turned blurry as tears welled up.


    Janice shook her head and bit her lower lip, which quivered. ¡°Don¡¯t die, please,¡± she whispered, her voice breaking with emotion.


    She gasped, clutching her chest as a sharp pain shot through her heart. She choked back a sob, her body trembling as she gazed at Alessia¡¯s still form.


    It was the first time she had ever felt such intense emotions for someone she barely knew.


    Janice had always been indifferent to others, except for Annalise and ze. But now, something had changed. She cared about Alessia deeply.


    Alessia had saved her life, but her heart ached for reasons beyond that.


    As footsteps approached her, Janice¡¯s head turned, and she sniffed the air, grimacing at the familiar scent that wafted towards her.


    ¡°Father,¡± she mumbled. Although she had sensed his presence before, she had wanted to finish off Krampus before facing him.


    ¡°I did everything you asked of me. I think you should let me go. I don¡¯t have anything else to give to you¡­¡± A heavy blow to her face cut off Janice¡¯s words.


    Her head reeled, and she bit down hard on her lip due to the force.


    ¡°You ungrateful bitch! I fed and clothed you. I put a roof over your head, but you repay me with evil!¡± Paolo bellowed.


    Fury danced in his eyes, and he narrowed them at her before gripping her neck. ¡°I do not need a traitorous daughter. You are as good as dead to me!¡±

 Chapter 104

    ¡°I should have disposed of you and that bitch that fled as soon as you were born. At least I¡¯ll know I am no reminder of the people that caused me so much pain!¡± Paolo¡¯s grip tightened on Janice¡¯s neck, and her eyes dimmed as she gasped for breath.


    Janice¡¯s life shed before her eyes momentarily, and she shuddered, wing at hisrge palms.


    She imagined it being herst time in the world. Her eyes flickered to Alessia, who was still unconscious.


    She wondered what would be of her because her father would definitely want to keep her and make her a pawn to his freaking desire. He would try to do everything so Alessia would not disappear, just like he had done to them in the beginning.


    However, the way he treated Alessia when he got hold of her, the world would be doomed!


    Everyone in it would grovel and be at his mercy but knowing him, he was merciless and would kill those he wanted and leave the weak so he¡¯d continue to trample on them.


    But Alessia wasn¡¯t the rose. She had said it, and Janice wondered if she should believe her.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    Annalise¡­ Janice mused. She would suffer worst. She wondered if Sandro was punishing her because he¡¯d have gotten words about her being a spy.


    Shit, Annalise would suffer for her crime! Janice sobbed. She couldn¡¯t hold back the tears. Even if she was able to, she didn¡¯t want to. She needed the tears; it would be herst anyway.


    Janice exhaled sharply and shut her eyes as her thought severed with her mind as Paolo¡¯s hand tightened around her neck.


    Almost immediately, the hand around her neck loosened, and she opened her eyes before falling to the ground.


    ¡°Although I am tempted to kill you, I have a lot of things to do with you. Your work isn¡¯t done yet.¡± Paolo grunted.


    His eyes glinted, and Janice trembled. She nced away from him, rubbing her aching neck.


    It was sore to her touch, and she had trouble breathing and swallowing.


    She chanced a nce at her father again. His eyes twinkled, and he leaned into her.


    ¡°Tell me, daughter dearest, how¡¯d you repay me if I let your friend here live and your sister? I can get her wherever she is and make her pay for your sin. Is it worth it if everyone died for your betrayal?¡±


    Janice whimpered, shaking her head. Her eyes welled up with tears because she knew her father could do what he said.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Father.¡± She mumbled, going down on her knees. Janice burst out crying; her body shook in a nerve-wracking sob.


    The people he mentioned were essential to her. Although she didn¡¯t know much about Alessia, she was her mate, and she believed she would get to know her soon.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do whatever you want and will never betray you.¡± Janice¡¯s lips quivered.


    ¡°You said that before until you decided to go back on your word,¡± Paolo said.


    ¡°I swear by the moon goddess!¡± The air grew chilly, and Janice bit her lower lip. She shouldn¡¯t swear!


    Anything sworn by the goddess¡¯s name often came to pass. But she couldn¡¯t help it. She stared her father in the eyes. She was too weak to take him on. He could kill her this instant without blinking. She bowed low to him and murmured. ¡°I swear by the goddess Selene, I won¡¯t go back on my words, and whatever you desire to do with me, if that happens, you should.¡±


    ¡°So shall it be.¡± Paolo sneered and then burst out into wickedughter.


    Janice shuddered as the wind howled. She shut her ears to her father¡¯s cackling that hollered above the wind.


    ¡°The day you chose to betray me, I shall kill you, child. I shall feed your remains to the crows, and if by chance you have any offspring, they¡¯ll be forever indebted to me.¡±


    Janice shook her head. She shouldn¡¯t have sworn. Her father was cunning, and it could ruin a lot of things. Arabe was suffering from the same sin, and in an instant, she understood all that Arabe was going through.


    If the father escaped it, the child could never and not even many generations toe. It was a generational vow. All her generation would serve her father, but that was if he lived long enough.


    Janice¡¯s eyes hardened as a new resolve shed in her mind. She was going to do everything right by her father, but she wouldn¡¯t let him live long enough for her to suffer.


    The following day, Alessia groaned, clutching her head. It felt as though she was carrying extra weight. Her head pounded, her heart palpitated, and her mouth tasted sour like she had feasted on limes the night before. Her side was sore, and pain shot through her at intervals. It felt like she had been mauled countless times by an angry bull.


    Literally, she had been. Alessia recalled being in a fight.


    Attempting to stand, she couldn¡¯t as she felt a restraint holding her down. She frowned, ncing around when her vision got more explicit.


    She realised she had indeed been ced in a restrain. The silver chain was used to hold her hands, legs and neck. She could only go as far as the middle of the room, and that was that. If she went further, she¡¯d be dragged back by the chain.


    The chain rattled as Alessia yanked her hand and mumbled. ¡°What is going on?¡±


    Her head reeled as countless thoughts of her getting kidnapped and being in Sandro¡¯s custody filled her head.


    No, she muttered. She couldn¡¯t be there. She shouldn¡¯t!


    Someone had helped her escape, and going back there should be thest thing on her mind.


    Fuck, it seems luck wasn¡¯t on her side.


    ¡°Janice!¡± She yelled as a snippet from the memory of the day before slipped into her mind. She had been crying; she felt her tears drop on her face, followed by a masculine voice. She didn¡¯t know whose it was, though, and she had been too weak to look.


    ¡°Janice?!¡± She called again. She let her eyes wander around the dark room. For some reason, she could see clearly.


    Alessia gasped As she glimpsed Janice in the same position as her. Her head lolled to the side, and blood dribbled from a cut on her forehead.


    ¡°Oh no, Janice.¡¯ Allesia croaked out. Her eyes watered, and she tried moving to where she was, but she was pulled back. Whoever had done this didn¡¯t want them to make contact with each other or even anyone.


    Alessia believed maybe they were scared they¡¯d escape. But she doubted the possibility. None hands were free to let the other go, except they used their mouth, but no key was in sight.


    ¡°Please say something,¡± Alessia mumbled again, heaving a breath as Janice¡¯s finger twitched.


    She wasn¡¯t dead!


    She had assumed the worst, but she looked like she¡¯d be soon if she weren¡¯t treated.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Janice murmured. A small smile yed on her lips. ¡°You are alive, uhn? It¡¯s a surprise you are not dead yet.¡±


    ¡°Of course I am, and that¡¯s not the most important thing at the moment.¡± Alessia red before frowning. ¡°Where are we? What happened?¡±


    Alessia recalled the hideous bull and how she was surrounded by dark energy. She remembered doing something to the bull but couldn¡¯t understand what it was.


    ¡°My father happened,¡± Janice said. ¡°He¡¯ll release us soon. He didn¡¯t want us to run away.¡±


    She had made an oath with him, and she needed to abide by it. Janice believed her father chaining her was irrational, but then if she were the one, she wouldn¡¯t lose guarded herself.


    The door opened almost immediately, and Paolo strode in. He brandished a key in his hand, and he shed them a grin.


    ¡°My beauties are awake.¡± Paolo enthused.


    Janice gritted her teeth as he caressed her face before leaning into her cheek for a kiss.


    She turned her head sideways and glowered.


    ¡°As feisty as ever.¡± Paolo chuckled, unlocking her cuffs.


    Alessia was the next to be let loose, and she rubbed her wrist. ¡°What next? What are we doing here exactly?


    ¡°You both would join me in my quest,¡± Paolo said. ¡°And keeping you is the only way that can happen.¡±


    Alessia¡¯s head reeled for a minute, and she saw Janice¡¯s eyes widen. She had thought running away from home was the best thing, but now she was in the presence of another man who might be far worse than her dad.

 Chapter 105

    Sandro jolted awake as a sharp pain shot through his side, as though he had been pricked multiple times with needles.


    He gasped for breath, his eyes glued shut. When he managed to pry his eyelids open, his vision was still blurred.


    After blinking for a few seconds, he realised that he was still bound and trapped in the cage Ezra had kept him in, like a feral animal that should never be unleashed.


    Sandro winced as he sat up straight, feeling the difort of his restraints. He knew that he was harmless, but the ferociousness within him could only be kept at bay for so long. His wolf, Lace, sneered menacingly at the back of his mind, reminding him of the impending doom that awaited him.


    He needed Arabe¡­ No, her freaking blood before it was toote, but his situation made it seem impossible to meet up with her. He had to escape from Ezra¡¯s territory first.


    As he sniffed the air, the scent of Thalia wafted into his nostrils, making him groan, and he tightened his hands on the chain, feeling it tighten around him. He wondered if she was alright. Thest time he saw her was a few hours ago when Ezra had taken her away.


    Was she hurt? Did Ezra hit her, or worse, did he kill her?!


    The image of Thalia sprawled on the floor in her pool of blood emerged in his head.


    Sandro fought to push the dark thoughts away, the idea of Ezra hurting Thalia almost sending him into a rage. He clenched his jaw and shook his head, trying to clear his mind.


    ¡°He wouldn¡¯t dare!¡± Sandro grunted, his scowl deepening.


    He felt the urge to kill Ezra pulsing through his body, to rip out his insides and watch the life drain from him. Sandro¡¯s fingers tingled with the desire to let his ws sink deep into Ezra¡¯s stomach and tear him apart. He seethed with anger at the thought that he couldn¡¯t save Thalia or himself from Ezra¡¯s betrayal.


    Suddenly, a bloodcurdling scream shattered the silence, and Sandro recognised Thalia¡¯s voice. Panic and fear coursed through him as he frantically searched for her in the pitch-ck room. It was as if a spell had been cast to blind him.


    Despite being an Alpha werewolf, Sandro felt powerless, reduced to the lowest rank in the pack. He knew that no omega would be in a worse situation than he was. He focused on Thalia¡¯s screams, which grew louder and more desperate with each passing moment.


    ¡°Thalia!¡± Sandro yelled, his voice filled with desperation. But all he heard were more screams. He stood up, ignoring his pain and exhaustion, and called out to her again. The screams continued, growing louder and closer with each passing second.


    Sandro¡¯s attention was drawn to the door as it creaked open, and the darkness in the room vanished as the light returned.


    Thalia stumbled and groaned as Ezra shoved her into the room, a cruel glint in his eyes. ¡°Here¡¯s your whore,¡± he chortled.


    Sandro¡¯s eyes widened as he took in Thalia¡¯s battered and wounded state. A lump formed in his throat, and he could not bring himself to call her.


    ¡°See, I told you I¡¯ll bring her back in one piece!¡± Ezra boasted.


    One piece?! Sandro resisted the urge to scoff and fixed his gaze on his nemesis. Ezra held a thorn-filled whip and wore a devious smirk, indicating that he had tortured Thalia for his amusement.


    ¡°Why did you do this to her, you bastard!¡± Sandro growled, his voice rising to a deafening volume that shattered the previous silence.


    Ezra cynically chuckled. ¡°The truth is, I¡¯m not even done with her yet,¡± he said before kicking a feeble Thalia on her brutally beaten back. Thalia curled into a ball and let out an anguished cry as Ezra continued to kick her mercilessly.


    ¡°Fucking stop!¡± Sandro bellowed, his emotions overwhelming him. He gripped the bars of his cage tightly, denting them with his strength. ¡°I¡¯ll kill you, Ezra! I¡¯ll make sure to give your remains to the scavengers. I swear by the goddess!¡±


    Ezraughed. ¡°Now, it¡¯s the Sandro I know. All threats and no action.¡± He tutted.


    Sandro opened his mouth to retort, but Thalia¡¯s weak voice cut him off.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m okay, San¡­ dro.¡± Her voice was barely audible.


    ¡°Are you certain?¡± Sandro asked, his eyes narrowing. She was anything but okay!


    Thalia winced as she struggled to get up, and Ezra didn¡¯t prevent her. Instead, he watched her with fascination. She couldn¡¯t run away in her weak state, so he let her get up rather than halt her.


    ¡°Sandro,¡± Thalia called out. ¡°Help me, please.¡±Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    She gasped, nausea surged through her, and her head reeled.


    Moving into her state caused her so much pain, but she had to get to Sandro and speak with him. Within, she knew she didn¡¯t have much time left to stay conscious, and she had to talk to him. Even if it was for a few seconds, she swayed on her feet, taking tottering steps to Sandro¡¯srge cage.


    As she approached him, Sandro could see the grievous extent of her wounds. He knew she wouldn¡¯t survive long at this stage, and he had to save her and escape from this den alongside the rest of his pack members.


    He let go of the metal bars and went to the one where the other chain end was hooked. If he couldn¡¯t take off the ones on his legs and feet, he would try to yank the chain off the wall. Channelling all his might, Sandro gripped the metal bar and attempted to pull it out of the wall. He groaned as he tugged on the bar, yet it didn¡¯t budge.


    ¡®Lace!¡¯ Sandro tried reaching out to him, but he received no response.


    ¡®Lace!¡¯ Sandro yelled again through the mind link. Where the hell was he when he was needed?


    At least with both their strengthbined, they might be able to rip the chain off. But there was no harm in trying.


    Ezra¡¯s head pushed back as he erupted in scornfulughter. ¡°You think you can escape from me that easily? I¡¯ll advise you to stop trying because all your efforts will remain futile. The best witch ced an enchantment on that, and I doubt any of the witches in your coven would be able to undo it!¡±


    Sandro¡¯s jaw tensed, and his hands balled into fists as Ezra¡¯s jibes prated deep into his skin. His rage increased tenfold and came to a climaxing overflow. He growled as he let all his emotions out on the wall, punching it and creating a hole. His knuckles were busted, and blood trickled from the openings.


    Despite the pain, Sandro continued to hit the wall, determined to break free and save Thalia. But the chain held him back, taunting him with its unyielding grip.

 Chapter 106

    Thalia¡¯s body trembled as she struggled to stand up, her weakened state making it a difficult task.


    She gritted her teeth and pushed herself up each time she fell, determined to reach Sandro¡¯s cage. It felt like an eternity, but she finally arrived and clutched the bars tightly for support, trying to stand upright.


    ¡°Allesandro¡­¡± she slurred, slipping her hands through the cage and waving him over. ck dots clouded her vision, and she struggled to clear her eyes.


    She quivered, licking her bottom lip before letting out a wince as her tongue grazed her injury.


    As Thalia waited for Sandro to approach, she leaned against the bars for support.


    Sandro dragged himself away from the wall towards where Thalia was leaning on the bar; he put his hands over Thalia¡¯s and creased his brows while essing her.


    Looking at her bruised face, Sandro marvelled at how she was still standing. He had thought Omegas were weak, but Thalia proved that Omegas could be powerful.


    Thalia¡¯s once beautiful skin was marred with several gashes that would leave scars, and her upper lip was busted. She was hunched over, and he suspected that her ribs were broken. Her once bright, dark brown eyes were now hollow and dim, struggling to stay open. One eye was even ck, bearing the mark of a fist punch.


    ¡°Thalia,¡± Sandro murmured, gripping her hands tightly. She winced, but he didn¡¯t let go. ¡°I¡¯ll save you. I promise to save you and everyone else. We¡¯ll escape, okay? Just hold on a bit longer. Don¡¯t close your eyes, please.¡± Sandro begged, taking one of his hands away from hers and resting it on her cheek to support her lolling head.


    ¡°Okay, I believe you,¡± Thalia replied, her lips curved up in a small smile.


    Sandro returned the smile, which quickly faded, reced with a scowl as Thalia¡¯s eyshes fluttered shut.


    ¡°Thalia, don¡¯t close your eyes,¡± he lightly tapped her cheek, gripped her chin and shook her head vigorously to keep her awake.


    ¡°I¡­ won¡¯t,¡± Thalia forced out a small smile, but she could not stop the gradual shutting of her eyes and everything else within her.


    Thalia shuddered and coughed, blood sttering out of her mouth onto Sandro¡¯s shirt.


    Sandro stilled, his pupils dted, and his eyes widened as they stared at the crimson liquid staining his ruined shirt.


    ¡°Thalia!¡± he screamed, trying to grab her before she hit the floor, but the bars prevented him from doing so.


    Thalia¡¯s hands left the cage bar, and her body fell to the ground limply. She writhed on the ground and continued to cough out blood while Sandro watched in sheer horror.


    She coughed for a moment longer until she stilled.


    ¡°T-Thalia is dead?!¡± he stuttered, shaking his head repeatedly, unable to believe she was gone.


    Fuck! Thalia had died before him, and he couldn¡¯t do anything to save her.


    Ezra¡¯s skin-crawlingughter diverted Sandro¡¯s attention from Thalia¡¯s body, and he raised his head to stare at her murderer.


    Sandro snarled, his hands gripping the bars angrily, ¡°What did you do to her?! Call your witches, anyone, to reverse the curses on her!¡±


    ¡°Fucking call them, or I make life unbearable for you!¡± He knew he wasn¡¯t making any sense, but he couldn¡¯t help it. Thalia was dead, and he med himself for his ipetence.


    He had watched her take herst breath and undergo so much pain. Fuck! He was useless. Totally useless, and he couldn¡¯t help the feeling of worthlessness that surged through him.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Ezra¡¯s smirk remained unwavering as he advanced towards Sandro¡¯s cell. ¡°Oh? I was being very generous. You should be damn happy that I didn¡¯t do what I had in mind for her.¡±


    Stopping in front of the cell, Ezra maintained a safe distance in case Sandro decided to attack him. He crossed his arms, his gaze lowering to Thalia¡¯s body, staring at her for lingering moments before lifting them to Sandro¡¯s raging face.


    ¡°Stop the pretence. You don¡¯t love her; you¡¯re only using her,¡± Ezra pointed out. ¡°I¡¯ve known you for a long time, and I know when you love and try to act it out.¡±


    Ezra chuckled lightly when he didn¡¯t receive a response. ¡°I know you¡¯ll never admit it, but deep down, you know it¡¯s true. Isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Sandro knew he didn¡¯t love Thalia, but that wasn¡¯t the issue at the moment. ¡°Let me out of this cage, and I¡¯ll tell you what¡¯s true or not,¡± he said, a menacing glint in his eyes.


    Ezra mockingly used air quotes around Sandro¡¯s title. ¡°Aren¡¯t you the ultimate alpha? Since you¡¯re so strong, why don¡¯t you prove yourself by breaking out of this cage?¡± He teased and burst intoughter when all Sandro did was stare at him, unable to break free.


    Amid hisughter, Ezra turned to leave but halted midway. ¡°The execution is at noon, Alessandro. Luckily for me, one is already dead, which means less work. Just know that I won¡¯t spare any member of your pack, especially the alpha.¡±


    With that, Ezra exited the room and switched off the lights, plunging the room into darkness again.


    Immediately, Sandro let out a guttural howl that resounded in loud, rumbling volumes, as a ravaging thunderstrike in a rainy night¡¯s sky. The roar was so loud that everybody in Ezra¡¯s den heard and felt it.


    Sandro tried to tear apart the metal bars with all his might, but he couldn¡¯t. Nevertheless, he summoned all his strength and persevered, continuing to try and break free, but to no avail. Eventually, he grew exhausted and cked out.

 Chapter 107

    At noon, Sandro¡¯s wrists were cuffed, and a key locked them in ce. Four of Ezra¡¯s most brutal guards escorted him to the execution site.


    One of the guards taunted him with a kick to the back, ¡°You¡¯re supposed to be the strongest Alpha, right? Prove it. Get out of those cuffs and save yourself and your men.¡± He sneered as he spoke.


    Another guard joined in, throwing his head back inughter, ¡°The strongest? Don¡¯t make meugh. Soon enough, Ezra will be the only Alpha, and you¡¯ll be nothing.¡±


    The rest of the guards snickered at his words.


    Sandro remained quiet, trudging forward without acknowledging their insults. He ignored the kicks and ps to his bare back and focused on staying upright, refusing to fall to his weakened knees. He knew that falling would show weakness, and he refused to give up until hisst breath.


    After a short walk, they entered another section of the hideout. The atmosphere immediately shifted, and the air grew tense. They stopped a few steps inside, and two men gripped Sandro¡¯s arms tightly, despite the fact that he was already handcuffed.


    The room wasrge, but the only light came from a window, leaving some areas dark and gloomy. The space was empty except for arge ck curtain that partitioned a reserved area of the room. The walls and floors were stained with dried blood and human remains, emitting a repulsive odour. It was an execution ground, and it lived up to its name.


    As soon as Sandro was brought in, the rhythmic sound of footsteps began to approach them. The footsteps originated from the darkened part of the room, and they echoed slowly and deliberately in the silent room.


    ¡°The countdown to your final moments has begun, Sandro.¡± Ezra¡¯s voice echoed through the room as he stepped into the partially illuminated area, his figure shrouded in shadows.


    Sandro sneered at the sound of Ezra¡¯s voice, clenching his fists tightly. He longed to break free from the handcuffs and wipe that smug grin off Ezra¡¯s face as he walked closer.


    ¡°I won¡¯t go down without a fight,¡± Sandro spat through gritted teeth. But his confident defiance in the face of death only amused Ezra, who erupted inughter.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing you can do now, Sandro. I have the upper hand, and I will use it to subdue you. I will relish killing you and taking my ce at the top. Right now, you¡¯re nothing but a weakling, a powerless weakling that I will crush beneath my feet,¡± Ezra dered, his chin jutting upward in arrogance as his smirk returned.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Sandro¡¯s face turned red, and veins bulged on the side of his forehead. ¡°Never. I won¡¯t let you have your way, Ezra. Never,¡± he seethed.


    Ezra stood in front of Sandro and scoffed. He took a step forward, halting inches away from him. Despite the fury in Sandro¡¯s eyes, Ezra remained unmoved. Each step he took had been calcted to ensure that Sandro was as powerless as a fly trapped in a spider¡¯s web.


    ¡°How are you going to escape? Those handcuffs aren¡¯t ordinary; the same enchantment that was done on the chains was also done on them. You¡¯re helpless, Sandro,¡± Ezra said, his voice cold and firm.


    Ezra closed the gap between them and whispered into Sandro¡¯s ear, ¡°I won.¡±


    Sandro growled in Ezra¡¯s face and thrashed his arms, attempting to break free from the guards¡¯ grip and the shackles, but to no avail. Ezraughed, savouring the sweet taste of victory.


    ¡°Shouting and struggling won¡¯t help you, Sandro. Your fate, and that of your pack, should be your main concern now,¡± Ezra said.


    The truth of Ezra¡¯s words sank in, and Sandro¡¯s anger dissipated. He hadn¡¯t even thought about the other members of his pack. His body stilled, and his growls ceased.


    A pang of pain gripped Sandro¡¯s heart as he remembered Thalia¡¯s death. He hadn¡¯t seen her body where she fell when he regained consciousness.


    ¡°Where are my pack members? What have you done with them?¡± Sandro¡¯s nostrils red, and he heaved heavy breaths.


    Ezra chuckled. ¡°Oh, now you care?¡±


    He signalled for two guards to step forward. ¡°You, go get the executioner. You, show Sandro his people.¡±


    The guards nodded and went to their assigned tasks. One guard headed towards the dark corner of the room, while the other approached a ck drape. He drew the curtain rope, and the drape opened to reveal Sandro¡¯s pack members.


    Sandro¡¯s eyes widened in terror as he saw the magnitude of injuries inflicted upon them. Their bodies were covered in blood, and gory wounds marked every inch of their skin. Some were tied up, and the stronger ones were chained with enchanted chains.


    ¡°You cruel bastard. They didn¡¯t do anything to you! Why did you do this to them?¡± Sandro fired at Ezra as the guard tugged on the curtain rope again, covering up the pack members.


    Sandro had many questions to ask, like where was Thalia¡¯s body and where were the rest of his pack members.


    ¡°No, keep it open. They should be privileged to watch their leader die,¡± Ezra ignored Sandro and instructed the guard. He nodded and did as he was told.


    ¡°Alpha Allesandro, please don¡¯t give up easily. Our lives depend on you!¡± A woman¡¯s voice screamed at the top of her lungs, bursting into tears afterwards.


    ¡°Shut up, woman. If anyone else dares to speak, you¡¯ll be killed immediately,¡± the guard warned, raising his hand in a threatening gesture.


    The woman instantly swallowed her cries.


    Sandro knew that their lives depended on him. He braced himself to fight for his life and theirs. He had to give Ezra a taste of his own medicine and avenge Thalia¡¯s death.


    Just then, the guard sent to fetch the executioner returned, carrying arge knife that resembled a miniature sword. It was a sabre, curved and adorned with various mini des on its steel surface, setting it apart from regr knives.


    Ezra was handed the weapon, and the man took his position behind Sandro once again. Ezra held the knife in his hand, studying it with satisfaction. A faint smile tugged at the corners of his lips, but it vanished as he turned his attention to Sandro.


    His face twisted into a menacing scowl. ¡°With this knife, I¡¯ll slice into your flesh and make you suffer. Slowly and painfully, piece by piece, I¡¯ll carve up your body and extract each of your organs, feeding them to the dogs.¡± Ezra¡¯s voice dripped with malice, punctuated by a maniacalugh. ¡°Sandro, your death will be excruciating.¡±

 Chapter 108

    Sandro¡¯s jaw tightened, and his lips twisted into a snarl. He willed his wolfce toe forth, but it felt like an imprable barrier stood between them, preventing him from shifting.


    He growled, pushing against the invisible force repeatedly, but it remained unyielding.


    ¡°Shit!¡± He gritted his teeth. Failure to break free from the cuffs would result in his death, as Ezra said.


    He was fucking trapped and couldn¡¯t escape.


    ¡°Kneel before me,¡± ordered Ezra, jabbing Sandro¡¯s chest with his knife.


    Sandro ground his teeth together, refusing to obey. ¡°Never,¡± he spat.


    Ezra¡¯s blood boiled at Sandro¡¯s defiance, and he red at him with fury. ¡°I said kneel!¡± he roared, his knife shing as he sliced it lightly across Sandro¡¯s chest.


    Sandro winced as the sharp de cut into his flesh, blood oozing from the wound. He clenched his eyes shut, suppressing a cry of agony that threatened to escape his lips. He didn¡¯t want to give Ezra the satisfaction of seeing him in pain.


    ¡°The boss said to kneel,¡± said one of Ezra¡¯s men from behind, viciously kicking Sandro¡¯s back.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    Sandro stumbled forward, unable to maintain his bnce, and fell to his knees. The injury on his chestpounded his weakness, sapping his strength. He struggled to remain upright, but the pain was too intense.


    As Sandro sank to his knees, Ezra raised his knife, preparing to strike. ¡°I hope you rot in hell, Sandro!¡± he eximed, a wickedugh escaping his lips. With a fierce thrust, he brought the knife down towards Sandro¡¯s chest.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Thalia,¡± Sandro whispered, his eyes shut tight as he braced for the impact.


    He had vowed to fight until hisst breath, epting defeat only when it was his time. Sadly, that moment had arrived. The defeat was inevitable.


    One second passed, then two, three, four, five. But Sandro remained alive. He opened his eyes, bewildered, and looked up at Ezra. To his surprise, the man had frozen in ce, as had the men behind him. Sandro struggled to rise to his feet: he realised his shackles had disappeared, and his wound had miraculously healed.


    ¡°What the hell?¡± he muttered, utterly perplexed. Although he could heal, he didn¡¯t think it would be that fast seeing as the de Ezra had used on him was silver and coated with wolfsbane.


    ¡°You¡¯re safe now, Alpha,¡± a soft, feminine voice said, causing Sandro to whirl around. To his astonishment, he saw that the twelve witches of the coven in his pack were standing before him.


    How? He mused. He hadn¡¯t seen them the moment they got to Acostan. Perhaps they had hidden somewhere. If that had been the case, b was d.


    Sandro¡¯s gaze darted towards his pack members, who were frozen at the room¡¯s far end. Everyone was immobile except for him and the witches. The spell had been lifted, and he could feel the presence of his wolf once more.


    ¡°You¡¯re free now, Alpha. It would help if you did what you need to do. You have little time before our spell wears off,¡± urged the witch.


    Sandro nodded and set off to carry out the one task in his mind. He need not be told, and he didn¡¯t need to choose. The only thing he wanted to do was kill Ezra.


    Sandro swiftly snatched the de from Ezra¡¯s hands and went on to his men, piercing each one in the chest before pulling out their hearts. Finally, he turned his attention to Ezra. With a lingering stare of contempt, he grasped the knife firmly and plunged it deep into Ezra¡¯s chest.


    The spell suddenly wore off, and everyone unfroze. The room was filled with the piercing screams of Ezra and his men, writhing in pain as they felt the raw agony stemming from their chests.


    ¡°How did you-¡± Ezra began to ask, but his words were cut short as he fell to the ground in a pool of his blood.


    ¡°Too bad you didn¡¯t see thating.¡± Sandro chuckled before wincing as the movement with his mouth made his jaw ache.


    Sandro nced at the rest pack members; he saw the disbelief in their eyes and the soft murmurs starting to saturate the hall.


    However, it wasn¡¯t long before they snapped out of their shock. As soon as the realisation of Ezra¡¯s death dawned on them, their surprise turned to delight, and they cheered with joy.


    ¡°All hail Alpha Sandro!¡±


    A smile crept up the corner of Sandro¡¯s lips at the sight of his people¡¯s happiness. He knew the next step was to regain the rest of the pack¡¯s honour and find Arabe. He was confident that she was around somewhere, but where, exactly?

 Chapter 109

    ¡°Arabe, the trick is to grasp the force of nature in your subconscious and mould it into reality,¡± Orga advised.


    Arabe nodded and took a deep breath before attempting to manifest her fourth aura power for the umpteenth time. She outstretched her arms, bringing them together and cupping her hands.


    She closed her eyes, trying to connect with the forces of nature around her and harvest their energy. She needed to gather enough energy to manifest the fourth aura power, represented by the colour blue.


    Arabe had sessfully used three of the seven powers, the Red Beam, Orange Beam, and Yellow Beam. However, bringing forth the fourth Blue Beam was a challenge. Luckily, Orga was training with her in the Phoenix cave and was guiding and correcting all her mistakes, albeit annoyingly.


    But she didn¡¯t relent. She wanted to gain all the power with the hope of defeating the iing evil as well as San¡­


    Arabe shook her head, brushing his name out of her head away.


    A flicker of blue light appeared in Arabe¡¯s subconscious as she shut her eyes. She immediately identified it as the force of nature and drew closer to it to connect and form the aura. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead as she shut her eyes tighter, letting out a small groan while struggling and straining to reach for the flicker.


    Eventually, she could grasp the force of nature and connect with it. A proud smile lifted the corner of her lips as she was happy that she was finally able to grasp the nature force for the fourth aura.


    ¡°Yes!¡± She silently eximed in her subconsciousness.


    Arabe used the nature force she had absorbed to mould the Blue Aura in her palms. With excitement and heavy breathing, she opened her eyes, hoping to see the mighty beam she had formed. However, her smile faded when she looked down at her cupped palms and saw only a tiny formation of blue light as small as a pebble.


    She narrowed her eyes at what she had created. It was a small sparkle of the aura power, much smaller than the size of an aura beam.


    Heaving an exasperated sigh, she watched as the low-standard aura¡¯s power diminished on its own due to not having enough natural energy to run on.


    Arabe swung around to face Orga with a grimace on her face. ¡°I thought I finally got it right!¡±


    Orga, who had been leaning against a wall in the back, crossed his arms and watched as Arabe tried to bring forth the beam. He walked towards her as she spoke. ¡°Well, Imend you on creating a beam this time. In thest five attempts, you weren¡¯t even able to connect with a natural force. But connecting to a nature force isn¡¯t enough to create a mighty beam. You sourced only a flicker, which isn¡¯t tangible enough to give you the desired results.¡± He stopped in front of her and resumed folding his arms over his chest. His wings folded as well.


    ¡°So, what am I doing wrong then?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. Nothing at all. All you have to do is focus harder on the realm. Disconnect from reality and connect with nature; heighten your sixth sense,¡± he replied, and Arabe nodded, shaking off the disappointment and hardening her expression with resolve.


    ¡°Just know that it gets harder with each beam. The red beam was the easiest, and you got it on the first try. It certainly won¡¯t be that easy to get the blue beam. And getting the violet beam would be even harder as it¡¯s the faintest aura,¡± he added, and she nodded again, a small appreciative smile on her lips.


    ¡°Thank you, I¡¯ll keep trying!¡±


    ze stepped forward to Arabe and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, smiling softly at her. ¡°I think you did great,¡± he said and then drew her closer to himself in a hug.


    She smiled against his chest and wrapped her arms around him. ¡°You think so? Thank you.¡±


    Peeking at him through hershes, ze nodded and added, ¡°You can thank me properly while we are indoors,¡± he smirked before winking.


    Arabe flushed, smacking his chest yfully. She opened her mouth to speak, but Orga interrupted her.


    ¡°I think we should get back to training now. The enemy is drawing nearer, and you need to be ready to confront all that they throw at you.¡± He said.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m not scared at all,¡± Arabe boasted. She was more confident than before, and she definitely was not scared of facing off against Sandro if he was her ultimate enemy. ¡°ze is with me, and with him on my side, nothing is impossible. We will fight together, and he will protect me.¡±


    ze drew Arabe in for another hug, his chin resting on her head as he towered above her. ¡°I¡¯ll always protect you and won¡¯t let any harme your way, okay?¡± His assurance widened her smile as she nodded and then giggled, feeling her cheeks heat up.


    As they withdrew from each other, ze kissed her forehead gently before they returned to their previous position-she standing closely at his side and his hand wrapped around her upper arm.


    ¡°Wolf boy,¡± Orga sniggered. ¡°I doubt you¡¯llst long enough to see that. That is if you don¡¯t die on the first trial¡­¡±


    Arabe tuned out his voice. ze¡¯s foretold death was another thing she had stopped herself from thinking about, but Orga reminded her each day. She wondered if he had a particr hate for ze and wanted to see him gone.


    Even though he had said it was because of her safety, she didn¡¯t think it was only that.


    ¡°I¡¯m still here,¡± ze¡¯s voice cut through Arabe¡¯s death. ¡°If I am to die¡­¡±


    Arabe gripped his halting what he was about to say, ¡°Don¡¯t.¡± She scowled and turned to Orga.


    ¡°You should prepare yourself to see more of ze because he¡¯s going to be alive for a long, long time. And I¡¯m sorry to disappoint you; whatever hate you have for him won¡¯t kill him.¡± Arabe said.


    Orga chuckled. ¡°Is that what you think, my Lady?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just what I think; it¡¯s what I know. Whatever centuries-long history there may be between the Phoenix and werewolves doesn¡¯t involve ze in any way,¡± she retorted with gruffness in her tone. ¡°He is innocent and did nothing wrong!¡±


    Arabe still didn¡¯t feel satisfied despite her outburst. She found their apathy towards ze annoying, even though he wasn¡¯t like the other werewolves. They had to know that despite their hate and disdain, she loved ze unconditionally, and they couldn¡¯t change anything about that.


    ¡°In fact, ze is my mate, and I am going to marry him. So you all are going to be seeing him around more often,¡± Arabe added, turning to face ze and taking his hands into hers.


    She saw the surprise written in his eyes as his mouth dropped agape at her deration; he hadn¡¯t expected it, and his bewilderment was amusing. It made her giggle. ¡°I love you, ze.¡±Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°I love you too, Arabe. We¡¯ve never spoken about marriage before, so I was a bit surprised. But just know that I¡¯m excited to get married to you. In fact, I¡¯m d you mentioned it because I¡¯ve been meaning to discuss it with you for a long time,¡± ze replied, clutching her hand tightly. He looked into her eyes, observing their happy glint as he looked at her with eyes that twinkled in admiration.


    ¡°I never said anything against ze. I¡¯m only trying to warn you so you won¡¯t get too attached to him. But I think it¡¯s a bit toote for that,¡± Orga spoke, his hoarse and smoky voice taking ze and Arabe out of the world of their own they had entered.


    Arabe¡¯s affectionate smile quirked into a displeased frown as she turned to face Orga, her hands still in ze¡¯s. ¡°Can you stop being so bitter about this? It¡¯s none of your business. You¡¯re just here to train me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. It¡¯s none of my business, but I want to tell you the truth in case you don¡¯t know. ze will be dead even sooner than you expected, and you¡¯ll be more than hurt,¡± Orga said.


    Arabe¡¯s hands left ze¡¯s hold as she balled them at his side in annoyance.


    ¡°I said it¡¯s none of your business,¡± Arabe repeated, gritting her teeth.


    Orga shrugged, raising his hands in surrender. ¡°Of course, it really isn¡¯t. There¡¯s no need to advise someone who¡¯s blind in love.¡± With that, he turned around and left the cave.


    As soon as he left, Arabe grunted in frustration. ¡°Ugh! I feel like pulling his head off. He¡¯s so annoying! I hate the way he disrespects you.¡± She pulled her hands together as if she was strangling Orga.


    ze chuckled as Arabe¡¯s gesture amused him. He stepped closer to her and cupped her face with his hands, making her look up at him. ¡°I¡¯m not angry at all. Don¡¯t work yourself up. Just let him be and concentrate on the task at hand, not what he¡¯s saying.¡± He gave a small smile, taking a strand of hair away from her face. ¡°He¡¯s just trying to distract you. I¡¯m not going to die. I¡¯ll be here for you, Arabe. We¡¯ll get married and fulfil all our dreams together.¡±


    Arabe¡¯s arms went around ze¡¯s shoulders, and she tilted her head to the side, smiling with affection and her cheeks tainted with a blush. ¡°We will. I believe in us, and I believe in you. You¡¯ll be victorious. I love you.¡±


    ze replied, ¡°I love you too,¡± and leaned in to kiss Arabe. She closed her eyes, weing the warmth of his lips, and kissed him back. He wrapped his arms around her waist, drawing her closer to him.


    As Arabe flowed in the passion of the kiss, a vision interrupted her suddenly. She was in a dark cell, looking around to determine her location. Suddenly, she saw Sandro. She flinched and let out a surprised yelp before running away, but she soon realised there was no need, for it was just a vision. She was witnessing a revtion. Sandro was in shackles, but then he was rescued by twelve pairs of hands that freed him from his chains. Now released, a devilish smirk slid across his lips. ¡°I¡¯ming for you, Arabe,¡± he dered.


    Gasping, she was snapped out of the vision, and she pulled out of the kiss. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did I do something?¡± ze asked, his hands settling on her shoulders as he tried to calm her down.


    Trembling, she shook her head, her panicking eyes finding his. ¡°Sandro ising.¡±

 Chapter 110

    Sandro wasing, the thought permeating Arabe¡¯s mind, refusing to leave. She paced about the room; her forehead creased with worry; she bit her lower lip before letting out a deep breath. Her fingers trembled as her mind swarmed with thoughts of all that could happen if Sandro appeared before her.


    She brought her hands together, interlocking her fingers; she hoped it would stop them from quivering. But it did little to alleviate her anxiety, as they shook uncontrobly, making it impossible for her to keep them still.


    ze observed Arabe with narrowed brows, wondering what was happening in her head. He had hoped Arabe would be more confident by now, considering she was mastering her powers. However, her disy of panic was contrary to his expectations.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± he questioned, and Arabe abruptly paused, turning around to face ze.


    ¡°He¡¯sing,¡± she intended her voice to be firmer, but the fear that had engulfed her turned it into a mere whisper.


    From her punctured voice to the fear glinting in her eyes and the faint traces of tears forming, ze realised she was even more frightened than he had thought.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Stepping forward, he ced his hands on Arabe¡¯s shoulders, holding her in ce. ¡°Calm down, Be,¡± he said gruffly, but she couldn¡¯t meet his gaze, her eyes averted.


    His index finger gently tilted her chin, making her face him directly in the eye. She searched his eyes for anyfort that could soothe her racing mind but found nothing to ease her worries.


    ¡°Can you keep calm?¡± he murmured, pulling her closer. ¡°I don¡¯t think it will be as awful as¡­¡±


    Arabe snorted, ¡°Keep calm?¡± Pulling her hand away from ze¡¯s grip, she said. ¡°Sandro ising, and you want me to keep calm¡­!¡±


    Arabe tossed her head back and let out a burst of wild, uncontrolledughter that echoed throughout the room. She gripped her hair, yanking hard before emitting a piercing shriek.


    ¡°Arabe,¡± ze grabbed her hand again as she stumbled across the room, knocking over everything in her path.


    ¡°Arabe,¡± he tried again but received no response. He sighed, running his hands through his hair. He was just as much in danger if Sandro were to appear before them at that moment. Betraying Sandro and helping Arabe escape was a grave offence, one that could lead to his death without a second thought. However, he understood why Arabe was reacting this way, and he couldn¡¯t me her.


    ¡°Be!¡± ze¡¯s voice was firm, and this time she heard him, bringing herself to a halt.


    Gazing at him with wide, shimmering blue eyes, she yelled, ¡°You don¡¯t understand, ze!¡± Her voice croaked, and she sniffled, holding back tears. ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯m scared of him; it¡¯s just that I haven¡¯t fully mastered my powers yet, and I need everything I can get to defeat Sandro.¡± She exined, turning around and averting her gaze from ze, not wanting him to see her crying. She didn¡¯t want him to witness her fear. Damn it!


    She had learned a great deal and thought she could confront Sandro with her limited powers. But now, as she reflected on it, she doubted the possibility.


    Arabe buried her face in her palms and sobbed, ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m ready to face him yet.¡± She gasped, blinking but failing to stop the tears streaming down her cheeks. She vividly remembered the murderous glint in Sandro¡¯s eyes and all the menacing threats apanying it. She didn¡¯t need a soothsayer to tell her that Sandro would kill her when he got his hands on her.


    ze stepped forward, approaching Arabe, who had her back turned as she sobbed. He reached out from behind, gently grasping her trembling hands.


    ¡°You will defeat Sandro. You are strong, powerful, and determined. Nothing can stop you,¡± ze¡¯s encouraging words seeped into Arabe, settlingfortably within her and slightly lightening her mood.


    Arabe turned to face him fully. ¡°Do you think so? Or are you just trying to lighten my mood?¡± she asked.


    ze smiled, his gaze locked with hers, but he remained silent. He pulled her into him, wrapping his arms around her.


    Arabe sighed, hugging him tighter. She didn¡¯t need him to say anything. If she couldn¡¯t defeat Sandro alone, ze would be there to help her.


    ___


    Sandro was abruptly whisked out of the trance he had been in. He blinked repeatedly, trying to readjust to reality.


    It was Arabe. He was sure he had seen her during the trance. They had exchanged words, but now he couldn¡¯t recall what had been said. The memory seemed to have slipped away as soon as the vision ended.


    He tried to remember where he had seen her, but his mind seemed nk as if everything had vanished the moment the vision ceased. The only thing he was confident of was that he had seen her.


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    Sandro nced around as he heard a shout from one of his pack members. He was still inside Ezra¡¯s pack house, where some members of Ezra¡¯s pack had gathered. Some were mourning, but most appeared relieved that Ezra was dead. And why wouldn¡¯t they be? Ezra was known for his cruelty and ruthlessness-a selfish leader.


    He believed he had done them a favour by killing him. Not only them but himself. Ezra was a piece of shit, and he wished he had made him suffer before killing him.


    ¡°I¡¯m so happy that Alpha Alessandro killed Alpha Ezra. Alpha Ezra was more of an oppressor than a leader,¡± Sandro¡¯s attention was drawn to two women engaged in conversation as they walked.


    ¡°Yes, he mistreated us and used us for his gain. I¡¯m d he¡¯s gone. I will serve Alpha Alessandro for the rest of my life,¡± one of the women affirmed, and the other nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Me too. My family and I will serve Alpha Allesandro for delivering us from the hell Alpha Ezra put us in,¡± the first added. They approached the spot where Sandro stood and immediately noticed his presence. With reverence, they bowed before him.


    ¡°Long live the Alpha!¡± they greeted, then straightened up.


    Sandro gave a slight nod of acknowledgement as the women passed by, continuing their discussion while walking away.


    He listened to more discussions about the deeds of Ezra before he decided to leave therge hall as the onught of greetings and well-wishes had be tiring. Yet, he endured all until he was out of sight.


    He chose the closest door and exited, going down the hallway to the third room on the left. That was where she was.


    Thalia.


    The coven had helped her, and they told him she would live. Although Sandro didn¡¯t know when it would be, he only hoped she would as soon as he stepped into the room.


    Upon entering the room, he switched on the lights, hoping to see her awake and smiling this time. However, he was met with disappointment.


    Thalia remained unconscious on the bed, a saline drip towering over her on a stand. The liquid content dripped in droplets, flowing through the tube connected to Thalia¡¯s wrist.


    Sandro¡¯s fists clenched at his sides, anger resurfacing as he observed Thalia in this state.


    She was a delicate woman, and Sandro believed she had suffered far more damage than him. He, being an Alpha, was trained to endure countless obstacles without crumbling. But she wasn¡¯t. He had let her take more than she could handle, and she had been crushed.


    A surge of fiery anger coursed through him, and he wished he could kill Ezra again, subjecting him to death a thousand times. Even that wouldn¡¯t be enough to quell the burning rage within him.


    The anger surged within him with an unusual force, overwhelming him as it ravaged his nerves and ignited his rage. Sandro recognised this as the onset of his bloodlust phase, which exined the intensity of his anger and the strong urge to consume.


    Furthermore, it likely ounted for his earlier trance-like state. He convinced himself that it was mere delirium and forced the thought out of his head, desperately clinging to the belief.


    About to walk out, Sandro halted as he heard her mumbling, ¡°ze¡­¡±


    Sandro swiftly turned to face her. He noticed a slight cringe on her face, and her pinky finger briefly lifted. Almost immediately, the cringe eased, and her finger fell, sparking a glimmer of hope within him. Thalia was fighting to regain consciousness.


    But then he recalled what she had just said-ze. His brows furrowed in confusion. Was he experiencing another delusion? Shaking his head in denial, he was sure he had heard her utter that name.


    ¡°ze¡­¡± she called again, her voice less audible than before but still clear enough for Sandro to verify that it wasn¡¯t a figment of his imagination.


    She twisted slightly on the bed, her eyes squeezing shut tighter as she repeated the name. He narrowed his eyes at her, an intense re directed her way as a wave of new anger welled within him. He wondered why on earth she was uttering another man¡¯s name while unconscious.


    ¡°Wake up, Thalia!¡± His hands instinctively moved, gripping her body as he vigorously shook her, his anger seeping into his actions.


    Suddenly, she jolted awake. ¡°ze!¡± Thalia gasped, her eyes wide with fear.


    Her chest rose and fell rapidly as she sat upright on the bed. She was trapped in a nightmare, witnessing everything vividly-she had seen ze die. Trembling with fear, she relived the terrifying dream once more. She noticed ze attempting to save Arabe from an attack she couldn¡¯t discern the origin of. He leapt in front of her and took the blow.


    The dream felt hauntingly real as if it were happening in the present, with a raw and tangible intensity. Thalia couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that it might be a reality if ze didn¡¯t distance himself from Arabe. She vividly recalled warning him to stay away from her, but he was stubborn and refused to listen.


    She wondered about their current whereabouts and what was happening to them. She fervently hoped he was safe wherever he was, praying that he remained far from her. Being with her would only endanger his life and lead to his downfall.


    ¡°Why the fuck were you thinking about ze? Did he fuck you in your dream?!¡± Sandro¡¯s angry outburst startled Thalia, causing her eyes to widen as her whole body flinched.


    His sudden presence in the room had caught her off guard. Though she heard his question loud and clear, she couldn¡¯t possibly admit to the truth.


    Attempting a smile to appease his anger, she mumbled, ¡°Sandro¡­¡± but quickly abandoned the pretence of lying to him. The smile transformed into a grimace as she turned away, avoiding his gaze. He had a way of seeing through falsehoods, and she didn¡¯t want him to delve deep into her heart, fearing he would discover the truth.


    ¡°I repeat, why the fuck were you thinking about him?!¡± The gravity in his voicepelled her to meet his gaze again, confronting the fury in his eyes and the scowl of anger etched on his face.


    The intensity of his gaze was consuming, overwhelming her, and she couldn¡¯t hold his piercing stare any longer. ¡°I-I¡­¡± she stammered, struggling to find the right words.


    ¡°Fucking look at me when I speak!¡± Sandro shouted, causing her to flinch once again.


    Sandro¡¯s anger red, his impatience mounting. He not only wanted to know the nature of the rtionship between Thalia and ze but also why ze¡¯s name was the only one she mentioned. Why not his?


    ¡°You¡¯re hiding something from me, Thalia. I swear by the goddess, if I have to discover it myself, I won¡¯t hesitate to tear out your heart, then find ze and do the same to him. I will brutally-¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s my brother!¡± she cried out, her voice filled with desperation. ¡°Leave him alone; he did nothing wrong!¡±

 Chapter 111

    For a moment, Sandro stared at Thalia, his expression a mix of shock and anger. ¡°He¡¯s your what?!¡± His eyes narrowed, and his teeth gritted as a sudden rage unfurled within him. He couldn¡¯t believe what he had just heard. Thalia, always finding ways to get on his nerves, must be doing this on purpose. To provoke him, and she was seeding. Not only was he furious about her mentioning ze¡¯s name, but he was also furious that ze had been absent without leave. Sandro couldn¡¯t fathom where ze might have been or if he had been caught in the same predicament that he himself had been sucked into.


    ¡°What do you mean he¡¯s your brother?¡± Sandro asked again, growing impatient with Thalia¡¯s silence.


    Thalia bit her lower lip, shaking her head. Her eyes widened with each passing minute as she realised the danger she had put herself and ze in. She struggled to find the right words to exin the situation, but the intense re Sandro was directing at her made her tremble. A small smile escaped her lips, quickly morphing into a nervous giggle. Damn it! Thalia thought, her mind thumping as she continued to meet Sandro¡¯s gaze.


    Leaning in, Sandro¡¯s scowl deepened. ¡°Why the hell didn¡¯t you tell me this before?¡± he grunted, reaching out to grab her hand.


    Thalia flinched, quickly scooting to the other side of therge bed, out of Sandro¡¯s reach. Her lips trembled, and she stuttered, ¡°I-I, uh, please, Sandro. I just wanted to-¡± Thalia stammered, attempting to buy some time.


    Exining her reasons would be a difficult conversation, especially when it involved Sandro, who held ze in high esteem.


    Sandro¡¯s fists clenched at his sides. ¡°ze is your brother, and you didn¡¯t tell me? Answer me, Thalia!¡± he demanded, his voice filled with anger. ¡°And where the hell did he run off to? Did you know he was leaving? Did he use you to manipte me so he could seed with his ns¡­?¡±


    ¡°Sandro, please calm down. I will-¡±


    Thalia¡¯s words were cut off as Sandro¡¯s hand abruptly reached out and tightened around her neck. She tried to push him away, but his strength overwhelmed her. Her pulse quickened, and her heart pounded in her chest.


    ¡°Sandro¡­¡± she gasped, her words barely audible.


    Sandro¡¯s grip on her neck tightened, moving up and down, intensifying the pressure. Thalia trembled, tears streaming down her face.


    ¡°Tell me the truth, or I will kill you, Thalia. I will rip your head off right now if you don¡¯t start talking!¡± Sandro growled through gritted teeth.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Sandro-¡± Thalia paused to cough, her face reddening from the pressure on her neck. She struggled for air, but Sandro¡¯s grip remained unyielding. ¡°Please, let go of me. Please.¡±


    He forcefully pushed her onto her back, pinning her down on the bed, his hands still tightly wrapped around her neck. Thalia¡¯s face turned as red as a tomato, her cries growing more desperate. She felt utterly helpless, believing that she would die at that moment.


    ¡°You lied to me!¡± Sandro roared. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me that ze is your brother? When did you be so unfaithful?¡±


    Thalia vigorously shook her head, terror evident in her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not being unfaithful. Please, let me go.¡±


    Sandro¡¯s gaze locked with hers, witnessing the fear in her eyes. With a growl, he released her neck, stepping away from the bed and turning his back on her. ¡°Is ze really your brother?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Thalia answered, gasping for air.


    ¡°Then why the hell didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± Sandro hissed, his voice reaching a frightening volume.


    Thalia¡¯s mind raced with thoughts, but one persisted: escape. If she didn¡¯t get away, Sandro would surely kill her in his current state.


    She lunged out of bed, making a desperate dash toward the door, but her luck ran out as Sandro swiftly spun around and seized her by the hair, yanking her back towards him before forcefully throwing her back onto the bed. Thalia cried out in pain as her back mmed into the wooden frame. She felt a bone break as she struggled to sit up, her hands tightly gripping the sheets.


    ¡°I demand an answer! How did I not know you two were rted? And how often have you mocked me behind my back for being oblivious?!¡± Sandro¡¯s voice thundered through the room.


    Thalia cowered before him, tears streaming down her face as she wed at his hand. ¡°You¡¯re hurting me, please,¡± she pleaded, her voice quivering.


    Sandro tightened his grip on her hair, causing another cry of pain to escape Thalia¡¯s lips. ¡°Answer me, you bitch!¡± he snarled.


    ¡°I was scared!¡± Thalia yelled, her words choked with tears. ¡°If you found out about our rtionship and who ze is, you would kill him! I couldn¡¯t betray him.¡±


    ¡°Tell me, who is he besides being your brother?¡± Sandro demanded.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    When Thalia remained silent, Sandro jerked her hair backwards, eliciting a wince of agony. ¡°Speak up when I ask you a question, Thalia. Don¡¯t make me rip your hair out from its roots!¡±


    ¡°He is a demon werewolf! He was never meant to exist, and his very presence stains the De Luca bloodline. That¡¯s all; please, just let me go!¡± Thalia cried.


    Sandro¡¯s face twisted with rage. He had confided in ze, revealing so much to him. He never expected ze to betray him in this way. Why had Thalia kept ze¡¯s identity a secret? And why had he been kept in the dark? The thoughts fueled his anger even further.


    Sandro red at Thalia in disgust and, through gritted teeth, said, ¡°Leave before I return, or you will regret it!¡± With that, he stormed out of the room, his rage too overwhelming to be contained within its confines.


    As he mmed the door shut behind him, Sandro took a ragged breath. Then, consumed by fury, he let out a furious howl, his hands clenching and tugging at his hair in frustration.


    ¡°Fuck, fuck, fuck!¡± Sandro vented his anger by kicking a nearby trashcan, sending it hurtling towards a group of young werewolves who shrieked in fright.


    He couldn¡¯t believe he had been deceived by someone he trusted so profoundly. He had embraced ze as his brother, only to have himmit such a betrayal. The weight of the revtion pressed heavily on him.


    Thoughts raced through Sandro¡¯s mind, wondering what else ze had hidden from him besides being a demon werewolf. He doubted he could ever look at him the same way again, consumed as he was by anger and thoughts of exacting revenge on both Thalia and ze, should they ever cross his path.


    Sandro retraced his steps through the hallway, returning to the main room of Ezra¡¯s pack house, where his pack members were gathered. Some were recovering from their ordeal, while others were brimming with joy at their sessful rescue.


    As Sandro entered, the room fell silent, and his pack members bowed before him. ¡°Long live the Alpha,¡± they chanted in unison before rising to their feet again.


    ¡°We need to hold an emergency meeting immediately,¡± Sandro dered, his voice carrying authority. ¡°I will be selecting a new Beta.¡±

 Chapter 112

    Sandro stood in the centre of the hall, his eyes scanning the crowd of his pack members. Simmering anger radiated from him in waves, noticeable to everyone present. His fists were tightly clenched at his sides, betraying the frustration he desperately tried to keep in check.


    ¡°Listen up,¡± he barked, his voice echoing against the stone walls. ¡°I have decided on our current Beta. He is no longer loyal to us and has betrayed my trust. He is unfit to serve me and our pack. We need someone who will step up and take charge.¡±


    The pack members murmured among themselves, confusion evident on their faces. Towards the back, two members whispered to each other, trying to make sense of the situation.


    ¡°What the hell is going on?¡± one of them asked, scanning the room for any clues.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± the other replied. ¡°But did you see the rage on the Alpha¡¯s face? I¡¯ve seen him angry before, but this is on a whole new level.¡±


    Sandro continued to speak, his anger intensifying with each passing moment. ¡°We require someone who will show unwavering loyalty to me and the pack. Someone unafraid to speak the truth and prioritise the interests of the Alpha and his people. Tell me, where is my damn Beta now? Nowhere to be found. We need someone we can rely on in times of danger.¡±


    The pack members fell silent, their eyes fixed on Sandro as he continued to address them. His words were harsh, but they knew he spoke the truth. Where was ze when they needed him? Ezra almost killed the Alpha, and ze was nowhere to be seen, offering no help.


    Taking a deep breath, Sandro said one final time. ¡°I will personally select our new Beta. And I expect nothing less than the best from him. This pack deserves the best. I, Alessandro De Luca, deserve the best,¡± he muttered thest part to himself.


    With those words, Sandro stepped down from the tform, his eyes gleaming with fierce determination.


    After much deliberation, Sandro elected Leo, the leader of the Eta in Ezra¡¯s pack, to be the new Beta. As far as he was concerned, ze was dead to him, as well as Thalia. It would have been better for her to have died from Ezra¡¯s torture than to be alive and spew ze¡¯s secret of being her brother and a tainted soul to his face.


    Now that he had chosen a new Beta, Sandro¡¯s next action was to find Arabe. Time was running out, and he could feel his bloodlust growing stronger, threatening to consume him entirely. It was only a matter of time before he lost control. He hurried through the woods, the first signs of him nearing his limit surging through his veins. Not only did he desperately want to avoid changing in front of everyone, but he also didn¡¯t want to harm anyone in his transformation process.


    With each step he took, he tried to push back the overwhelming thoughts of Arabe, but he failed every time. He caught her scent and sensed that she was near, yet he couldn¡¯t pinpoint her exact location.


    His body ached, and his bones felt like lead. His temperature rose as he broke out in a feverish sweat. He stumbled as his muscles twitched and tightened as if they were being pulled in different directions. His hands trembled, and his heart beat so fast that it felt like it was about to leap out of his chest. The trees around him warped and twisted into strange shapes, and the sunlight blinded him through the gaps in the leaves. His breath came out in short gasps, and he saw Lace¡¯s shadowy form creeping into the corners of his vision.


    ¡°No!¡± Sandro gritted his teeth as he fought against Lace¡¯s urge to take control.


    He stumbled once again, his limbs heavy and uncooperative. Lace wed at his mind, making it challenging to think, to breathe. The fear of losing control consumed him, and the thought terrified him.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Sandro sank to his knees, panting and sweating; his eyes widened with panic.


    ¡°Remember how good the taste of blood is, how delightful it is to gnaw on the flesh of animals. Human flesh tastes even better than that,¡± Lace said, his voice low and menacing. ¡°You only need to give in!¡±


    Sandro gritted his teeth and shook his head. ¡°I won¡¯t fucking lose control¡­ no!¡±


    ¡°Then find her. She left because of you!¡± Lace used.


    He was right. She had left because of him. He didn¡¯t know where she could be, but there were people who might-the covens.


    Sandro clenched his jaw and turned in the opposite direction, heading towards the cave where the coven resided. It wasn¡¯t far from his current location; he could feel the wave of dark power and energy from nearby.


    As he entered the cave, the air grew thick with the scent of incense, and the flickering mes of numerous candles illuminated the faces of the twelve witches. Each of them was d in white robes adorned with intricate symbols resembling ancient runes, and their eyes shimmered with an otherworldly light.


    Sandro came to a halt as soon as they noticed him.


    ¡°What brings you here, Alpha?¡± Brianna demanded harshly, clearly annoyed by his interruption of their meditation.


    Sandro brushed off the cutting words. ¡°I need Arabe. The curse is about to take hold of me. I know she¡¯s somewhere nearby. I need to know her location now!¡±


    ¡°Very well,¡± said Brianna, raising her hand. The witches joined hands and began to chant, attempting to ascertain Arabe¡¯s whereabouts. Sandro felt an electric charge running through his body as their incantations intensified.


    After a while, Brianna furrowed her brows and turned to Sandro with a patient expression. ¡°Something is blocking our vision. It¡¯s as though a shield has been ced around her, pushing us away. We can¡¯t see her.¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡± Sandro muttered, shaking his head. These were the most powerful witches in the region, and if they couldn¡¯t locate Arabe, it meant she was hiding and employing a formidable magical shield.


    He red at Brianna. ¡°I don¡¯t care if she¡¯s cloaked in imprable armour or shielded by the world¡¯s most potent magic; you must try harder! Finding her is of utmost importance!¡± Sandro yelled, storming out of the cave.


    ¡°Well, that could have been worst,¡± Leslie, the youngest member of the coven, remarked, fully aware that Sandro¡¯s outburst could have resulted in him damaging their sacred space.


    Brianna sighed, her face hardened. ¡°We must try again,¡± she said, extending her hands to the other coven members, signalling their readiness to make another attempt.

 Chapter 113

    Janice and Alessia stumbled out of the dark, damp prison cell-that had been their home for what felt like an eternity, though it had only been two days- into the lush green garden that surrounded the Salvatore residence.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    As the fresh air caressed their faces, they inhaled deeply, relishing the newfound sense of freedom, although they weren¡¯t entirely free as they were still in the house but no longer in prison.


    The relief coursing through their vein was short-lived as Paolo appeared before them, his eyes flickering with dangerous intensity. ¡°Alessia, I know you¡¯re the Delicate Rose,¡± he said. ¡°Don¡¯t bother denying it anymore.¡±


    Alessia¡¯s jaw clenched, and she shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not who you think I am. I¡¯ve never heard of the Delicate Rose before.¡±


    She was lying, of course. Paolo could see it in her eyes, how they darted back and forth, searching for an escape. He wasn¡¯t convinced. He stepped closer, his shadow falling over them like a dark cloud. ¡°You¡¯re lying,¡± he hissed, reaching out to grab her arm. ¡°You just want to hide your identity. I know what you are. Tell the truth!¡±


    Alessia flinched, attempting to pull away, but his grip was too firm. ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± she insisted, her voice rising an octave higher than she intended. ¡°If you¡¯re looking for the Delicate Rose, it¡¯s not me, but my tw-¡±


    Janice¡¯s eyes widened, and she quickly said, ¡°She¡¯s just shy, Father!¡± Her eyes narrowed at Alessia, and she silently mouthed, ¡®Don¡¯t blow her cover!¡¯ Then she turned back to face her father, who was staring at them with a suspicious glint in his eyes.


    ¡°Alessia is just shy,¡± Janice repeated with a bright smile. ¡°I have known her long enough to understand how ufortable she can get around people she doesn¡¯t know well.¡±


    Janice held her breath; her heart pounded in her chest as she hoped that her father would buy into the lie she had spun.


    There was no way she¡¯d blow Arabe¡¯s cover. Not only would it put Arabe in immediate danger, but she and Alessia would also be pawns in Paolo¡¯s twisted game.


    Alessia shook her head, about to speak up, but Janice swiftly stepped on her foot, a clear message to stay silent.


    Alessia¡¯s brows furrowed, making Janice facepalm internally.


    Janice¡¯s mouth formed the words, ¡°Don¡¯t say anything!¡± and Alessia realised what Janice was trying to do. She let out a nervous giggle and nodded. ¡°Oh, silly me. I tend to forget who I am!¡±


    ¡°You see, it¡¯s true, Father,¡± Janice persisted. ¡°Alessia is just shy, but she¡¯s not hiding anything. You can trust us.¡±


    Paolo narrowed his eyes at Janice, his gaze flickering between her and Alessia. ¡°And who are you to vouch for her?¡±


    Janice straightened her back, refusing to back down. ¡°I¡¯m your daughter,¡± she said firmly. ¡°And Alessia is my friend. She¡¯s not the Delicate Rose; I can promise you that. You know I¡¯ll never lie and always provide you with the right information.¡±


    Paolo¡¯s grip on Alessia¡¯s arm loosened slightly. ¡°If I ever find out that either of you have lied to me, there will be consequences. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°Do whatever you please, Father,¡± Janice said with defiance.


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave you both, but don¡¯t think for a second that I¡¯m not watching you. I know everything you do.¡± With those words, he turned on his heel and left, leaving Janice and Alessia alone.


    Alessia let out a shaky breath, her heart pounding in her chest. She staggered, clutching the arm of the garden bench to regain her bnce, before gazing at Janice, ¡°That was close,¡± she muttered, rubbing her arm where Paolo had grasped it.


    Janice nodded in agreement. ¡°We need to be more careful,¡± she said, her voice low. ¡°Paolo is growing increasingly suspicious, and you should pay attention to any signal I give.¡±


    Alessia sat down on a bench, nervously fiddling with a de of grass. Janice paced back and forth in front of her, clearly agitated.


    ¡°But why won¡¯t you let me tell your father about Arabe being the delicate rose?¡± Alessia asked, looking up at Janice.


    Janice stopped pacing and turned to face her. ¡°Because my father has been on a quest to obtain her blood for years,¡± she said, her voice barely above a whisper. ¡°He intends to use it to create armies and seize control of the world.¡±


    Alessia¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°What? Your father is already powerful, isn¡¯t he? He¡¯s a mafia lord and an alpha.¡±


    Janice shook her head. ¡°He needs the blood of the delicate rose. Whoever possesses it would be capable of unleashing utter chaos upon the world, and honestly, regardless of my feelings towards Arabe, that is thest thing I want. I¡¯d rather die than let him have her.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s dreadful,¡± Alessia admitted, and Janice nodded in agreement.


    Alessia stood up from the bench, her eyes darting around the courtyard. She had a lingering sense of being watched. The hair at the nape of her neck tingled, and goosebumps scattered across her arms. ¡°How about we stop discussing?¡± she whispered to Janice. ¡°Your father could be listening.¡±


    Just then, Paolo emerged from the shadows, making his presence known. Alessia and Janice jumped, their hearts racing as they turned to face him.


    ¡°What are you two whispering about?¡± Paolo demanded.


    Janice tried to speak, but her throat had gone dry. She looked at Alessia, hoping she would find the courage to speak up. However, Alessia only swallowed nervously, her hands trembling at her sides.


    Paolo eyed the two of them, his eyes narrowing as he observed their nervous demeanour. ¡°Don¡¯t you both have things to do?¡±


    Alessia and Janice exchanged uncertain nces, unsure of how to proceed. Janice was afraid that Paolo had overheard their conversation, and she was confident Alessia felt the same way. However, Paolo¡¯s expression did not indicate that he had heard anything.


    Janice finally found her voice, her words tumbling out hurriedly. ¡°We were just discussing¡­ the weather, Father. It appears that rain is imminent, and it might hinder our progress if we leave now.¡±


    ¡°Very well,¡± Paolo said dismissively as he walked away again.


    Paolo chuckled to himself, amused by the girls¡¯ obliviousness. Of course, he had overheard their discussion, but for the moment, he decided to y dumb. He had a n in mind.


    He knew the identity of the delicate Rose, and his new mission was to manipte Janice and Alessia to obtain her. Once he had what he wanted, he would discard them, or perhaps he would find a way to keep them under his control.


    Alessia, with her unique power, could be helpful to him, and Janice would forever remain a pawn in his game, used to carry out his sinister deeds.

 Chapter 114

    Arabe¡¯s wooden sword collided with ze¡¯s once again, she hissed and pushed against him, but he didn¡¯t yield.


    Smirking, he mumbled, ¡°Try harder, princess.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll make you beg for mercy!¡± Arabe shouted, her wordsced with amusement. She and ze were sparring in the Phoenix cave, honing their skills. Thanks to ze and Orga¡¯s tireless lectures, she improved significantly.


    She understood the importance of bing a well-rounded warrior, not solely relying on her phoenix powers to defeat her enemy and his armies.


    ¡°Inbat, keep your eyes on the enemy at all times,¡± ze lectured. Their feet scraped against the cobblestones as they circled each other.


    Abruptly, Arabe sprang forward with lightning speed, her sword slicing towards ze¡¯s chest. However, he effortlessly blocked the attack and used her momentum to push her backwards.


    ¡°I need to end this!¡± Arabe eximed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget, as a beta werewolf, I can be as powerful as I desire,¡± ze¡¯s eyes shed golden, causing Arabe to roll her eyes.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget, I am the Phoenix Queen, thest of my kind,¡± Arabe retorted, rushing forward again.


    Despite their serious expressions, they both secretly relished the thrill of the training.


    ¡°Hey!¡± ze growled, catching Arabe off guard. He crouched, clutching his stomach as his face contorted in pain.


    Arabe stared at him wide-eyed, about to inquire what was wrong.


    In a swift motion, ze disarmed her, but due to her resilience, his action sent both swords flying across the cave.


    ¡°Cheater!¡± Arabe stumbled backwards but quickly recovered, matching ze¡¯s weaponless fighting style. They traded blows with fists and kicks, utilising their agility to dodge and weave through each other¡¯s attacks.


    ze chuckled, enjoying the exhrating exchange.


    ¡°Watch out!¡± Arabe pointed in the opposite direction, momentarily distracting him as she conjured a me and pretended to toss it at him. Seizing the opportunity, she swept her leg under ze, causing him to stumble towards her, and both of them fell to the ground in a heap, theirughter filling the air.


    ¡°Cheat,¡± ze used yfully as he pushed himself up, his wide grin infectious. His hand moved toward her, ready to tickle her, but Arabe rolled away.


    ¡°You cheated first, so I guess we¡¯re even,¡± Arabe giggled, standing up and brushing the dirt off her pants.


    ¡°Agreed,¡± ze nodded, adding with a hint of mischief, ¡°I almost had you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t get too cocky,¡± she teased. ¡°Next time, I might not be so lenient.¡±


    As Arabe wiped the sweat from her forehead, ze offered her a towel, which she gratefully epted. It had only been a week since she arrived at the Phoenix cave, yet she had already mastered five out of the seven Aura powers, also known as the luminous Resonance, as Orga called it. She couldn¡¯t believe her progress; she had anticipated it would take years to achieve such a feat.


    Orga had exined that she was a particr case, and staying in the Phoenix cave had helped unlock her true potential and establish a connection with her seven predecessors, each power representing one of them.


    Although she hadn¡¯t yet connected with any of her predecessors, Orga assured her that it would happen soon.


    Arabe¡¯s thoughts shifted to ze, the man she loved with all her heart. Imagining a future with him brought a blush to her cheeks. A mini ze running around the house with a mini her. The possibility of having a baby with ze sent a mix of fear and excitement coursing through her.


    It was a thought she hadn¡¯t entertained until now, and although it frightened her, it also thrilled her, igniting a spark of anticipation for the future they might share if everything worked out.


    Swirling abruptly as she felt a strong pull on her hand, Arabe let out a startled shriek as she was hoisted into the air and then swiftly mmed to the ground. The impact knocked the wind out, leaving her gasping for air.


    ze¡¯s arms locked around her neck, his legs mping tightly around her, making it impossible for her to escape.


    Arabe¡¯s heart pounded in her chest as ze pinned her down, his breath warm against her neck and his body pressing firmly against hers.


    Desperate to free herself, Arabe twisted and turned, straining against ze¡¯s unyielding grip. Her muscles burned with exertion, but it seemed futile as she couldn¡¯t make even the slightest progress.


    ¡°You¡¯re dead, Be,¡± he taunted. ¡°Always stay alert. The enemy strikes when you least expect it.¡±


    Arabe huffed and scowled, ¡°You don¡¯t m ady like that! You nearly broke my bones!¡±


    ¡°The enemy doesn¡¯t differentiate between genders,¡± ze replied, his grip remaining firm.


    Despite the dire circumstances, Arabe couldn¡¯t deny the rush of adrenaline surging through her veins at being overpowered by ze. A mischievous spark ignited in her eyes as an idea popped into her head.


    ¡°Well, lucky for me, you¡¯re the enemy,¡± she retorted. With a sudden surge of energy, she twisted her body and pressed her lips against his.


    ze was taken aback by the unexpected move, momentarily loosening his hold on her.


    Using the opportunity, Arabe hastily nudged ze in the stomach and wrapped her arm around his neck, pulling him into a headlock.


    ¡°Consider yourself defeated,¡± she smirked, echoing his earlier words. ¡°Never underestimate a pretty face. It can hide unexpected strength.¡±


    ze chuckled, impressed by her quick thinking and agility. He extricated himself from her hold. ¡°Nice move,¡± he said. ¡°But not good enough.¡±


    Arabe grinned, wiping the sweat from her brow with the back of her hand, trying topose herself despite the lingering heat and excitement from their impulsive kiss.


    Licking her lower lip, her eyes traced the curve of ze¡¯s muscr arms and the lines of his face. She realised he was also watching her, but she didn¡¯t nce away as usual.


    Breaking the eye contact first, Arabe¡¯s lips curved up into a smile. ¡°You know, ze,¡± she said, her voice low and teasing. ¡°I never knew a simple kiss could make you let your guard down so easily. What if I wasn¡¯t me? What if I were some warrior woman trying to take you down?¡±


    ze¡¯s grin widened as he lifted himself, his arms wrapping around her and pulling her closer. ¡°Well, in that case, I¡¯d have to say that you¡¯re one of a kind.¡±


    Arabe¡¯s eyes narrowed, jealousy ring up inside her. ¡°Is that so? Are you telling me that if youe across any other warrior woman, you¡¯d let your guard down just as easily?¡±


    ze¡¯s expression grew serious as he looked at her, ¡°I only let my guard down for two people,¡± he paused, locking his eyes on her. ¡°My sister and the one and only Arabe Collins.¡±


    Arabe¡¯s heart skipped a beat at his words, and a blush crept up her cheeks. ¡°You sure do know how to make a girl feel giddy,¡± she confessed.


    They remained in their intertwined position on the floor. Arabe couldn¡¯t hide the asional blush that graced her cheeks, nor could she ignore the flutter of desire in her chest.


    Summoning courage she didn¡¯t know she possessed, Arabe leaned in, her lips brushing against ze in an irresistible, soft kiss. He responded by pulling her even closer.


    But before the kiss could deepen, the door to the training room swung open, revealing Orga standing in the doorway.


    Arabe scrambled to her feet, attempting topose herself as Orga raised an amused eyebrow.


    ¡°Well, well,¡± he drawled, ¡°looks like I interrupted something.¡±


    ze chuckled. ¡°Nothing you haven¡¯t seen before.¡±


    Arabe couldn¡¯t help but roll her eyes, trying to ignore the rush of heat that flooded her cheeks. She was grateful for the interruption-it gave her a chance to catch her breath and regain herposure. Still, she couldn¡¯t help but wonder what would have happened if Orga hadn¡¯t barged in.


    ¡°So, what brings you here?¡± ze asked, his tone casual.


    Orga shrugged, his gaze flickering between the two of them. ¡°I must speak with the Phoenix Queen, and it¡¯s a matter that concerns her directly,¡± he stressed.


    ¡°I¡¯lle with her,¡± ze volunteered without hesitation.


    Orga shrugged, his face expressionless. ¡°Do what you want. But if anything happens to you, ept it as it is,¡± he warned, his voice cold. ¡°You should heed the advice and stay away from her.¡±


    Arabe¡¯s curiosity piqued, and she couldn¡¯t resist asking, ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± However, before she could receive any exnation, Orga made a hasty exit, leaving her with more questions than answers. She sensed there was something significant behind his cryptic words.


    His urgent desire to speak with her alone and the intensity in his expression meant that something dire might ur if ze followed her.


    ze, sensing Arabe¡¯s worry, tightened his grip around her waist and murmured, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about him. He¡¯s just trying to intimidate you. He¡¯s Orga, after all, and he¡¯s been doing that since day one.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Arabe nodded before twisting in his arms and letting her arms wrap around him. Regardless, she couldn¡¯t brush off Orga¡¯s words.

 Chapter 115

    Seeking sce, Arabe retreated to the bathroom to shake off her unease. Standing under the soothing stream of hot water, she felt ze¡¯s strong arms wrap around her, pulling her close.


    ¡°ze,¡± she mumbled, trying to turn and face him, but he pressed her firmly against the shower wall, preventing her from moving.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t I make you feel better?¡± ze murmured, his lips trailing kisses down her shoulder as the water cascaded over their bodies. He remembered that Arabe had mentioned how hot water helped her rx.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Arabe whispered, letting out a moan as ze¡¯s arousal pressed against her back.


    She bit her lower lip, briefly closing her eyes before reopening them to find herself locked in ze¡¯s intense gaze. The lust and desire in his eyes tempted her to scream, to let him take her and make her forget everything else. But instead, she settled for a soft smile, reciprocating his gaze.


    ¡°For how long have you been staring?¡± she asked yfully.


    ¡°Just in case I die,¡± ze said, his voice tinged with a hint of vulnerability. ¡°I want to carry the memory of you with me to the gra-¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not dying,¡± Arabe interrupted, her re cutting through his words. She closed the distance between them, standing on her tiptoes to nt gentle kisses along his jawline before finally pressing her lips against his.


    Their kiss was a fusion of warmth and softness. She wound her arms around his neck, pulling him even closer, while ze groaned, his hand firmly grasping her backside. With a fluid motion, he lifted her, and Arabe instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist.


    ¡°You feel so good,¡± she murmured against his corbone, her hands trailing down his muscr back.


    ¡°And you taste even better,¡± ze replied, his voice filled with desire, and he gently slipped a finger inside her.


    Arabe¡¯s head whipped back, and her eyes rolled in ecstasy. She shuddered as ze¡¯s finger skillfully moved within her, sending waves of pleasure through her body.


    ¡°Oh, God!¡± she gasped while he took one of her pointed nipples into his mouth.


    Grounding on his finger as it pushed into her, her legs spasmed, and her breath came out in gasps.


    After a few seconds, ze withdrew his finger, leaving Arabe staring at him questioningly.


    ¡°I¡¯m not done yet,¡± He grunted.


    She moaned as he slowly made her stand and turned her to face the shower wall, her ass tilted in the air.


    He gave her a gentle smack on the ass before guiding his dick towards her entrance.


    Without warning, ze thrust in, causing Arabe¡¯s head to hit the wall. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ze asked, pausing when he heard her groan.


    She giggled and shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Keep going¡­¡± she groaned as he grasped her waist and began to move inside her, not letting go until they both reached their release.


    ___


    It wasn¡¯t until some timeter that Arabe found herself making her way toward Orga, who was near a small cave within the training centre they were in. The cave was just a short distance away.


    Feeling a sense of unease, Arabe wrapped her arms around herself as she entered the cave. The energy in the air was overwhelming, and she scanned her surroundings, trying to determine its source.


    Her attention was drawn to a wrinkled older woman, who appeared ancient enough to have lived for centuries, hunched near a collection of crystals. It was undoubtedly she who possessed such powerful energy. Arabe couldn¡¯t help but be astonished that someone so old could emanate such power. It reminded her not to judge solely based on appearances, she mused. However, the sudden surge of panic within her refused to dissipate.


    As if sensing she was being watched, the wrinkled woman turned to stare directly at Arabe and pointed a crooked finger in her direction, causing her to stumble forward.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening? Who are you?¡± Arabe muttered, feeling herself drawn closer to the woman against her will.


    ze spoke up. ¡°What¡¯s going on here, Orga?¡±


    Arabe turned to see ze behind her, realising he had been there since they entered the cave.


    ¡°Orga!¡± Arabe called out, raising her voice, but he ignored herpletely.


    As Arabe moved uncontrobly, ze reached out his hand to pull her back, but she continued to be drawn toward the woman. She had lost control of her movements, and Orga wasn¡¯t offering any assistance.


    Panic surged through her as she was unsure of what would happen next.


    ze gasped as he was forcefully pushed backwards, attempting to propel himself forward again, only to be met with an imprable barrier.


    His eyes widened in realisation as he struggled against the barrier, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn¡¯t move any closer. It became apparent that the wall had been specifically created for him alone.


    ze understood the predicament he was in-he was utterly trapped.


    Arabe¡¯s heart raced as she stood before the older woman, her mind filled with uncertainty about what would unfold next.


    ¡°ze,¡± she muttered, turning to gaze at him. Her brows furrowed as she saw him at the entrance, pounding frantically on the barrier that enclosed him. Each desperate strike seemed to worsen the situation, only causing the barrier to thicken.


    ¡°What in the hell is happening here?¡± Arabe demanded, ring at Orga.


    ¡°You are in the presence of the Phoenix seer, and ze¡­ well, Wolf Boy had no business being here,¡± Orga exined dismissively. ¡°I made that clear earlier.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s here for my safety, Orga. He¡¯s harmless, and you know it!¡± Arabe retorted, frustration seeping into her voice.


    Orga shrugged indifferently. ¡°You need no protection, Arabe. The woman before you is your ancestor. That¡¯s all you need to know.¡±


    Arabe strained to see any resemnce, but all she could discern was the withered face of the old woman. She attempted to look beyond the physical appearance, but she found nothing.


    A sudden surge of power enveloped her, causing her to shudder. She attempted to move her legs, but they remained unresponsive, refusing to obey hermands.


    ¡°What is happening to me?!¡± she cried out, her voice tinged with fear.


    ze¡¯s muffled voice emanated from behind the imprable barrier, ¡°Hang on, Arabe! I¡¯ll find a way to get us out of here!¡±


    Whispers filled the air, mingling with the overwhelming power that tugged at her. She gritted her teeth, attempting to block out the incessant whispers by covering her ears, but they grew louder and more insistent, invading her mind with their ominous warnings.


    ¡°The wolf boy shall perish!¡± they hissed, their words carrying a menacing tone.


    Arabe¡¯s heart pounded in her chest as she looked around, desperately searching for the source of the haunting voices. Yet, there was no one there except the wrinkled old woman and the silent figure of Orga standing by her side.


    ¡°Let him go, or face the consequences!¡± the voices continued taunting.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Tears welled up in Arabe¡¯s eyes, and she turned to Orga. ¡°What does this mean? Why are they saying these things? ze is not going to die!¡±


    ¡°He is not yours; you will only bring doom upon him!¡± the voices taunted relentlessly.


    Fear and confusion coursed through Arabe¡¯s trembling body. She longed to run away, to escape the horrifying fate foretold by the voices, but she found herself immobilised. Her legs felt like they were rooted to the ground, and an overwhelming sense of powerlessness consumed her.


    Unable to endure it any longer, she let out a piercing scream, her voice reverberating through the cavern.


    As if the scream had unleashed a tempest of untamed energy, a powerful gust of wind erupted, shaking the very foundations of the cave, and debris was sent flying in all directions.

 Chapter 116

    It took a few seconds for the shock to subside. Arabe stumbled backwards, her heart pounding as she regained her stance. Her eyes narrowed at the old, wrinkled woman standing before her.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± she asked her voice tight with tension.


    ¡°Hello, darling. I am your mother,¡± the woman replied, a sinister smile curving her lips and a mischievous twinkle in her eyes that Arabe couldn¡¯t decipher.


    ¡°My m-mother?!¡± Arabe stuttered. Her eyes widened like saucers as she gazed at the woman. After years of resentment and bitterness towards the woman who had abandoned her, standing before she evoked no immediate feelings. No love, no anger, no bitterness-just a sense of disbelief.


    The emotions she felt, she believed, were not directly connected to her so-called mother. ze¡¯s absence influenced them, the man who had been her constant support.


    ¡°I am your mother¡­¡±


    ¡°Liar!¡± Arabe snapped.


    Then anger surged through her. Clenching her hands by her sides, she scowled. How could she believe this woman who had left her to suffer for years? Now she was here, trying to act lovingly as if she had done nothing to cause her pain.


    Her mother had been absent for her first word, her first crawl, and her first birthday. The worst was during her first period when she needed a mother figure the most. But she had no one except her father. It wasn¡¯t that she minded confiding in her father, but there were certain things she couldn¡¯t mention to him without feeling embarrassed.


    But he was taken from her. Arabe willed back the thought of hisst-minute away from her mind. She didn¡¯t want to think about it.


    The wrinkled woman let out a cackle that echoed across the barren cave, sending a chill down Arabe¡¯s spine.


    A sudden, blinding light filled the room, forcing Arabe to shield her eyes. She heard the rush of wind and felt her hair being blown back.


    Wincing, she kept her eyes tightly shut though an intense urge to open them surged within her; she didn¡¯t dare.


    As the light faded, Arabe slowly lowered her hand, only to find that the old woman had vanished. In her ce stood a breathtakingly beautiful young woman. The transformation was nothing short of miraculous. The wrinkled skin smoothed out, and the grey hair transformed into flowing white locks cascading down her back in perfect waves. Her hunched back straightened, and the tattered clothing morphed into a stunning cream gown adorned with delicate silver flowers that shimmered in the dim light of the cavern.


    Gone was the cackling, reced now by a burst of melodicughter that resonated through the air. Arabe could hardly believe her eyes. It was as if she was witnessing a caterpir¡¯s metamorphosis into a butterfly but in reverse. The woman¡¯s once-aged features now exuded youth and vitality. Her sparkling blue eyes held a mischievous twinkle, her lips adorned with a rosy pink hue, and her skin became wless and smooth as silk. Her figure took on a supple and elegant form, and she stood with a regal posture that demanded attention.


    But most bewildering of all was the striking resemnce she shared with Arabe. It was as if looking into a mirror, or rather, a reflection of the mother she had only seen in faded photographs. She stood frozen in stunned silence, her mind unable to fullyprehend the surreal scene unfolding before her. Confusion and disbelief clouded her thoughts, leaving her in overwhelming bewilderment.


    Sensing Arabe¡¯s perplexity, the transformed woman smiled wryly. Her voice, no longer hoarse and wavering, now carried a melodic tone akin to the harmonious symphony of birdsong. ¡°Do you now see that looks can be deceiving?¡± she asked. ¡°Now that I am in this form, do you finally believe that we are rted?¡±


    Despite the undeniable resemnce, Arabe couldn¡¯t bring herself to fully ept that this woman standing before she had carried her for nine months and given birth to her. There was a void in her heart, a bottomless emptiness that only her biological mother could have filled. Instead of a sense of belonging or familiarity, Arabe felt a mix of conflicting emotions bubbling inside her chest, leaving her tense and uncertain.


    Shaking her head slowly, Arabe mustered the courage to speak, her voice barely above a whisper. ¡°You¡­ you can¡¯t be my mother. You¡¯re not telling the truth.¡± Her disbelief was evident in her tone.


    The woman erupted into a fit ofughter, her hands pping with glee. Her eyes sparkled mischievously as she shifted her gaze to Orga, lingering for a brief moment.


    Herughter echoed through the room, a blend of amusement and admiration before she redirected her attention to Arabe. ¡°Oh, my dear, you are quite astute. I can see that you possess a sharp mind, a rare gift indeed in these times.¡±


    Suddenly, as if on cue, a pair of wings burst forth from the woman¡¯s back, causing Arabe to gasp in shock and instinctively take a cautious step backwards.


    Not to be outdone, Orga burst intoughter, revealing his own set of wings. It became clear to Arabe that he had been aware of what was happening all along, deceiving her into this situation.


    With her wings fully extended, the woman¡¯s appearance seemed to transform before Arabe¡¯s eyes. Her already wless features took on an otherworldly quality as if she was no longer entirely human. She resembled a goddess from a realm beyond.


    ¡°Come to me, Arabe,¡± the woman beckoned, her eyes gleaming with a wicked allure.


    Though her appearance had changed, her voice still carried a hypnotic sway. Arabe felt herself inexplicably drawn towards the woman, her body moving as if under a spell. She shut her eyes tightly, attempting to regain control and halt the involuntary movement.


    Arabe¡¯s heart pounded in her chest as she resisted the pull, tears welling in her eyes as she thought of ze. She knew that if she sumbed to Orga and this woman, she would likely never see him again.


    Shaking her head fervently, Arabe fought against the enchanting voice, determined to break free from its hold. ¡°No, I refuse to follow you!¡± her voice rang out, filled with unwavering determination. ¡°Unless ze is by my side, I won¡¯t go anywhere with you!¡±


    In an instant, she abruptly stopped as the hypnosis lost its grip on her. The woman¡¯s smirk faded, reced by a curious expression. She tilted her head slightly, studying Arabe as if she were an intriguing puzzle to be solved.


    ¡°Interesting,¡± she remarked. ¡°Not only were you able to see through my lies, but you also managed to break free from my spell.¡±


    ¡°She is the Phoenix Queen, mydy,¡± Orga dered, bowing respectfully before the ck-winged woman.


    Furrowing her brow, the woman sized up Arabe, her scrutinising gaze analysing her features. Suddenly, she jerked back, her eyes rolling white.


    ¡°Both of you wille face to face with the evil one, and only one shall survive! The power of the phoenix queen will be unleashed through the death of a wolf.¡±


    Arabe¡¯s heart raced as she heard the ominous words. She didn¡¯t need an interpretation to understand their meaning. ¡°I won¡¯t allow ze to die for me to disy my powers. Neither of us will die. We will triumph together! Your words are nothing but lie!¡±


    ¡°That is for you to discover,¡± the woman shrugged. ¡°Your destiny has already been determined!¡± With a snap of her fingers, she vanished into thin air.


    Arabe shuddered, taking a moment to process the bewildering events that had unfolded before her. She swiftly turned to face Orga, her hands pressed firmly on her sides as she stared at him sternly.


    ¡°Why did you bring me here? You are nothing but a deceiver!¡± she spat out, her wordsced with anger and betrayal.


    ¡°I brought you here to consult the seer. Now that you have encountered her, your fate is sealed, as is the fate of yourpanion,¡± Orga exined.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Arabe¡¯s eyes narrowed, ¡°We are the masters of our destiny. Not you, not anyone else. ze and I will survive!¡±


    ze interjected, approaching Arabe and cing his hands gently on her shoulders to calm her. ¡°Hey, hey, hey. Take a breath, Be,¡± he urged, his touch soothing her frayed emotions.


    As ze¡¯s hands made contact with her body, a sense of tranquillity washed over Arabe. The anger that had consumed her began to fade, reced by theforting presence of ze. She turned around and melted into his arms, seeking sce in his embrace. ¡°ze!¡± she cried, nuzzling into his chest as he wrapped his arms around her, drawing her close.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Arabe. I will stay safe. I won¡¯t die, so don¡¯t listen to their prophecies,¡± ze reassured her, whispering the words gently into her ear.


    While he spoke these words to alleviate Arabe¡¯s concerns, deep within him, he felt a twinge of fear. Two individuals had already foretold his demise, and Arabe had witnessed it countless times in her dreams. The odds seemed stacked against him, hinting at an inevitable end. He would sumb to the cold grip of death and leave Arabe alone in this world. But who would protect her then? The answer lurked in his thoughts-Alessandro.


    A surge of anger coursed through ze as the possibility of Sandro forcibly taking Arabe when he was gone yed out in his mind. He couldn¡¯t allow that to happen. Arabe must not be swept into Sandro¡¯s cruel grasp. He would never allow it, even if he had to fight until his dying breath to keep her from him.

 Chapter 117

    Paolo stormed into the room, his anger noticeable, where Janice and Alessia were lounging on the couch. He growled, ¡°Listen up. I¡¯ve got a job for you two. You¡¯re going to find out where Alessandro De Luca is!¡±


    Janice and Alessia exchanged nervous nces, sensing the seriousness of the situation. Janice bit her lower lip, unsure how to respond to her father¡¯s sudden anger. ¡°Sandro?¡± she asked hesitantly. ¡°Why do we need to find him? I thought you only needed the Rose¡­ ¡±


    Paolo scowled, ¡°Because the De Luca Vi is deserted, and I have no idea where the hell he¡¯s gone off to. Also,  the fact that I¡¯ll be getting the rose doesn¡¯t mean I shouldn¡¯t kill my enemy if I got the chance.¡±


    Alessia fidgeted, intertwining her fingers as she spoke softly, ¡°Exactly, we don¡¯t know where Sandro is either. How are we supposed to find him?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s your problem, not mine,¡± snapped Paolo, his impatience running thin. ¡°I need no questions or protests from you two. Just do as I say. And don¡¯te back here until you¡¯ve found him. Understood?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Father,¡± Janice replied quietly while Alessia nodded her response.


    Paolo red at them for a moment before storming out of the room.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Janice let out a deep breath, closing her eyes briefly before reopening them. She knew that locating Sandro would be no easy task. If he wasn¡¯t at the De Luca Vi, she couldn¡¯t fathom where he might be. Moreover, returning there held its risks. She had been a spy, and Sandro could quickly eliminate her without allowing a chance to exin. However, she reasoned it was still a better alternative than being in her father¡¯s presence.


    Janice sensed Alessia¡¯s excitement, evident by her restlessness. She didn¡¯t need to ask; the anticipation was detectable. It was only a matter of time before Alessia started to express her enthusiasm.


    ¡°Now, where do we begin?¡± Alessia asked, her stomach knotting with anxiety.


    ¡°We need to know his exact location to n our mission. We can¡¯t go about mindlessly without a strategy,¡± Janice replied, her brows furrowing in contemtion.


    ¡°Leave that to me,¡± Alessia grinned, reaching for her phone.


    Janice hesitated, concern etched on her face. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s a good idea to make a phone call right now? You¡¯re wanted, and contacting anyone might risk revealing your location.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s trustworthy and won¡¯t divulge where I am. He was the one who helped me escape in the first ce,¡± Alessia reassured Janice, attempting to ay her fears.


    ¡°He,¡± Janice¡¯s murmured, and her frown deepened as she thought about who it could be. She imagined him being someone like ze, who was always there to help damsels in distress, and she couldn¡¯t help the jealousy that unfurled within her at the thought.


    For one, she didn¡¯t know why she was jealous of Alessia making a phone call. It wasn¡¯t as if she had said anything about having a close rtionship with the person.


    Stepping closer to Alessia, she peeked at the phone and muttered, ¡°Head of Security, James.¡± Janice took a deep breath before shaking her head.


    Perhaps she was overthinking, she mused, as she watched Alessia speak professionally on the phone. There was no way she would address him formally if they were involved romantically.


    ¡°He¡¯ll be here in ten,¡± Alessia informed her, and Janice nodded in response.


    Precisely ten minutester, the phone beeped, and Janice rushed out to retrieve the item delivered by the courier. The box was tossed near the mailbox. She found arge map inside, disying the route to Ascostan.


    ¡°How did you know?¡± Janice mumbled, eyeing Alessia in awe.


    ¡°I figured that since I keep having visions about that ce, it would be best to start our search there. Besides, we¡¯ve always wanted to visit before we got caught again,¡± Alessia exined.


    ¡°You¡¯re brilliant!¡± Janice squealed, wrapping her arms around Alessia, momentarily catching her off guard.


    ¡°We should take a closer look at the map first. I¡¯ve heard it can be challenging to decipher,¡± Alessia suggested as Janice released her.


    After hours of studying the map, which felt like an eternity, they left Cooan and set off for Ascostan. Alessia and Janice journeyed through the mountains, following the directions on the map as it indicated the easiest way to reach Ascostan. However, Alessia suddenly halted, sensing a strange sensation in the air. She nced around, realising they were deep into the mountains, but she couldn¡¯t discern the source of the unusual energy that enveloped her.


    It was as if an invisible force field surrounded her, and she could feel the power surging through her veins. Instinctively, she reached for the map, gripping it tightly. The moment she did, a tingling sensation ran up her arm. It was an indescribable feeling, like the map was alive, awakening some dormant power within her.


    She turned to Janice, her eyes shining with wonder and excitement. ¡°Did you feel that too?¡± she eximed.


    Janice looked at Alessia in confusion. ¡°Feel what? What¡¯s happening, Alessia?¡±


    Alessia stared at her hand in disbelief, feeling the sudden pull of power. ¡°Look!¡± she eximed. ¡°My hand is freaking tingling, and I can see sparks!¡±


    Janice turned her gaze and gasped as she witnessed a whirlwind forming around Alessia. ¡°What the hell is happening?!¡± she cried out.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Alessia replied, her eyes wide with wonder. ¡°But I think¡­ I think I can control it!¡±


    Closing her eyes, Alessia tried to harness her newfound powers, attempting to lift them off the ground.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± Janice eximed as the whirlwind surrounding Alessia elevated them as if they were weightless. ¡°Holy shit, this is incredible.¡±


    ¡°Can we use this as a mode of transportation?¡± Janice asked, excitement filling her voice.


    ¡°We can get to Ascostan faster, soaring through the skies!¡± Alessia beamed, and Janice nodded eagerly.


    Although it wasn¡¯t easy to fly through the air as she was just getting used to it, Alessia managed to keep them afloat while avoiding distractions.


    As they neared the town closer to Ascostan, they caught sight of eerie and supernatural beings lurking in the deep shadows. These creatures were unlike anything they had ever witnessed before. Rough, scaly skin covered their entire bodies, and their eyes glowed with inexplicable radiance. As the creatures emerged from their hiding spots, Janice and Alessia were frozen in fear.


    Alessia¡¯s voice trembled as she whispered, ¡°W-What are those things?¡±

 Chapter 118

    After the initial shock wore off, Alessia tightened her grip on Janice, who groaned as a series of unwanted thoughts enveloped her upon contact. Biting her lower lip, she focused her eyes on the creature.


    ¡°I have no idea,¡± Janice replied unsteadily, trying to keep the fear out of her voice, though she doubted it went unnoticed. ¡°But I hope we don¡¯t get eaten by them.¡±


    Janice intended it as a joke, but Alessia¡¯s eyes narrowed as she took it to heart. ¡°Let¡¯s get the hell out of here,¡± Alessia eximed, and Janice nodded in agreement.


    However, before they could make their escape, the beasts merged in an instant, united in their cause, and pounced upon them without hesitation. Janice¡¯s voice caught in her throat as she was lifted off the ground.


    ¡°Stop!¡± Alessia¡¯s scream pierced the air, and Janice¡¯s eyes widened in response.


    They were firmly trapped within the creature¡¯s grip, tossed about in the air. Janice groaned, feeling her stomach churn and vomit surge up her throat. She attempted to w her way out of its grasp to help Alessia, who appeared to have fainted, but all her efforts proved futile.


    ¡°Where the hell are you taking us?!¡± Janice yelled as the creature started moving towards arge hole in front of them. ¡°Alessia, wake up!¡± she urged, but all she received was silence.


    ¡°Fucking let me go, or I won¡¯t be¡­¡± Janice¡¯s words trailed off as the creature twisted its head, fixing her with itsrge bug-like eyes, before leaping into the hole.


    The air was chilly and damp, giving the impression of a dungeon, ording to Janice¡¯s assessment. She narrowed her eyes, their glimmer faintly visible in the darkness. The walls were covered in creeping mould, causing Janice to wrinkle her nose as she reached out to Alessia.


    ¡°Hey,¡± she whispered, prodding Alessia¡¯s side, causing her to startle.


    ¡°Sheesh,¡± Janice mumbled, pping a hand over her mouth to stifle a potential shriek.


    ¡°Janice?¡± Alessia mumbled, prompting a nod from Janice.


    ¡°Where are we? What happened?¡± Alessia¡¯s voice was muffled by Janice¡¯s hand, but Janice still managed to hear her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Some dungeon,¡± Janice said, attempting to sound courageous, but her voice betrayed her as her lips trembled.


    She was terrified. She couldn¡¯t discern the creature¡¯s nature or its motives. However, based on the brief glimpse she had caught in its eyes before it leapt into the hole, she didn¡¯t believe they would emerge from their predicament alive.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Alessia trembled, and Janice pulled her into her arms. ¡°What do they want with us?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know right now, but we have to find a way to escape before it¡¯s toote,¡± Janice said, her eyes darting around, searching for a means of getting out.


    Janice froze, and she sensed Alessia doing the same as footsteps approached. Light flickered on the walls, and the creature that held them captive emerged. Its twisted and contorted limbs moved awkwardly as it slithered toward them, its eyes glowing green, sending shivers down Janice¡¯s spine.


    ¡°W-who are you? Wha-what do you want?¡± Janice managed to stammer out.


    The creature¡¯s voice was cold and menacing. ¡°You are not wee here. Ascotan is and of purity and light. It is not meant for evil-doers like you.¡±


    ¡°We haven¡¯t done anything wrong! We came here looking for someone,¡± Alessia interjected.


    The creature hissed, its body pulsating with anger. ¡°I do not believe you. But if you speak the truth, then tell me your mission. Why have youe to Ascotan?¡±


    ¡°We are not evil-doers; you have to believe us,¡± Janice reiterated.


    The creature eyed them warily as though trying to discern the truth in their words. Then it said, ¡°Very well. But know this, no evildoers have ever set foot in Ascotan and lived to tell the tale. If you are lying, you will rot in this dungeon for eternity.¡±


    Alessia and Janice exchanged fearful nces as the creature slithered out of the room, leaving them alone in the dark, damp dungeon. Janice furrowed her brow, trying to recall what she had heard about Ascotan.


    Suddenly, a memory shed in her mind. She remembered hearing that Ascotan was and reserved for the pure-hearted, and any evildoers who entered would face severe consequences.


    Janice turned to Alessia, her voice trembling. ¡°Alessia, the creature was right. Ascotan is only for the pure-hearted. If we are found to be impure, we will be killed.¡±


    Alessia looked at Janice; fear etched on her face. ¡°What do we do now? I can¡¯t remember any evil deeds we have done. Janice, we can¡¯t stay here, but we can¡¯t leave either.¡±


    Janice shook her head. She couldn¡¯t shake off the feeling that they were in real danger. Yet, she couldn¡¯t remember her or Alessia doing anything evil. However, her mind wandered back to the attack by Krampus, who had used them of being ¡°naughty children.¡± She wondered if there was any truth to Krampus¡¯ im.


    As she nced at Alessia, she saw the fear in her eyes, breaking her heart. Despite her fear, she knew she had to be strong for both of them instead of appearing helpless.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Janice said, reassuringly touching Alessia¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Janice,¡± Alessia said, turning to her huddled friend. ¡°We¡¯re not evil, right?¡±


    ¡°No, Alessia. We haven¡¯t done anything wrong,¡± Janice assured. ¡°We will figure this out. We will find a way to escape.¡±


    Alessia nodded, but her voice trembled as she spoke. ¡°But how? I can¡¯t even feel the surge of powers anymore. Although I am still getting the hang of it and don¡¯t know why I keep having the powerful burst of energy, I guess it is to help me. However, it vanished, and I¡¯m scared about so many things. We haven¡¯t been able to find Sandro, and we don¡¯t even know where to go. Also-¡±


    ¡°Hey¡­¡± Janice interrupted, but Alessia shook her head.


    ¡°I mean, we¡¯re going to die!¡± Alessia wailed. ¡°Did you see the hostility in that creature¡¯s eyes? This isn¡¯t how I imagined everything. We shouldn¡¯t have¡­¡±


    Alessia gasped as Janice tugged her forward and pressed her lips against hers. Her eyes widened, and she stood still, caught off guard by the unexpected kiss.


    Janice pulled away, sensing Alessia¡¯s hesitation, and her face flushed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. You were talking so much, and I wanted to think. I thought it was the only way to shut you up,¡± Janice whispered, averting her gaze.


    Alessia stared at Janice, unblinking, trying to process what had just happened. The kiss¡­ surprisingly, she had enjoyed it, even though she shouldn¡¯t have. Janice kissing her was something she had never imagined, but now it had actually happened. It had happened, damn it.


    ¡°Shit!¡± Alessia muttered softly.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I shouldn¡¯t have done that. It was silly of me¡­¡± Janice began, but Alessia shook her head and touched her lips.


    Pulling Janice closer, Alessia mumbled, ¡°Good thing we¡¯re not in chains. So, I can do this too.¡±


    Janice¡¯s eyes lit up as Alessia leaned in for another kiss. This time, it was even more passionate than before, as both of them were certain about their desires. Janice¡¯s heart raced as Alessia¡¯s hands moved down her back. For a moment, they forgot about the danger they were in, lost in the heat of the moment. But eventually, they pulled away from each other, gasping for air.


    ¡°But I need to know. What is this mate bond? Why do I feel this connection to you? You¡¯ve mentioned the word ¡®mate¡¯ so many times. I need to understand,¡± Alessia exined.


    Janice¡¯s heart skipped a beat as Alessia mentioned the mate bond. She had been anxious and apprehensive about the moment she would have to exin it all to her.


    Taking a deep breath, she said, ¡°We¡¯ll talk about itter. Right now, we need to focus on getting out of this ce.¡±


    Alessia nodded and closed her eyes, attempting to summon her powers again. After a few tries, she felt a familiar surge of energy coursing through her veins, and her eyes snapped open.


    A small smile yed at the corner of Alessia¡¯s lips as she turned to Janice, who had her back turned. ¡°I guess today is our lucky day, isn¡¯t it, mate?¡± She winked.


    Janice smiled back, relieved to see Alessia¡¯s spirits lifted. ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s hope so.¡±


    Alessia gripped the bar of the dungeon and yanked with all her might, the sound of metal scraping against stone echoing through the dungeon. Janice¡¯s eyes widened in shock as the bars came loose, crashing to the ground with a deafening tter.


    Alessia turned to Janice, her expression determined. ¡°Will you stay here, or shall we search for the cruel alpha?¡± she asked, extending her hand.


    Without a second thought, Janice grabbed Alessia¡¯s hand and pulled herself up, her legs still shaky from squatting for so long.


    As they steered their way around the dungeon, several thoughts swirled in Janice¡¯s head- about Alessia¡¯s sudden ability and their well-being. But her thoughts mainly were centred on Alessia.


    Janice knew they needed to find a safe ce to talk, but that could wait until after theypleted their mission. For now, she pushed aside her curiosity and focused on the task at hand-escaping and finding Sandro.

 Chapter 119

    Sandro barged into the pack house with Etas trailing behind, and Thalia¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She felt the intensity of his anger radiating off him in waves, causing her to take a step back instinctively. His fists were clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white, and Thalia saw the muscles in his jaw ticking as he fought to control his rage.


    The room suddenly grew colder as Sandro stormed towards her, his eyes zing with fury.


    Nervously, she licked her lower lip and nced at the ground before meeting his gaze again.


    ¡°Take her down to the dungeon,¡± he ordered.


    ¡°W-why?¡± Thalia stuttered, her eyes widening. Even though she knew the reason, she couldn¡¯t resist asking.


    Sandro snarled, ¡°Do you have a right to ask me that? After you lied to my face?!¡±


    ¡°Sandro, please. I didn¡¯t intend to hide it from you for so long. I didn¡¯t know how to tell you because I feared your reaction. I didn¡¯t mean to betray you. I swear it. I love you.¡±


    Love. That was thest thing on her mind. She hadn¡¯t intended to confess her feelings for him, but she did love him. Even when she left him in the beginning, she loved him.


    Sandro narrowed his eyes at her and grunted, ¡°Tell your feelings to someone who cares about them.¡± He turned to the Etas behind him and said, ¡°Prepare her for execution.¡±


    ¡°No¡­!¡± Thalia yelled. She dashed towards him as the Etas closed in on her and tried to grip his hand, but Sandro was quick.


    He roughly clutched her arm and pushed her into the wall. She winced at the painful pinch as his fingers dug into her skin. ¡°You¡¯re going to pay for what you¡¯ve done,¡± he spat. ¡°And the dungeon is the perfect ce for you. I can¡¯t believe I trusted a whore like you.¡±


    ¡°Sandro¡­ please. I beg you, have mercy. Could you not throw me in the dungeon? Anywhere but there!¡± Thalia shuddered as the image of the dark dungeon Ezra had once thrown her into surfaced in her mind.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do anything you ask of me¡­ Please, don¡¯t just let them take me¡­¡±


    ¡°Fucking shut up!¡± Sandro barked, his eyes darting to his Etas. ¡°Take her away now.¡±


    Thalia gazed at the Etas with wide eyes as they approached her. Her heart mmed forcefully in her chest, and she clutched it as it ached. Sandro hadn¡¯t outright rejected her, but he didn¡¯t ept her feelings either! She had thought he loved her. Fuck, she had thought he wanted her. Now she knew otherwise.


    With his narrowed eyes and fury zing in them, Thalia was confident he would go through with his words. He would kill her for betraying him. Several thoughts raced through her head, and the only one she could focus on was the need to escape. She needed to find a way out. But how?


    Sandro had turned his back to her, but she knew he was aware of everything happening. He could easily intercept her if she made a move toward the door. The Etas were closing in on her, and they were as menacing as Sandro himself. Yet, she couldn¡¯t help but think of giving it a try. A moment of distraction was what she needed¡­N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    ¡°Take her out of my sight,¡± Sandro ordered as he strode out of the room, leaving her alone with the Etas.


    ¡°Distraction,¡± she mumbled, her heart thumping with the ns forming in her mind. She was left with the Etas; she needed to escape.


    ¡°Distraction,¡± she muttered again while ncing around the room.


    Jumping to her feet abruptly and startling the Etas in the process, she shrieked before dashing the open door.


    ¡°Get out of my way,¡± Thalia growled, grabbing one of the Etas by the door and shoving him back into the room before bolting toward the main exit, ignoring the yelling behind her.


    As she ran, adrenaline surged through her, and the thought of things going wrong permeated her mind, yet she didn¡¯t stop. She knew the warning bell could be sounded at any moment, and the Etas would be sent after her. She quickened her pace, pushing herself to run even faster.


    Sweat dribbled down her face, and her legs ached from the exertion, but she refused to give up. Finally, she burst through therge gate door of the pack house and into the night air. She looked around frantically, trying to get her bearings. She knew she had to keep moving, but she had no idea where to go.


    Sandro¡¯s eyes followed Thalia as she ran out of the gate. He watched her from the window of his bedroom, holding a ss of bourbon as she disappeared into the distance.


    ¡°Bitch,¡± A slight smirk yed on his lips.


    He made no move to sound the rm or ask anyone to chase after her after she was reported for escaping. He had deliberately assigned the weakest guards to capture her, fully aware that Thalia could defeat them.


    Leaning back in his chair, he felt a sense of satisfaction washing over him. Thalia¡¯s escape would only fuel her fear and paranoia, and he was counting on that. He knew she would always look over her shoulder, waiting for him toe after her.


    The thought delighted him, and he allowed himself a small chuckle. Thalia may have escaped this time, but he was confident that she wouldn¡¯t be able to outrun him forever.


    However, his amusement quickly turned to concern as he thought about Arabe. She had escaped from his grasp in the same way. But he wouldn¡¯t relent until he caught her.


    Perhaps allowing Thalia to escape was the best course of action, he mused. She would surely be on her way to ze right now  after all, she had nowhere else to go. Following her might lead him to ze, who in turn could lead him to Arabe.


    ¡°Perfect,¡± Sandro grinned.


    Setting down his ss, hiscent smirk returned as he stood up and left the room with determined strides. He exited the pack house and ventured deeper into the woods, scanning his surroundings to glimpse Thalia¡¯s direction while remaining cautious of the predators lurking about.


    -:-


    Thalia shivered, rubbing her arms up and down as the wind picked up and howled through the trees. Even though she was on a sweatshirt, she felt vulnerable and exposed. She had ventured deep into the forest and could easily fall victim to an attack. Facing multiple predators at once was something she couldn¡¯t handle. She was sure she would die.


    All those thoughts swirled in her head, giving her a terrible headache. Spotting arge tree up ahead, she stepped towards it, even though it was an awful idea to be resting. Yet, she couldn¡¯t help herself. There was no better option, and she was utterly exhausted.


    Sitting on the forest floor and searching for a morefortable spot, she rested her head on the tree trunk and dozed off.

 Chapter 120

    Thalia wandered through the forest as she continued her search. Her clothes were torn in different spots from constantly being caught in poking branches, and her shoes were discarded, leaving her trudging around barefooted. Her hair was a mess, and patches of dirt stained her skin.


    Yet, she persevered.


    As she ventured deeper, her nose wrinkled as a strange stench wafted into her nostrils, and she pinched the bridge of her nose. ¡°What the hell?¡± She muttered.


    Thalia paused and took a moment to inhale the air, trying to discern the source of the smell. It seemed familiar, yet she couldn¡¯t quite grasp what it was exactly. Another sniff and then realisation dawned on her.


    It was the smell of blood!


    The strong, metallic odour of fresh blood filled the air, assaulting her nostrils. But what was iting from? Had an animal died? No, it wasn¡¯t an animal.


    ¡°An animal¡¯s scent wouldn¡¯t be as strong as this,¡± she mumbled.


    Deep down, she knew the scent wasn¡¯ting from a stray deer shot to death by a hunter; after all, she was a hunter herself, though of a different kind. Even so, she could differentiate the scent of blood. This particr blood was human.


    Thalia breezed through the forest, trying to locate the injured person, hoping to save them, even though it was thest thing she should be thinking of.


    But she did anyway.


    Eventually, she found the source of the bleeding and froze in her tracks, her heart dropping into her stomach at the sight.


    ¡°ze!¡± She yelled, immediately recognising the body, which was sprawled in an awkward position. She ran as fast as her legs could carry her to where hey.


    His body was on the ground, motionless and surrounded by a pool of blood. His eyes were shut, and he wasn¡¯t breathing.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± Thalia gasped, pressing a hand on his chest where the most blood came from. He had been brutally stabbed in the chest multiple times, and blood gushed out like a broken tap from all his open wounds.


    ¡°BLAZE!¡± she cried out even louder, causing birds perched on nearby trees to fly off at the sound of her screeching voice immediately.


    Tears streamed down her eyes as she vigorously tried to shake him awake. ¡°No, no, no, this isn¡¯t happening!¡± She choked out, receiving no response.


    ze¡¯s body had already started to stiffen and grow cold. He must have been in the forest long before her arrival.


    With her vision blurred by tears, Thalia narrowed her eyes and screeched, ¡°I¡¯ll kill whoever did this. Fucking show yourself!¡±


    Suddenly, rustling in the bushes alerted Thalia, and she looked up, seeing Arabe emerge from the shadows, a wicked grin on her face. Arabe was holding a bloody dagger in her hand, and Thalia could see blood staining its de. Her eyes widened, and she let out a gasp of horror.


    Arabe sauntered towards Thalia, her psychopathic smirk widening and the knife still in her hand. Thalia felt a knot of fear tighten in her chest. She tried to back away, but it seemed her feet were rooted to the ground. She stared at Arabe¡¯s towering figure; her knife raised high and ready to strike.


    It was over.


    She was going to kill her just as she killed ze.


    Thalia closed her eyes, bracing herself for the blow. The sound of the knife slicing through the air echoed in her ears, and she flinched, waiting for the pain.


    But it never came.


    Thalia¡¯s body jerked as she woke from the nightmare, breathing heavily as sweat streamed down her face.


    ¡°Oh, my gods!¡± She whispered, fresh tears flowing down her cheeks.


    Thalia rocked her body back and forth as the tears continued to flow in a wild torrent. She hadn¡¯t saved ze. If he had been in her shoes, he¡¯d have done the opposite. Although it was a dream, she couldn¡¯t help but feel guilty. And if she had been strong enough, none of it would have happened.


    ¡°Freaking useless.¡± She raised her hands to her view, staring at them  it was as if she could still see the blood that stained them. The nightmare had felt so real she couldn¡¯t just shake off the unease that had taken over her.


    Thalia wondered if it was more than just a dream or a premonition of what was toe.


    Should ze be at the point of death in real life, would she be able to save him? The question rang in her ears unanswered for long moments. And then, she heard Cass¡¯s voice in her head.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Thalia, don¡¯t give up. You are not weak. It¡¯s just a tough time that will pass,¡± her wolf assured her.


    Thalia sighed, ¡°But what if I can¡¯t save ze? What if I¡¯m not strong enough to protect him from what is toe? I can¡¯t bear to see him dead, Cass; I can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t doubt yourself. You have faced many challenges before and ovee them. You will do the same this time, I¡¯m sure of it,¡± Cass replied.


    Thalia took a deep breath, feeling a bit of determination. ¡°I guess you¡¯re right, Cass.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the spirit,¡± Cass¡¯s voice echoed in her head again, and Thalia gave a small smile which faded as the sound of scurrying echoed in her ears.


    Her heart skipped a beat. Her defensive instincts kicked in as she assumed it was a predator lurking in the shadows  or worse still, Sandro. Fear and panic overtook her, and she let out a piercing scream that echoed through the forest.


    To her surprise, her scream was answered by a voice from the darkness  a quite familiar voice.


    ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡±


    Her heart thumped wildly in her chest as she heard the voice; it sounded just like Janice.


    ¡°Hello?¡± came the voice again.


    It was Janice. Thalia was sure of that. What was she doing in Acostan? She had fled De Luca¡¯s Vi, and ever since then, Thalia hadn¡¯t seen her.


    ¡°I heard a voice,¡± repeated the voice.


    Even though she and Janice didn¡¯t see eye to eye, she was desperate to leave the forest. And she doubted Janice wouldn¡¯t be of help.


    ¡°Janice, I¡¯m by the-¡± a hand mped over her mouth, muffling her voice.


    Thalia¡¯s blood ran cold, and panic immediately flooded her system. The other hand then circled her torso and began dragging her backwards.


    She kicked and thrashed, wing at the hand covering her mouth to remove it, but it was all futile.


    She was being dragged away towards an even darker area, where the trees were so closely-knitted together that it seemed like a canopy, blocking the moonlight from seeping through. It was pitch ck. The abductor finally let go of her mouth, and she struggled to steady her breathing yet still attempted to free herself from the grasp.


    ¡°I can fight. Don¡¯t think I am weak!¡± She spat out in a trembling voice, her frantic gaze darting around the dimly lit area.


    ¡°It¡¯s me, ze,¡± the voice said, and Thalia¡¯s eyes widened in shock. She turned to look at him for the first time, and the sight before her left her speechless. It was dark, and she couldn¡¯t see clearly, but she could make out from the dimly lit frame that it was her brother. It was ze!


    She just stood there, staring at him in disbelief. It took a few moments for her to regain herposure and find her voice.


    ¡°ze, what are you doing here?¡± She asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

 Chapter 121

    ¡°ze,¡± Thalia whispered, her eyes wide and disbelieving as she stared at him, almost unable toprehend that he was truly in front of her.


    After countless days of worry and fear, the sight of him alive and well flooded her with a profound mix of joy and relief. Without a second¡¯s hesitation, she rushed toward him and leaped into his arms, tears flowing down her cheeks.


    ¡°Oh my God, ze!¡± The fabric of his shirt muffled her voice.


    Her arms wound around him, cinching tight as if she could make up for all the distance and time that had separated them. But beneath the surface of her tion simmered a torrent of anger, an emotion that soon surged to the forefront. She pushed him away abruptly, a growl escaping her lips. ¡°What the hell?¡±


    ¡°W-what?¡± ze stammered, taken aback. Yet, instead of the response he had hoped for, Thalia¡¯s clenched fists found their way against his chest.


    ¡°You¡¯re an idiot! You¡¯re cruel!¡± she spat, her eyes zing with an intensity of fury that was frightening. ¡°I hate you so much!¡±


    ze caught hold of her hands, his grip gentle yet firm, halting her assault. ¡°Thalia, please, calm down,¡± he begged.


    ¡°Calm down?¡± She hissed through clenched teeth, a hint of sarcasm oveying her seething anger. ¡°Is that the new word for the ¡®cool guys¡¯ now? Because from where I¡¯m standing, you¡¯re acting the part of aplete douche. And how could you just leave me to chase after that¡­ that bitch, Arabe?¡±


    ¡°Do you even have the faintest idea of the pain I¡¯ve endured?¡±


    ze¡¯s expression softened as he glimpsed the anguish nestled within her eyes. He genuinely believed in her hurt. ¡°Thalia, I¡¯m so sorry. I never intended for any of this to hurt you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re missing the point entirely, aren¡¯t you?¡± she red. ¡°You can¡¯t understand how it felt to be abandoned, left all alone. You, ze, are my only family. And now I¡¯ve been left feeling abandoned all over again, all because of one person you can¡¯t seem to let go of!¡±


    Tentatively, ze reached for her arm, a gesture intended to providefort. But Thalia flinched away. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me,¡± she spat, her voice a venomous hiss. ¡°Right now, I despise you, and I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll ever be able to forgive you.¡±


    Stepping back, ze conceded, ¡°I understand, and I¡¯m very sorry,¡± he murmured. ¡°But let¡¯s keep our voices down. Thest thing we want is to attract attention.¡±


    ¡°Sure, we don¡¯t want to attract any unwanted attention,¡± Thalia mimicked him with an exaggerated roll of her eyes. ¡°Your recklessness got us into this mess in the first ce. And now you¡¯re telling me to keep my voice-¡±


    ze¡¯s hand swiftly mped over her mouth, silencing the unspoken words she was about to unleash. Thalia fought against his grip, her fingers digging into his hand, even resorting to trying to bite him to break free from his hold.


    ¡°Stay the hell still, Thalia,¡± He rumbled in her ear, angry andmanding. A sigh followed. ¡°I promise I¡¯ll exin everything once it¡¯s safe. Right now, focus on staying calm. It¡¯s for your safety.¡±


    For my safety? Thalia¡¯s inner thoughts sneered. Shouldn¡¯t he have thought about that earlier?


    ¡°Just please,¡± ze repeated as if he could read her thoughts.


    With an eye roll, Thalia gradually rxed her body, ceasing her struggle against ze¡¯s grasp. After what felt like an eternity, he finally removed his hand.


    She massaged her lips, shooting him an irritated re. ¡°What the hell, ze?¡± she hissed in a hushed whisper. ¡°Why the hell did you do that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Thalia. I needed to keep you from shouting. It¡¯s a risk we can¡¯t afford to take,¡± ze exined, his voice hushed yet earnest.


    Thalia cast a nervous nce around their surroundings. ¡°Risk of being caught by who? What¡¯s happening?¡±


    ze hesitated briefly, his eyes scanning their surroundings before he spoke. ¡°Janice and Alessia are here,¡± he said in a low voice. ¡°We¡¯re not sure if they¡¯re allies or threats. We need to be cautious.¡±


    A puzzled frown creased Thalia¡¯s brow. ¡°Janice and Alessia? Seriously, they¡¯re harmless. Why are we hiding from them?¡±


    ¡°Everyone¡¯s a potential threat until proven otherwise,¡± ze stated firmly.


    Thalia shrugged, yet she was curious. ¡°Fine, but where have you been all this time? Where¡¯s your safe ce? And why the hell didn¡¯t youe looking for me?¡± Her questions fired off one after another.


    However, ze didn¡¯t answer her questions. Instead, he grasped her hand, wordlessly urging her to follow. Together, they made their way toward the entrance of the Phoenix cave, ze maintaining a vignt watch over their surroundings.


    When they reached the cave¡¯s entrance, Thalia¡¯s gaze was drawn to the stationed guards. Something about them seemed off, their demeanor unfamiliar. She wondered if they might be werewolves, but their scent contradicted that assumption. Their eyes bore into her with suspicion, their expressions unyielding.


    ze moved forward, positioning himself at the entrance with Thalia by his side. Yet, one of the guards advanced, deliberately blocking their path.


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± ze¡¯s brows knitted together as he spoke up.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir, but we cannot allow anyone inside without proper authorization. She can¡¯te in,¡± one of the guards stated firmly.


    ¡°But she¡¯s my sister. She means no harm!¡± Dismayed, ze said as he tried to persuade the guards.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir, but we must follow protocol,¡± the guard replied.


    Thalia bit on her lower lip, and a pang of hurt shot through her as she was denied entry into the cave. She cast a hopeful nce at ze, silently urging him toe up with a solution.


    Amidst themotion at the entrance of the Phoenix cave, Arabe¡¯s attention was piqued. She heard everything and decided to take a look. ze and Thalia stood at the entry, the guards forming an unyielding barrier.


    Arabe¡¯s inquiry cut through the tension, her presencemanding attention. ¡°What¡¯s the matter here?¡±


    The guards snapped to attention, their demeanor shifting instantly. ¡°Forgive us, my queen. The gentleman here is seeking permission for his sister to enter,¡± one of them responded, his tone adopting a more formal air.


    A soft smile yed on Arabe¡¯s lips, her gaze softening as it fell upon Thalia. ¡°She is wee. I recognize her. Besides, she¡¯s ze¡¯s sister. No need for her to feel unwee.¡±


    ¡°Grant her passage.¡± Arabe¡¯s gaze held a firmness as she countered the guard¡¯s hesitation.


    ¡°We apologize, Your Majesty,¡± the guard admitted, his stance rxing as he turned towards Thalia. ¡°Our apologies for the dy. Please,e inside.¡± With a courteous gesture, they cleared the way, allowing ze and Thalia to enter the cave.


    Once inside, Thalia¡¯s appreciation twisted into anger. ¡°You! What¡¯s with the regal title? Are you now a queen? When did that happen?¡± Thalia¡¯s inquiry trickled with noticeable annoyance, her attempt at masking her frustration abandoned.


    ¡°Never mind that why did you keep my brother away from me? Are you deliberately putting his life in danger? Is he nothing more than your pawn?¡±


    ¡°ze made his own choice to be here. I did not coerce him,¡± Arabe said.


    Thalia¡¯s face twisted into a scowl, ¡°You¡¯re just a self-centered, selfish woman who cares only for herself. How could you strip me of my brother so heartlessly?¡± Her words brimmed with a seething rage.


    ze stepped forward, his voice calm, ¡°Thalia, please, calm down. That¡¯s enough.¡±


    Thalia¡¯s eyes narrowed, zing with fury as she locked eyes with ze. She clenched her fists tightly at her sides, her body tense and ready to pounce. However, before her rage could propel her towards Arabe, ze swiftly intervened, his strong grip on her arm pulling her back from the brink.


    In a seamless response, three wingmen appeared seemingly out of thin air, forming a protective shield around Arabe. Among them was Orga, the formidablemander of the guard. He stepped forward, his vignt eyes scanning the surroundings for lurking threats.


    ¡°Stand down, wolf girl,¡± Orga ordered, ¡°Respect the presence of our queen.¡±


    Thalia¡¯s re intensified, her inner struggle evident, but she begrudgingly took a step back. She had encountered many challenges in her life, yet none as imposing as this mysterious winged man. Casting a searching nce at Arabe, Thalia hoped for some exnation, only to be met with an icy countenance that sent a shiver down her spine.


    ¡°Queen?¡± Thalia echoed incredulously, her astonishment impossible to hide.


    Arabe affirmed with a nod. ¡°Yes, I am the Queen of the Phoenixes.¡±


    Thalia¡¯s mind reeled, struggling to process the revtion. Arabe as a queen seemed unbelievable, an imaginary cover.


    With an incredulous toss of her head, she burst intoughter, the sound dripping with sarcasm. ¡°You, a queen?¡± she retorted, her disbelief palpable. ¡°That¡¯s quite the fairy tale.¡±


    However, herughter was short-lived, extinguished by the intensity of Orga¡¯s gaze. A sudden silence fell over her as the reality of the situation began to sink in.


    Leaning in closer, ze said as he addressed Thalia¡¯s skepticism, ¡°It¡¯s true, Thalia. Arabe is the queen.¡±


    ¡°May we have a moment, please?¡± ze redirected his words to Arabe, his hand gently taking Thalia¡¯s as he guided her away toward an adjacent room-the very chamber he and Arabe shared.


    When they reached, Thalia tugged her hand away from ze, and her frustration boiled over. ¡°Why drag me away? What is this, ze? And how in the world did Arabe climb to queenhood?¡±


    ze met her gaze. ¡°Thalia, you must understand. She holds immense power now, reigning as the Phoenix Queen.¡± He embarked on a detailed ount, recounting their journey to the Phoenix cave, the ambush by rogue assants, and Arabe¡¯s astonishing defense against the ck figure. He described Arabe¡¯s extraordinary ability to create portals, which had transported them to their current location.


    Thalia¡¯s confusion deepened, her mind grappling with the iprehensible. ¡°This is all so confusing. Arabe, a regr girl-¡±


    ¡°-Who has transformed into an extraordinary leader,¡± ze interjected. ¡°Thalia, change is often unexinable, and life has an uncanny way of defying expectations.¡±


    ¡°Sometimes, I don¡¯t understand it either. But that¡¯s the truth of it,¡± ze answered. ¡°I know you don¡¯t understand, but I suppose with time, you would. Nevertheless, could you stop attacking her? She hasn¡¯t done anything wrong.¡±


    A scoff escaped Thalia¡¯s lips, and she lifted her gaze to him, a challenging expression crossing her features. ¡°Are you genuinely serious right now?¡± She crossed her arms defensively.


    ze nodded. ¡°Yes, I am,¡± he affirmed, his gaze not leaving hers as she rolled her eyes in response. ¡°Listen, Thalia, I¡¯m being serious here. I only want what¡¯s most beneficial for all of us. She¡¯s not a wicked person; I can assure you of that. And before long, I n to mate with her. I¡¯m merely waiting for the ideal-¡±


    ¡°Hell no!¡± Thalia growled, cutting him off, ¡°I can manage not engaging in a fight with her. I can even handle ignoring her, pretending she doesn¡¯t exist. But I will never, under any circumstances, ept you bing her mate. I would never, ever allow that to happen, ze.¡±Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    ¡°Thalia¡­¡± ze started, only to be abruptly interrupted by Thalia.


    ¡°You would have to kill me before I would ever agree to you mating with her!¡± Thalia bristled with anger. Before ze could utter another word, she turned around on her heel and departed, leaving him standing there, agitated and speechless.

 Chapter 122

    ze reentered the room where Arabe sat, his annoyance from the encounter with Thalia was still discernible. His gaze swept the room, immediately fixing on Arabe. She upied a carved wooden chair by the window, her white hair cascading over her shoulders in gentle waves, radiating a timeless beauty.


    Despite the displeasure that lingered after his exchange with Thalia, ze felt his tense shoulders gradually easing as he approached Arabe. Her mere presence had a soothing influence on him, a fact he cherished.


    Noticing Orga¡¯s absence in the room, along with the unfamiliar winged men whose names eluded him, ze didn¡¯t bother seeking such information; he considered it unimportant. Simrly, Thalia was clearly missing, which surprised him as he half-expected her to still be present.


    His thoughts wandered to her possible whereabouts. Nheless, he figured that her unfamiliarity with the surroundings would likely keep her from venturing far. Moreover, the concealed phoenixes stationed both within and beyond the cave offered a protective presence. Thalia¡¯s movements were unlikely to pose any significant problem.


    Arabe¡¯s bright smile greeted ze as she observed his entry, prompting her to rise. Her eyes gleamed with warmth. Stepping closer, she tilted her head, noticing the crease of concern on his forehead.


    ¡°Hey,¡± she said, her hand finding its ce on his arm. ¡°Is everything alright?¡±


    Returning her infectious smile, ze briefly embraced her. Stepping back, he sighed, his head shaking slightly.


    ¡°Not entirely,¡± he admitted. ¡°Thalia and I had a rather intense disagreement.¡±


    ¡°Rather intense?¡± Arabe raised an eyebrow, skepticismcing her tone. She suspected that the argument was far from being ssified as ¡°Rather intense.¡±


    ¡°Alright, maybe not just ¡®Rather intense,¡¯ but it was a full-blown argument that I wish hadn¡¯t urred,¡± he confessed.


    Arabe¡¯s arms enveloped ze in aforting embrace, offering. She stroked his back gently while murmuring, ¡°Everything will work out.¡±


    ze found himself taken aback by her words. He wondered if she had overheard the entirety of their confrontation. His gaze lingered on her, brows furrowing in bewilderment. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Arabe¡¯s smile softened, her fingers tenderly caressing his cheek. ¡°I¡¯m aware that you¡¯ve been thinking about the disagreement between Thalia and me,¡± she began. Her gaze briefly dropped to the floor before returning to meet his. ¡°But regardless of that, I want you to understand that I¡¯m here for you, no matter what. Thalia¡¯s words don¡¯t affect me. I¡¯ve encountered individuals like her before.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t actually dwelling on that,¡± ze retorted, his lips curving despite his protest.


    Arabe¡¯s eyes sparkled yfully. ¡°Oh,e on, ze. Don¡¯t take everything so seriously,¡± she teased. ¡°I know you were contemting the whole Thalia situation.¡±


    ze¡¯s grin turned mischievous. ¡°I¡¯m being honest, and I really wasn¡¯t. I was more focused on how adorable you look while trying to reassure me.¡±


    Arching an eyebrow, Arabe crossed her arms over her midsection. ¡°Is that so? Care to borate, Mr. Cole¡­¡± Her voice trailed off as she realized she wasn¡¯t familiar with ze¡¯sst name. Not that it held significant importance, yet her curiosity lingered.


    ¡°Armstrong,¡± ze supplied.


    ¡°Mr. Cole Armstrong,¡± Arabe mused, savoring the sound of it. Unusual as it was, she relished the warmth that surged within her at its utterance.


    ze leaned closer, his words a low, intimate whisper. ¡°Well, Miss Collins, it¡¯s because I find it utterly delighting how you believe a hug can resolve all my predicaments.¡±


    Arabe giggled, attempting to push him away, but ze caught her, his fingers descending into a yful tickle, eliciting squirms, and uncontrobleughter.


    ¡°Hey, cut it out!¡± she protested amidstughter.


    Despite that, he continued; he tickled until she copsed onto the floor, breathless and still giggling. He eventually ceased, taking a seat beside her with a contented grin.


    Regaining her breath, Arabe swatted his arm. ¡°That¡¯s not fair! You know I¡¯m ticklish,¡± she pouted.


    Heughed and drew her close, wrapping an arm around her. ¡°I¡¯m well aware, and that¡¯s exactly why it¡¯s so entertaining,¡± ze remarked before nting a gentle kiss on her forehead.


    The resonance of heavy footsteps reverberated through the room, causing ze and Arabe to halt their yful exchange.


    ¡°Thalia,¡± ze murmured, catching a whiff of her fragrance.


    Thalia strode in, her sharp gaze locking onto ze.


    ¡°Hey, Thalia,¡± Arabe beamed, waving at her, but Thalia offered no acknowledgment.


    Marching past Arabe, she aimed straight for ze, her eyes steadfastly fixed on him.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s nice to have you here, too,¡± Arabe said. While Thalia¡¯s indifference hurt, it was anticipated. They had never been friends, and Arabe doubted they ever would be.


    Ignoring Arabe¡¯s presence, Thalia got right to the point. ¡°Hey,¡± she said. ¡°Did you happen to see Janice and Alessia after they left?¡±


    ¡°Janice and Alessia?¡± Arabe muttered, her curiosity piqued. She turned to ze. ¡°You saw Janice? When and where?¡±


    ¡°None of your business!¡± Thalia snapped, rolling her eyes.


    ze turned to Arabe, brushing off Thalia¡¯s rudeness. ¡°I was actually thinking about Thalia and how I hadn¡¯t seen her around for a while. So, I went looking for her because I thought I caught her scent, and that¡¯s when I saw Janice and Alessia. But I don¡¯t think they saw me,¡± he exined.


    As ze spoke, Thalia stood with her arms crossed over her chest, her impatience and disinterest evident.


    ze¡¯s exnation left Arabe with nagging curiosity. She couldn¡¯t help but wonder what Janice was up to. Now, she was also intrigued about Alessia, her twin.


    ¡°Well, okay, I guess,¡± Arabe said, wrapping up the topic. ¡°Before you came in, I was actually considering going hunting in the woods. Do you want toe along? The weather is perfect for it today.¡±


    ¡°Hunting with you?¡± Thalia scoffed. ¡°I doubt you can even catch a rabbit.¡± Then, she started giggling at the thought of Arabe chasing a rabbit.


    ¡°I¡¯m not inviting you,¡± Arabe said. ¡°I was talking to ze.¡±


    ze looked at her with a raised brow. ¡°Sure, I¡¯m always up for a hunt. But why so suddenly?¡±


    ¡°I just told you. I¡¯ve been thinking about it before you came in!¡± Arabe replied, hoping she sounded casual enough to avoid arousing more suspicion.


    ¡°Okay then, why don¡¯t we go get dressed for it? There are bugs and mosquitoes, so we need to cover-¡±


    ¡°You both will do no such thing.¡± Suddenly, Orga was behind the two, and his unexpected presence startled them. ¡°The Phoenix Queen is not leaving this cave.¡±


    ¡°Why can¡¯t we leave?¡± ze demanded, his voice trembling with anger.


    ¡°The Phoenix Queen cannot leave this cave,¡± Orga continued, his expression gravely serious. ¡°The enemy is close, and an urgent meeting must be convened to address the situation. As she is the target, she must remain within.¡±


    ¡°I can guard her, Orga,¡± ze argued.


    ¡°The safety of the Phoenix Queen is our utmost concern,¡± Orga replied firmly. ¡°We cannot risk her departure only to face potential attacks.¡±


    ze scowled, though he understood the exnation. While he could still serve as her guardian, he was concerned about the possibility of facing multiple enemies.


    With reluctance, ze nodded his agreement.


    Arabe shot Orga a piercing look. ¡°I possess the necessary powers to defend myself against any opponent,¡± she countered. ¡°I am not some creature needing confinement.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re literally-¡± Thalia started, but Arabe cut her off.


    Arabe pressed on. ¡°No, I refuse. I won¡¯t simply remain here and ept this.¡±


    ¡°I humbly apologize, mydy,¡± Orga bowed respectfully to Arabe. ¡°However, I cannot permit your exit, for it would endanger your life.¡±


    ¡°And if I were to leave forcefully?¡± Arabe challenged.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, mydy, but it cannot be done,¡± Orga responded firmly. ¡°To unseal the cave, you must defeat me inbat, as I am the sole key.¡±


    Arabe sensed this as a challenge and dered, ¡°I ept your challenge.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to grab popcorn,¡± Thalia said excitedly. ¡°This is going to be thrilling.¡±


    ¡°What? Be, no!¡± ze eximed as he moved closer.


    ¡°I won¡¯t sit idly by while he treats me like this, ze. I¡¯ve been imprisoned in this dismal hole for nearly a month. I simply need to walk around-nothing more. If battling him is what it takes to escape this suffocating darkness, then I will do so willingly!¡±Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    ¡°Be¡­¡± ze began, shaking his head.


    ¡°Very well,¡± Orga dered, his eyes narrowing.

 Chapter 123

    Arabe and Orga faced each other within the confines of the dimly lit cave, their eyes locking in a fierce stare, the palpable tension thick between them.


    Arabe¡¯s hair whipped around her face in the wind as she raised her hand, invoking her wind powers. Beams of seven different hues shot forth from her fingertips, illuminating the cave in a dazzling spectacle of light. The grandeur of the scene stood in stark contrast to the hostility radiating from the two of them.


    A smirk yed across Arabe¡¯s lips, her confidence stemming from her mastery of all seven aura powers. She had no hesitation in utilizing any of them against Orga.


    Conversely, Orga narrowed his eyes, his own white beams emanating from his palms, crackling with energy. Yet, deep down, he acknowledged that his powers paledpared to Arabe¡¯s. Despite this realization, he remained tenacious in his decision to engage her in battle, even if it meant preventing her departure.


    Circling each other warily, Arabe and Orga awaited the other¡¯s decisive move. In an abrupt motion, Arabe propelled herself forward, unleashing a torrent of red beams at Orga. He barely managed to evade her assault, his white beams struggling to match her onught.


    Arabe, however, was just beginning her disy of power. Transitioning to her orange beams, Orga¡¯s anxiety surged as he recognized the extent of his disadvantage. He retaliated with his own, but they dissipated harmlessly against Arabe¡¯s abundant shields.


    With a fervent cry, Arabe shifted to her third power level, the blue beams. Orga attempted to evade, but his agility fell short. The rays struck him squarely in the chest, sending him hurtling backward in a flurry of dust and debris.


    ¡°Your powers pale inparison to mine,¡± Arabe dered with a smug smile, observing Orga¡¯s difficult attempt to regain his footing.


    A moment of silence hung in the air as Arabe watched Orga struggle to rise. She discerned the fear within his eyes, a fleeting pang of sympathy gripping her briefly. Swiftly, she suppressed this sentiment, acutely aware of the necessity to remain attentive, her guard imprable.


    Arabe unleashed her yellow beams, the fifth level of power. Orga cried out in pain as he was struck once again, his own beams flickering and fading away.


    ¡°Be, you need to stop,¡± ze said, seeing the fury in her eyes.


    ¡°This is just a warning; do not ever try to stop me!¡± Arabe said, unleashing her next attack: her indigo aura beam.


    The cave lit up in a burst of light as the indigo beam struck Orga, sting him backward in a burst of smoke and me. The force of the st created shockwaves that shook the ground beneath them, and the echoes of the attack lingered in the air for a full minute.


    When the smoke cleared, Arabe stood alone, victorious. She raised her arms in triumph, a triumphant smile on her face as she basked in the glow of her victory. Basking in this moment of triumph, Arabe couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of pride in her abilities. She had worked hard to master all seven of her aura powers, which had paid off. Seeing Orga on the floor, Arabe couldn¡¯t wait to have her enemy in that same position ¨C Sandro.


    ze was stunned as he watched everything unfold before his eyes. He had never seen Arabe in such action before, and the sight left him speechless. He saw a side of her he had never witnessed before fierce, powerful, and determined to win. He couldn¡¯t believe the level of power she had amassed, but at the same time, he felt proud of her.


    Meanwhile, Thalia was equally surprised and horrified as she watched the fight. Arabe was not only a queen, but she also possessed incredible powers. Thalia was left with countless questions swirling in her head. Where did Arabe acquire such skills? When did she develop them? The more she thought, the more confused she became. However, her thoughts were interrupted when Arabe spoke, bringing her back to the present moment.


    Arabe crossed her arms, watching Orga struggle amidst the rumble.


    ¡°Are you going to let me leave the cave now?¡± Arabe demanded, her voiceced with irritation.


    ¡°No,¡± Orga groaned, wincing in pain as he leaned against a nearby wall for support. ¡°I won¡¯t let you leave, My Queen. Defeating me doesn¡¯t mean anything. You have to stay.¡±


    Arabe¡¯s fists clenched at her sides, her eyes narrowing as she red at Orga. She couldn¡¯t believe his audacity in trying to keep her captive after she had already bested him in battle.


    ¡°Open the door now,¡± Arabe ordered her voice firm.


    Orga shook his head, his breath toobored to utter another word, but Arabe could see the resistance and reluctance ying on his features.


    ¡°Open the damn doors, Orga. That¡¯s an order from your queen!¡± Arabe¡¯s words carried more vigor as she dered them in an angrymand. She was not about to let Orga keep her prisoner any longer.


    Orga was nervous about granting Arabe¡¯s request, but he knew disobeying her was not an option. He moved cautiously as he went to the door, his wounded leg causing him to limp. He swung it open, revealing the uncharted territory thaty beyond. Arabe shot him a withering re, which Orga interpreted as a warning.


    As she marched past him, Orga couldn¡¯t help but call out to her in concern. ¡°Please be careful, my queen. There could be potential danger lurking outside this cave,¡± he rasped through the pain in his voice.


    Arabe stopped abruptly, turning her gaze toward him with an expression of contempt. ¡°I don¡¯t need your concern, Orga. If I could defeat you with ease, then what makes you think anything else would be a challenge?¡± she sneered.


    ze recognized Arabe¡¯s frustration and stepped in to diffuse the situation. ¡°We must remain careful, Be. He is right; there might be danger out there.¡±


    Arabe huffed but said nothing else, then continued her way out of the cave, with ze following behind.


    She and ze made their way through the woods; she was relieved to be out of that cave finally and to take a breather. Being behind those rocky walls had be boring.


    However, Arabe couldn¡¯t shake the thought of her long-lost twin sister and secretly hoped they might stumble upon each other here. That was the only reason she wanted out; she couldn¡¯t have just beaten up Orga for anything.


    Arabe believed she had sensed her twin, or at least she thought she had. She had felt a calling, an inexplicable connection.


    ¡°It¡¯s refreshing to be out here,¡± ze sighed.


    ¡°Do you think we should start nning our wedding?¡± Arabe teased.


    zeughed. ¡°I think we should wait until we¡¯ve solved all our current problems until this cave is behind us, and until everything finds peace.¡±


    Arabe rolled her eyes. ¡°Details, details, details,¡± she said, and ze chuckled. ¡°I just want to call you mine already.¡±


    ze couldn¡¯t help butugh at her yful demeanor, but his expression quickly turned more serious as he took her hand in his. ¡°Arabe, you are mine,¡± he said firmly. ¡°You don¡¯t need a ring or a ceremony to prove that. You are mine, and I am yours, and that¡¯s all that matters, baby.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I know,¡± she said with a grin. ¡°But let a girl dream a little, will you?¡±


    ¡°Okay, love. Dream all you want,¡± ze said.


    Arabe knew that, even without a ring or a ceremony, they definitely had something special between them.


    Suddenly, she froze in her tracks. Her eyes locked onto something in the distance, and ze noticed the sudden change in her demeanor. He followed her gaze, only to see two women approaching them. However, his eyes also widened when he recognized the identity of the two women.


    ¡°Holy shit!¡± Arabe eximed in utter shock.


    Janice and Alessia were bottomless in conversation and hadn¡¯t noticed ze and Arabe. It was only when Arabe had eximed that they snapped out of their conversation. Alessia¡¯s eyes focused on Arabe, and the two took in each other¡¯s striking simrities. Their jaws dropped in shock as they realized how much they looked alike. They both pointed at each other, unable to believe their eyes.


    ¡°You¡¯re me!¡± they eximed in unison.


    The resemnce between the two women was uncanny, from their long white hair to their delicate facial features.


    As they stood there, staring at each other in disbelief, the thick woods surrounding them seemed to fade into the background. At that moment, there were just the two of them, united by an unexpected coincidence.


    ¡°Alessia¡­ that is your name, right?¡± Arabe muttered in a soft tone to herself, barely able to contain the excitement surging through her body at the sight of her twin sister, whom she believed must have been separated from at birth.Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    But her joy was short-lived. Before she could even step toward her sister, a strong pair of hands seized her and flung her backward with rming force. She hit the ground hard, disoriented, and in pain. Slowly rising to her feet, she tried to make sense of what had just happened.


    To her surprise, it wasn¡¯t Alessia standing before her. Her eyes widened, and she gasped, frightened by his unexpected presence.


    ¡°Surprise, surprise,¡± Sandro said, squatting in front of her, a smirk on his lips as he casually twirled a strand of her hair around his fingers. ¡°Did you miss me, Tesoro?¡±

 Chapter 124

    Arabe scrambled to her feet, her heart pounding in her chest as she tried to escape from Sandro. She stumbled over a stray branch and nearly fell but managed to regain her bnce before he could lunge toward her, effectively blocking her path.


    In a sudden burst of aggression, Sandro grabbed her by the hair, yanking her back with such force that Arabe felt a wave of dizziness wash over her. Gasping in pain, she staggered backward, her head spinning from the abrupt impact.


    Before she could fully gather her senses, Sandro thrust her against a nearby tree, her body colliding with its rough bark. The coarse surface scraped her skin, leaving her feeling vulnerable and exposed.


    Sandro¡¯s hot breath prickled on Arabe¡¯s neck as he snarled. His fingers traced her cheek in a way that made her skin crawl.


    ¡°Why did you think you could escape me?¡± Sandro¡¯s voice dripped with cold menace; his eyes narrowed with fury.


    Her heart raced as she grasped the grim reality ¨C she was trapped, and Sandro had absolute control over her. Orga had been right; he had sensed the danger, but her stubbornness had overridden his warning.


    ¡°Let me go!¡± Despite the sharp pain shooting across her scalp, Arabe fought to maintain herposure. She knew disying any sign of weakness would only stoke Sandro¡¯s anger, potentially leading to more harm.


    Her hands trembled as she reached up to touch her hair, feeling the tangled strands Sandro had mped onto. She tried to steady her breathing, lowering her gaze to avoid further confrontation.


    Sandro leaned in close, his eyes glinting. ¡°You should have stayed put, Arabe. But since you didn¡¯t, tell me, what fate should befall you now that I¡¯ve tracked you down? Should I snap my fingers and have you killed?¡± Malice dripped from his words, and she shuddered at the dark possibilities his capabilities hinted at.


    As Sandro spoke, Arabe caught the sound of shuffling feet around her. She had been so fixated on Sandro that the presence of others had eluded her. Her heart sank as the realization set in: it wasn¡¯t just Janice and Alessia apanying Sandro, but also ten of his soldiers.


    Panic surged within her as she saw ze being held down, a spear aimed threateningly at his heart.


    ¡°Lower that spear!¡± Arabemanded. Her eyes darted around the group of soldiers, a challenge in her gaze as she dared them to take action. She was determined to shield ze, regardless of her difficult circumstances.


    Sandro¡¯s snide chuckle twisted Arabe¡¯s stomach. ¡°Or else?¡± he jeered, leaning dangerously close to her face. ¡°Seems you¡¯ve forgotten how difficult I can be. And-¡± He whispered.


    Sandro shifted his attention to ze with disdain. ¡°That bastard over there will shoulder the consequences. Unbelievable that I¡¯ve provided refuge to such filth!¡± His lip curled with scorn.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ze¡¯s heart sank as he realized that Sandro had uncovered not only his true identity but also his connection to Thalia. She must have divulged everything, even their sibling rtionship. The disdain in Sandro¡¯s tone and the contempt in his gaze left ze acutely aware of the imminent danger he faced.


    Mixed emotions of anger and guilt surged in ze towards Thalia for exposing his location to Sandro. He desired to be angry for her breach of trust, yet he acknowledged his abrupt departure without a word, wondering what sort of threats Sandro employed to extract information from her. Regardless of his feelings toward Thalia, his primary concern rested with Arabe¡¯s and his own safety.


    ¡°Release Arabe,¡± ze asserted firmly, his voice tinged with an underlying desperation. ¡°It¡¯s me you want. I¡¯m at your mercy.¡±


    Sandro redirected his gaze at ze, his eyes narrowing as an evil, sadistic grin crept across his lips. ¡°Think I need a monstrosity like you? You¡¯re nothing but a betrayer, ze. Count yourself lucky, my mood is cheerful today, and I don¡¯t fancy shedding blood.¡±


    ze clenched his fists, fury surging within him at the insult. Yet, he understood the stupidity of provoking Sandro.


    Arabe, meanwhile, disyed visible fear, but she struggled to conceal it beneath a facade of confidence. Despite Sandro¡¯s tightening grip on her, she let out a small giggle. ¡°An actual monster calling a pure-hearted man a monster. That¡¯s the funniest thing I¡¯ve ever heard.¡±


    Sandro¡¯s face contorted in anger as he addressed Arabe, his words seething with venom. ¡°Laugh all you want, darling. You¡¯re about to face a world of punishment. Not only have you been sleeping with my Beta behind my back, but you also made him betray me. You have no idea how unforgivable that is.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not asking for your forgiveness! And honestly, fucking ze is actually better than being with you¡­¡±


    Before she could finish her taunt, Sandro¡¯s grip tightened around her neck, silencing her words and cutting off her air supply. Panic set in as Arabe struggled to break free from his grasp, but Sandro¡¯s strength was overwhelming.


    Suddenly, Arabe¡¯s eyes ignited in a brilliant shade of green, and she red at Sandro with fierce intensity. Power surged and raged within her, a force to be reckoned with.


    In an instant, Sandro was flung backward, crashing into a nearby tree with tremendous force. He groaned in pain, attempting to regain his bearings, shocked by her strength.


    Still radiating the green glow from her eyes, Arabe rose to her feet and stepped towards Sandro. ¡°Sandro, you might be the Alpha, but you¡¯re not the only one with power. You can¡¯t control me, and you certainly can¡¯t control ze.¡± Her voice resonated with confidence and determination.


    Sandro stared at Arabe in disbelief as she approached him with what he interpreted as a newfound confidence. She seemed like apletely different person, emitting a power that he had never felt emanate from her before.


    ¡°What are you? Am I right in thinking you¡¯re a witch?¡± he inquired, furrowing his brow as he struggled to stand.


    ¡°I am more than a witch,¡± Arabe replied, her voice dripping with authoritative allure. She moved closer to ze and Sandro¡¯s soldiers, each step exuding a scary intensity. Her eyes shone with an almost otherworldly gleam.


    A mixture of curiosity and suspicion swirled in Sandro¡¯s mind, his forehead creasing as he observed Arabe¡¯s approach toward his soldiers and ze. His gaze darted back and forth between the two figures.


    ¡°Release him,¡± shemanded, her voice low and forceful, her steely re fixed upon Sandro¡¯s soldiers. ¡°Now.¡±


    The soldiers hesitated briefly, casting wary nces among themselves, before finally stepping away from ze, relinquishing their hold on him.


    ze moved forward, positioning himself beside her, prepared to fight if necessary.


    Sandro advanced toward Arabe; she shot him a warning look, but he stood his ground. His determination to take her with him remained unshaken. Her disy of power had not rattled him; it paled inparison to what he believed he could unleash.


    ¡°Whatever you are, I do not care. I am an Alpha, and mymands must be obeyed!¡± Sandro yelled with raw anger. ¡°Seize them both!¡± he bellowed, his voice resonating with authority.

 Chapter 125

    Sandro¡¯s eyes zed with red-hot fury as he observed the Etas(soldiers) rushing forward with him to capture Arabe and ze. Immediately, Arabe and ze assumed offensive stances, poised to attack if anyone drew near. However, just as they were about to reach their targets, they were violently repelled by an invisible wall.


    Sandro¡¯s eyes widened, and his mouth hung agape as he stared in disbelief at his helpless soldiers, who were now recovering from the shock of their sudden halt.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening? Why can¡¯t you move?¡± he barked, attempting to approach Arabe. He recognized that he couldn¡¯t move closer either.


    His gaze shifted to Arabe, who was staring back at him, her expression one of disbelief. ¡°You little witch, what have you done to my soldiers?¡± he hissed, his voice dripping with anger. ¡°It¡¯s best you undo whatever you did because I can¡¯t promise to be kind to you in the next moment that¡¯s about to unfold. I¡¯ve had enough of your nonsense!¡±


    Arabe shook her head, her mouth opened as if to speak, but the words never left her lips. She was just as bewildered as he was. If she had an answer, her reaction wouldn¡¯t have been so startling.


    Finally able to speak, she scowled at him. ¡°You think I¡¯m responsible for that?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± Sandro growled. ¡°You¡¯re the only witch here!¡±


    ¡°Then maybe I should have killed you the first chance I got!¡± Arabe snapped. ¡°I had nothing to do with this!¡±


    However, she knew that convincing Sandro of her innocence would be an uphill battle.


    ¡°You expect me to believe more of your lies, Be? After all, you¡¯ve done?¡± Sandro grunted, attempting to break free from the invisible barrier that held him captive. It proved impossible.


    ¡°Foolish witch!¡± He winced as a sudden twinge shot through his kneecap, rubbing against the invisible barrier.


    ¡°I swear, I did nothing!¡± Arabe yelled in exasperation.


    ¡°And you expect me to believe¡­¡± Sandro began, but Orga abruptly cut off his words.


    ¡°I do,¡± Orga¡¯s voice interjected as he appeared seemingly out of thin air.


    ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this, Orga?¡± Arabe demanded, her gaze now fixed on him.


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to save you, my queen,¡± Orga replied, his eyes locked onto Sandro. He added gravely, ¡°Leave while you still have the chance.¡±


    The stern warning in his voice was impossible to ignore.


    ¡°Okay, this is both surprising and unsettling,¡± Arabe muttered, her voice tinged with surprise. She realized that despite the fact that she had thoroughly beaten Orga in their previous fight, he was trying to support her.


    Sandro sneered, his gaze locked on Orga. ¡°Who is this hideous-looking creature?¡± he bellowed, jabbing a finger towards him.


    ¡°That¡¯s the oddest costume I¡¯ve ever seen on a big guy like you.¡± He burst into a loud, mockingugh.


    ¡°Come on, why the sour expression? You all have to admit he looks amusing!¡± Sandro nced at Arabe and ze, but neither shared in his amusement.


    Nevertheless, Sandro continuedughing until his delight waned, his expression turning serious once again. ¡°I apologize, big guy, but you can¡¯t challenge me looking like that. Undo whatever you¡¯ve done!¡±


    ¡°As if!¡± Orga grunted. His fists clenched, muscles tensing as he advanced toward Sandro, poised to unleash his power upon him.


    Before he could take any action, Arabe positioned herself in front of Orga and spoke in a low, menacing tone. ¡°I¡¯ll deal with the bastard myself.¡±


    Suddenly, the air grew icy, and the world seemed to tilt slightly as if the ground beneath them had be unstable.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening again?!¡± Sandro groaned, sensing the shift in the atmosphere.


    Arabe started moving toward ze. She recognized the sensation  the same feeling she had experienced when she leaped into the portal, only this time it felt darker.


    Before she could reach ze, she stumbled, crashing onto the ground, and everything went ck.


    When she regained consciousness, she found herself in an unfamiliar ce. The ground beneath her was cold and ck, while the sky above glowed in a sickly shade of green.


    ¡°Where am I now?!¡± Arabe¡¯s voice rang out, the sound echoing in the dark chamber.


    ¡­


    ze felt a rush of wind as the world tilted, and suddenly, the environment around him underwent a drastic transformation. Disoriented, he looked around, attempting to regain his bearings. It was clear that everyone was equally bewildered  Arabe, Sandro, and the rest.


    Thest thing he had seen was Arabe attempting to reach him, but an unforeseeable force had abruptly disced them. It appeared as though the force had transported them to a different location, yet ze couldn¡¯t discern where. It was as if they had entered an entirely different dimension.


    One of the most intriguing aspects of being a supernatural creature was the ability to sense the energy that enveloped him keenly. However, now, it felt as if he were trapped in a vacuum.


    Sandro stumbled, nearly falling to the ground, as he was suddenly whisked away to a new ce. Swiftly regaining his bnce, he scanned his surroundings, striving to unravel the mystery of this unique locale. Everything differed  thendscape, the colors, the scents. It was a remarkable sight.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    How could they have been spirited away to an unknown ce without any forewarning or discernible reason? Sandro¡¯s instincts told him that this was a trap; he needed to remain on high alert.

 Chapter 126

    Arabe¡¯s eyes slowly fluttered open, and she squinted against the blinding sun overhead. The heat bore down oppressively, causing sweat to pool immediately beneath her shirt.


    The air around her was dry, hot, and arid ¨C all signs pointed to her being in a desert. Panic ignited within her like a fire, and she frantically surveyed her surroundings for any hint of civilization but encountered nothing but endless sand.


    Her throat felt parched; her saliva was beginning to thicken. Soon, it seemed there wouldn¡¯t be enough moisture left for her to swallow.


    ¡°Shit!¡± She gritted her teeth, tapping her pocket. She slipped her hand into it, searching for only God knows what.


    Yet, she found nothing that could aid her. Arabe considered walking yet remained uncertain about the right direction.


    It wasn¡¯t until she stood up that she noticed the peculiar figure in the distance, resembling the silhouette of a familiar figure ¨C ze.


    ¡°ze!¡± Her heart surged with hope, and she sprinted toward him, calling out his name.


    She raced as fast as her legs could carry her, moving quicker than ever before. However, as she drew nearer, the mirage of ze evaporated before her eyes, leaving her to realize it had been nothing but a trick.


    Alone in the deste wastnd, she had no one to turn to and no escape from this predicament. Fear enveloped her as she envisioned herself stranded, without hope of survival.


    Then, a sudden realization struck her ¨C the unforgiving desert was manipting her mind, conjuring her deepest fears and shaping them into horrifying illusions.


    Losing ze or any harm befalling him was Arabe¡¯s most profound fear, and this dimension was exploiting it to torment her.


    She needed to break free from this mental trap. Arabe understood that her focus must remain on the immediate task ¨C finding an exit from wherever this ce was.


    The sun beat down with relentless intensity, sapping her strength with each passing moment. She felt herself wilting under its merciless gaze, her energy dissipating like sand slipping through her bare feet.


    Taking a deep breath, Arabemenced walking again, scanning her surroundings for signs of life or salvation. With each step, she noticed clouds of sand stirred up by her footsteps, the gritty and arid texture adhering to her sweat-soaked skin. The only sound she could hear was the howling wind, striking her face like a zing furnace, whipping her hair and clothes into a frenzied dance.


    Her legs grew heavy, and her body wearied from the seemingly endless journey. Yet, she recognized surrender was not an option; she needed to remain resilient for both of them. She needed to find ze, and she couldn¡¯t help but wonder where he had been taken.


    Just when her spirits teetered on the brink of their lowest ebb, a twinkle caught her eye in the distance. Initially, she dismissed it as a mirage, a symptom of her exhaustion. However, as she drew nearer, she discerned a genuine glint of light.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Despite the ache in her legs and her parched throat¡¯s relentless demand for water, Arabe summoned every ounce of inner strength. She sprinted toward the building, driven like a woman possessed.


    Her heart pounded with anticipation as she neared, revealing a tall, weathered building in the distance, abandoned and forlorn.


    Yet, her hope was tinged with lingering anxiety. What if this, too, was a mirage, another cruel deceit of the unforgiving desert? Arabe quivered with conflicting emotions as the door grew closer, her senses heightened and vignt.


    With a trembling hand, she extended her fingers to graze the door, her heart thumping in her chest. Her fingertips brushed against the frigid metal, and to her astonishment, a surge of electricity coursed through her frame. Before she could react, darkness engulfed her, and an odd sensation overcame her as if trapped in an eerie dream.


    When her eyes reopened, she found herself within the building, swallowed by the obscurity like a shroud. Her senses heightened, acutely tuned to the faintest of sounds or motions. And then she heard it ¨C the melding of ze¡¯s voice with Sandro¡¯s mockingughter.


    Arabe¡¯s breath caught, her heart skipping a beat. Could it be that ze was within these walls?


    Her voice trembled with fear as she called out into the abyss, ¡°B-ze, are you here?¡± She strained to listen, met only by the echo of her words reverberating off the forsaken building.


    Abruptly, Sandro¡¯s menacing voice sliced through the stillness like a dagger.


    ¡°I will make you suffer, ze! Your betrayal will extract a price.¡± He continued, ¡°And when I¡¯m through, I am going to dispatch your head to your precious fuck mate as a lesson.¡±


    A shiver ran down Arabe¡¯s spine, a tidal wave of terror crashing over her. Yet, reality snapped her back as the notion of this perhaps being another illusion gripped her.


    This ce seemed to toy with her, summoning her deepest fears and anxieties to the surface, testing her tenacity. She struggled to decipher the cause behind this ordeal, the puppeteer orchestrating these events. Regardless, she wouldn¡¯t sumb to their feeble tricks.


    ¡°Breathe, Be, breathe. It isn¡¯t real!¡± She squeezed her eyes shut, seeking control over her breath, attempting to soothe her restlessness. Yet, the whispers in her ear grew louder, and the mental imagery sharpened.


    ze¡¯s voice echoed,ced with anguish and desperation, his pleas for mercy reverberating. In stark contrast, Sandro¡¯s tones were icy and merciless, pledging to sever ze¡¯s life.


    Arabe¡¯s hands instinctively covered her ears, attempting to muffle the voices, but instead, they swelled louder. The increasing volume fueled her frustration and anger until they were an unbearable crescendo.


    In a surge of emotion, she released an uncontrolled, guttural cry, ¡°Leave me alone!¡± Her voice resounded a violent countermeasure against the building¡¯s oppressive power, a contention of control over her thoughts.


    Abruptly, silence descended, and a brilliant light inundated the room. Arabe¡¯s eyes gradually adapted to the sudden radiance, and the noise of tormenting voices dissipated. She scanned the surroundings, hopeful for a glimpse of the cause behind her anguish.


    Her eyes came down on ze, sprawled on the floor like a fettered puppy.


    ¡°No¡­ No!¡± Panic clutched at her heart, her eyes widening in rm. A trifle of relief streamed through her as she felt his shallow breaths, indicating life, however faint.


    ¡°ze¡­¡± Arabe whispered, then her eyes widened as she noticed the chain tied around his neck.


    Her eyes followed the length of the chain, dread surging as theynded on the pair of hands grasping the other end. There stood Alessia, her grip unyielding, pulling on the chain with force, hauling ze along as if he were a captive.


    What was happening?

 Chapter 127

    Sandro¡¯s narrowed his eyes as he recognized what had transpired. The dimensions had shifted once again. Why did this always ur when he was on the point of reaching Arabe?


    It seemed the moon goddess was ying games with him. While he had always acknowledged her fickleness and unpredictability, this was an excessive torment. He gazed up at the sky with a re.


    ¡°Why are you doing this?¡± he bellowed, his voice reverberating across the destendscape. ¡°Do you derive joy from thwarting my ns and reveling in my suffering? No, you undoubtedly do, so why am I even surprised!¡±


    Yet, despite his rant, he waited for a retort, but silence prevailed. Only the rhythm of his breath and the faint rustling of leaves in the breeze reached his ears.


    Sandro¡¯s fists clenched. He was tired of this ceaseless game, exhausted by how the moon goddess trifled with his existence.


    ¡°Answer me!¡± he growled.


    Even though he recognized deep down that no response would be forting and understood that he was essentially shouting into the void, he couldn¡¯t suppress his outburst.


    With a frustrated grunt, he kicked a nearby stone with his shoe-d feet, grimacing as a sharp pang shot up his leg.


    Drawing a deep breath topose himself, Sandro surveyed his surroundings. He sensed that the dimensions had shifted again, leaving him disoriented about his location. The flora and fauna appeared distinct, and the air hung heavy with an unfamiliar humidity.


    A short distance ahead, the entrance to what resembled a cave beckoned. It stood as the sole feature amidst the forest of oddly shaped trees.


    Sandro approached the cave, ventured inside, and exhaled.


    An eerie stillness enveloped him, sending shivers cascading down his spine. Despite his reputation as a fearless man, the cave infused him with an unshakable dread. As his gaze swept the interior, memories of a cave from his childhood stories resurfaced-the notorious ¡°Antrum Timoris,¡± the Cave of Fear.


    Although Sandro had grown up hearing tales of the Cave of Fear, he had never set foot inside it. Standing within the dimly illuminated cave, he contemted whether this was the cave he had been cautioned about.


    Fear seized him as his mind conjured the direst scenarios-what if this was indeed the infamous cave trapping him within its confines? His thoughts spiraled into images of shadowy creatures and wicked traps, leaving him feeling more isted and defenseless than ever.


    Sandro¡¯s frustration surged as he endeavored to steer the cave¡¯s interior, yet irrespective of the direction he followed, he encountered only dead ends. It was akin to being trapped in an eternalbyrinth. He retraced his steps and started afresh, yearning for an altered oue, but the result stubbornly persisted.


    Coming to an abrupt stop, Sandro¡¯s gaze fixed upon mysterious drawings adorning the cave walls. Their meanings got out of him, their potential significance tantalizingly out of reach. This cluelessness grated on his nerves, kindling a feeling of irritation.


    ¡°Sandro¡­¡± A voice whispered, barely audible, yet it reached his ears.


    Startled, he spun around, locking eyes with Arabe. She materialized before him, crossing a sandy desert. His brows arched in bewilderment as her form came into focus.


    His survey widened, revealing that he stood surrounded by sand, and the air suddenly parched. He had been transported to a desertndscape alongside Arabe.


    Maybe, he spected, he was caught in a dream. Sandro repeatedly blinked, almost in disbelief, yet each time he reopened his eyes, Arabe remained.


    But how? How had the cave metamorphosed into a desert? How had Arabe appeared in this ce?


    Perhaps the moon goddess had, atst, responded to his requests, and this time, he was determined not to allow her to escape his grasp. He clenched his fists and surged forward, propelling himself toward her, an aspiration burning fervently within him.


    As abruptly as she appeared, Arabe vanished into thin air, leaving Sandro in the middle of a barren desert with no one in sight. In the very next moment, the desert disappeared just as mysteriously as it had emerged, and he found himself back in the dark cave.


    ¡°What the hell was that?!¡± he muttered to himself, his brows furrowing. Was this ce toying with his mind?


    ¡°No,¡± he corrected himself. ¡°Maybe I just imagined seeing her.¡±


    Pushing aside the recent urrence, Sandro shook off his confusion and continued walking. However, as he wandered, his anxiety began to intensify. The cave seemed to shrink suddenly, its walls closing in on him. His throat constricted involuntarily, and he gasped for breath, clutching at his throat as he panted.Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    After a few moments, he managed to regain control of his breathing, albeit with some effort, before finally slumping against the damp cave wall, exhausted. As his eyes shut, they snapped back open at the sound of faint whispers, so soft that they could easily have been a mere figment of his imagination. Yet, the voice persisted, calling out his name in a haunting, ghostly tone.


    ¡°Alessandro,e,¡± the voice beckoned, causing Sandro¡¯s heart to skip a beat. It sounded like his mother¡¯s voice. He strained to listen, and the voice repeated  unmistakably his mother¡¯s. He was sure of it.


    However, it carried an ethereal and otherworldly quality, as though it was emanating from beyond the grave.


    Springing to his feet, his heart racing, Sandro frantically searched for the source of the voice. And then, there she stood, before him, in a shimmering, ghostly form. It was his beloved mother.


    Sandro stood rooted to the spot, his eyes locked on her, unable toprehend the sight before him. She appeared just as he remembered  long, flowing dark hair, lithe body and green eyes that sparkled, and a gentle smile.


    ¡°Come, darling child,¡± Her ghostly figure beckoned to him, and he felt an undeniable urge to follow. Overwhelmed, he began walking toward her,pelled by an irresistible force.


    He came face to face with her; arms outstretched, the warmth of her embrace almost detectable.


    ¡°Mum¡­¡± he whispered. But then Lace, his wolf, let out a fierce growl, causing Sandro to halt in his tracks.


    Confused, Sandro shifted his attention to Lace. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± he inquired, a hint of annoyance at the interruption creeping into his voice.


    ¡°That¡¯s not her, Sandro,¡± Lace cautioned, his tone edged with urgency. ¡°She¡¯s nothing but a deceptive illusion!¡±


    Sandro averted his gaze from the apparition and resumed walking. He understood he couldn¡¯t trust anything within this bewildering realm-not even the voices resembling his cherished ones.


    ¡°How can you know that? You can¡¯t even see her! I can feel and see her,¡± Sandro retorted stubbornly, his refusal to ept the unreality of his experience evident.


    Lace emitted a low growl as if he could sense Sandro¡¯s mounting frustration. ¡°I sensed your fear, Sandro. It¡¯s what¡¯s luring you toward whoever manifests before you. But what you¡¯re perceiving is a mirage, and you must focus yourself,¡± he exined patiently.


    Drawing a deep breath, Sandro attempted to clear his thoughts. He momentarily shut his eyes, immersing himself in the rustling sound of the cave¡¯s winds.


    Reopening his eyes, he discerned the figure ahead beginning to waver, the beckoning voice fading into the ether.


    A pang of mncholy washed over Sandro, acknowledging that the woman he had believed to be his mother was nothing more than a deceitful illusion. It was another wicked trick conjured by thisbyrinth. Lace was right.


    He understood the peril illusions posed, tales of individuals trapped by their allure and drawn into ominous abysses. A shiver coursed through him at the prospect of perpetual entrapment within the cave¡¯s confines if he had indeed listened to the voice and followed her.


    Summoning a cleansing breath, Sandro attempted to suppress his suspicions and retrain his focus on solving the maze. He swept his gaze across the cave, searching for hints or patterns that might guide him toward escape.


    After a few paces, he saw the cryptic symbols and markings that adorned the walls again.


    Rather than just staring away like before, he intently nced at the symbols. Some appeared vaguely familiar, arousing quick memories, though he struggled to ce them definitively.


    Sandro traced his fingertips along the symbols, hoping to stimte a recollection or insight. He sealed his eyes shut and concentrated, beckoning his intuitions to guide him.


    A whileter, the pattern unveiled itself to Sandro¡¯s discerning gaze-the symbols seemed configured in a spiral formation, directing him inward toward the heart of the cave.

 Chapter 128

    ze¡¯s eyes shot open, his chest heaving as he gasped for air. His heart pounded so violently that he feared it might burst from his chest at any moment. His mind swirled in agitation as he struggled toprehend the situation.


    Gradually, his eyes adapted to the dimly lit room, revealing Alessia and Janice standing a few feet away. Yet, upon closer inspection, he sensed an unsettling alteration about them. Something was off, but he struggled to identify precisely what.


    Janice¡¯s gaze sparkled with an intensity ze had never witnessed. Her features contorted into a fierce scowl as if regarding him with disdain, as if he were an enemy.


    Alessia, however, exuded an air of negativity and mistrust that prompted ze to retreat instinctively. It was as if she radiated hatred and anger directed squarely at him.


    Desperationpelled ze to approach the two women. However, before he could advance, Alessia¡¯s voice erupted-sharp and biting. ¡°Don¡¯t you daree any closer,¡± she spat, her eyes narrowing.Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    A shiver coursed down ze¡¯s spine in response to her words. He cast a nervous nce around the darkened room, his unease deepening with every passing moment.


    Disregarding Alessia¡¯s cautionary words, ze took another step forward. His hand extended tentatively, a gesture of friendship. But prior to making contact, a sudden gust of wind struck, propelling him off his feet and hurtling him through the air.


    With a brutal impact, ze crashed onto the ground. The sound of his bones crunching against the unyielding surface reverberated in his ears. Struggling for breath, he gasped and wheezed, battling to fill his lungs. His gaze flicked upward to Alessia, who stood a few feet away, her stare locked onto him with a mysterious intensity.


    And then he saw it-a hand extended in his direction, crackling with energy and might. ze¡¯s heart sank as he understood that Alessia had harnessed her powers to propel him away, a realization that sent shivers down his spine. Struggling, he stood on his feet, waves of pain coursing through his body, rendering his stance unsteady.


    ¡°What the hell was that?¡± he cried out. ¡°You could have killed me!¡±


    Alessia surveyed him from her position, an air of cool detachment surrounding her. ¡°I needed to do so,¡± she responded, her voice silky. ¡°I couldn¡¯t allow you to approach. Not yet, at least.¡± A wry smile tugged at her lips.


    ze¡¯s fists clenched his struggle to control his temper evident. ¡°What are you even talking about?¡± he growled.


    Alessia remained silent; her re abruptly fixated on ze. With a flick of her wrist, an intense gust of wind propelled him backward again.


    Never before had he thought that Alessia possessed supernatural abilities, let alone the potential for such potent and aggressive power. Yet, considering Arabe¡¯s nature, the link between their abilities was reasonable.


    Alessia tussled with disturbing thoughts. It was as if a shadowy force had engulfed her upon entering Ascotan, wresting control of her body. Within her, she believed there was a presence dictating her actions. Despite ze¡¯s kindness, his assistance even, an overpowering urge to kill him saturated her senses.


    Nevertheless, despite ze¡¯s pleas, Alessia¡¯s fury grew. It was as if the more he begged, the angrier she got.


    Alessia struggled to rein in her consciousness, but her efforts proved futile. The terror stemming from her inability to control the dark force within her left her feeling utterly helpless and vulnerable.


    Her body was no longer under her control, reducing her to a mere observer as the entity wreaked havoc using her powers. ze¡¯s body mmed into walls and furniture, and her eyes gleamed with wicked amusement.


    ¡°Alessia! Snap out of it!¡± ze cried out as he was tossed around like a trash bag.


    ze fought against the sheer force of Alessia¡¯s attacks, but it was like struggling against a hurricane. He was thrown around like a rag doll, defenseless against her relentless strength. His pleas for help and mercy were drowned out by the deafening roar of Alessia¡¯s madness, and she remained unresponsive to his agony.


    Alessia¡¯s movements were erratic, leaving ze unable to predict the source or form of the next attack. This left him both defenseless and devoid of hope. As pain coursed through him, ze attempted to muster the strength to fight back orunch a counterattack, yet his efforts were in vain.


    One thing was clear: Alessia was controlled by an unseen, dark, and sinister force. Because despite knowing her for a short period, he believed Alessia would never do such a thing if she were to be in her right senses.


    Her hands moved swiftly, unleashing a wild rush of wind that knocked ze to the floor with a rough thud.


    Janice furrowed her brows in confusion as she observed Alessia¡¯s deathly gaze fixed on ze, whoy on the floor. Letting out a deep sigh, she tried to push aside her anger toward ze for abandoning her and fleeing with Arabe. She had believed she hade to terms with it, especially since she now had Alessia, the person who genuinely loved her.


    Despite her lingering resentment toward ze, Janice didn¡¯t wish him to suffer any consequences for the wrongdoings caused by Arabe and Sandro. Moving toward Alessia, she gently ced a hand on her shoulder, and Alessia turned to face her.


    ¡°He¡¯s not our target,¡± Janice reasoned, her hand reaching to meet hers as soon as her skin met Alessia¡¯s, an almost icy sting of revulsion shot through her.


    Janice¡¯s heart raced as she gazed down at Alessia¡¯s cold, nearly lifeless hand clutching hers. Her gaze lifted, locking onto the malicious glint in Alessia¡¯s eyes. She recognized that something was gravely wrong with her Alessia, something beyond her control.


    Alessia¡¯s eyes zed with intense anger, her voice echoing like a convergence of a thousand winds, ¡°We never had a primary target. Therefore, I can kill ze if I choose. He must suffer for Arabe¡¯s sins until she arrives.¡±


    Janice struggled to grasp Alessia¡¯s words. It felt like puzzle pieces were missing, and she eventually deduced that Alessia was attempting to punish ze on Sandro¡¯s behalf, yet the exact reasons remained elusive.


    Confusion and concern etched Janice¡¯s face as she regarded Alessia. ¡°Alessia, you¡¯re chastising ze because of Sandro?¡± she inquired, seeking rity amid the chaos.


    Alessia¡¯s eyes red with a dangerous intensity as she turned to Janice. ¡°It¡¯s not just about Sandro,¡± she retorted. ¡°ze betrayed us all. Abandoning us to fend for ourselves, he absconded with Arabe. My retribution isn¡¯t merely tied to Sandro. It¡¯s a reckoning, for Arabe¡¯s sake. Only one among us shall endure. Arabe must die.¡±


    Horror swept over Janice as she struggled to figure out Alessia¡¯s words. ¡°What are you implying?¡± she questioned in disbelief.


    ze fought to unravel the unfolding scenario. The mention of Arabe¡¯s name and the term ¡°death¡± resonated in the same breath. At that moment, his memory rushed back to Orga¡¯s foreboding promation. ¡°You are destined to die,¡± Orga had warned him.


    ze¡¯s heart hammered within his chest as the seriousness of the situation dawned upon him. Could this mark his final day? The notion of his imminent demise was something he vehemently rejected. Despite the agony Alessia had inflicted, he strained to say his thoughts, his voice a rasp from the torment he endured.


    Was this his journey¡¯s ending?

 Chapter 129

    Alessia¡¯s words etched themselves deeply into Arabe¡¯s heart. Why would she wish for her death? They had just met for the first time; wasn¡¯t Alessia supposed to feel happiness upon seeing her? However, Arabe was abruptly pulled from her contemtions as she observed Alessia redirect her attention toward ze.


    Sporting a malicious grin, Alessia summoned one of her sinister dark wind balls andunched it at ze with all her might. The ball directly impacted, propelling him across the room and causing a violent collision with a nearby wall.


    Arabe let out a horrified gasp as ze¡¯s body met the wall with a sickening thud. Her heart shattered into countless fragments, mirroring the wreckage left in the wake of ze¡¯s impact.


    ¡°How could you, Alessia?!¡± Arabe¡¯s anguished cry resounded, tears streaming down her cheeks as she hastened to ze¡¯s lifeless form. A maelstrom of anger and sorrow swirled within her, grappling with the knowledge that the sister she had eagerly anticipated and yearned to meet was capable of such callousness and destruction.


    Gently cradling ze¡¯s head in herp, Arabe tenderly stroked his hair while murmuringforting words. She detected the faint brush of his breath against her skin, reassured that he was alive.


    ¡°I just¡­ I can¡¯t understand it,¡± Arabe admitted amidst sniffs.


    Her attention shifted toward Alessia, who stood by with an air of self-satisfaction ying across her countenance.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening? How does she possess such formidable strength?¡± Arabe mused inwardly. Nevertheless, she had resolved deep within herself that surrender was not an option.


    cing ze¡¯s head onto the ground with care, she rose to her feet and advanced toward Alessia, her hands enveloped in a vibrant crimson aura.


    Without hesitation, Arabe unleashed a bombardment of scarlet beams toward Alessia. Yet, Alessia sidestepped them effortlessly, utilizing her own abilities to conjure a gust of wind, redirecting the beams with precision.


    It was as if a scripted dance was unfolding-Arabe fired, and Alessia deflected with grace.


    Unyielding, Arabe switched to utilizing beams of fiery orange, aiming to catch Alessia off guard. She conjured a swarm of rays that weaved and contorted through the air, adopting a plethora of shapes and trajectories to overpower Alessia.


    However, Alessia was far from easily deceived. She harnessed her own dark wind to counter the assault, crafting a whirlwind that consumed every one of Arabe¡¯s beams.


    In that critical moment, Janice stepped into the fight, her arms outstretched. ¡°Stop it! Both of you, stop this!¡± she begged.


    Yet, her intervention was met with being forcefully hurled backward by an intense hurricane conjured by Alessia.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t she our target? Why hold back, then?¡± Alessia¡¯s question hung in the air as Janice struggled on the floor, attempting to regain her equilibrium.


    On the other hand, Arabe found herself taken aback by the raw might of Alessia¡¯s powers. She understood that she needed to heighten her power if she stood any chance against her twin.


    Harnessing her yellow beam, she forged a concentrated burst of luminous light that zed brilliantly, streaking through the air like a lightning bolt. However, Alessia swiftly countered with a gust of wind, dispersing the beam.


    ¡°Alessia,e to your senses. Your actions could prove disastrous! We require her and Sandro alive!¡± Janice¡¯s desperate plea reverberated as she darted between them in a bid for a reason.


    Yet again, a familiar pattern unfolded, and Janice was hurtled back by a potent gust of wind, tumbling across the ground. She groaned upon rising, bearing the bruises from the impact.


    The mention of Sandro¡¯s name intensified Arabe¡¯s fury, coupled with the revtion of Alessia¡¯s connection to him. Enraged, Arabe summoned her blue beams, releasing a torrential downpour of luminous shafts upon Alessia from above.


    Alessia¡¯s response was the conjuration of a formidable tornado that absorbed every one of the blue beams, propelling Arabe backward in its forceful wake.


    ¡°Has the fight exhausted you, dear twin?¡± Alessia¡¯s voice shifted, now carrying the sound of the wind. It resembled a tempest that seemed to pierce Arabe¡¯s very skin.


    ¡°Why try so hard?¡± Arabe growled, her frustration reaching a crescendo. As ast-gasp effort, Arabe harnessed her violet rays, yielding a blinding sh of light that engulfed the entire room.


    The brilliance of the light was so intense that it momentarily blinded Alessia, granting Arabe the opening to strike. She summoned her auras: red, blue, orange, yellow, green, and indigo. The start of the indigo beam proved pivotal, especially whenbined with the others. She harmonized them, converging into a powerful violet ray, her hope resting on finally vanquishing her twin.


    However, just as Arabe poised to discharge her ultimate attack, an unfamiliar force obstructed her indigo beam. Struggling vehemently to harness this power, her efforts were futile.


    Alessia recovered her sight and countered with a surge of dark wind, propelling Arabe across the room.


    The impact left Arabe utterly spent and defenseless. She fought to regain her footing, but her body betrayed hermands. Fatigue seeped deep into her bones, and her magical energy significantly depleted.


    Arabe clung to consciousness through unyielding determination, resolute in shielding ze and triumphing over her twin.


    However, Alessia loomed undeterred, her startling energy saturating the air.


    Setting her jaw, Arabe gathered herst traces of power,unching an onught of red, orange, yellow, blue, and violet beams at Alessia.


    Alessia merely smirked, undisturbed by the barrage. Raising her hand, she sent forth a torrent of dark wind that hurled Arabe across the room anew. Arabe collided with the wall, the impact jarring her entire frame, a surge of dizziness blurring her vision momentarily.


    Yet, even as the battle to remain conscious intensified, Arabe clung to her determination. Summoning her strength once again, a protective shield of green aura enveloped her, poised to confront Alessia afresh. ¡°ze¡¯s safety is non-negotiable,¡± she rasped, fatigue tainting her voice. ¡°I¡¯ll hinder you, whatever the cost.¡±


    Alessia¡¯s eyes glinted with malice, her attention shifting away from Arabe as she strode toward ze, whoy weak against the walls. With a quick movement, she reached for him and hoisted him up by the cor of his shirt. Arabe¡¯s heart pounded in her chest as she witnessed her twin¡¯s cruel intentions unfurl before her.


    ¡°Why are you doing this, Alessia?¡± she yelled.


    Alessia merely chuckled darkly, her grip on ze tightening. ¡°Why, dear sister? Because I want what¡¯s rightfully mine. This world isn¡¯t big enough for both of us, and you and your pathetic lover are standing in my way.¡±


    Arabe clenched her teeth, her mind racing for a solution. She had to protect ze, but her powers alone were insufficient.


    Alessia lifted her hands, drawing in the surrounding wind into her grasp. The gusts grew stronger and faster as she shaped them into an invisible vortex, its power forming a tightly woven cage around Arabe.


    Alessia sneered, tightening her grip on ze, causing him to wince in pain. Arabe¡¯s heart sank at the fear in ze¡¯s eyes. She lunged forward to attack Alessia but was abruptly flung back by an unseen force.


    ¡°What did you do?!¡± Arabe shouted.


    Alessia giggled, ¡°I¡¯ve created a wind cage only I can see.¡±


    Arabe¡¯s eyes widened as she realized she was trapped. She attempted to use her powers to break through the cage, but the wind¡¯s strength was overwhelming, and her powers felt feeble. In fact, the colors were fading. She observed ze struggling in Alessia¡¯s grip, which shattered her heart.


    ¡°Release him, Alessia!¡± Arabe yelled, her fists clenched in anger. She scanned frantically for an exit to save ze, but all she saw was darkness and wind.


    Alessia produced a knife seemingly out of thin air and drove it into ze¡¯s chest. Arabe¡¯s world lurched to a shocking halt, her heart plummeting as his horrifying outcry filled the room. Helplessly, she watched him crumple to the ground, blood seeping from the wound.


    ¡°ze!¡± Arabe let out a guttural growl, her eyes zing with fury.


    She dashed toward Alessia, her momentum halted by the invisible wind cage Alessia had summoned. Tears streamed from Arabe¡¯s eyes as she gazed upon ze, who was wheezing in agony.


    ¡°Arabe¡­¡± ze croaked, followed by a fit of coughing that expelled a blood stter. Standing over ze¡¯s body, Alessia wore an expression of satisfaction, savoring the anguish she had inflicted.


    Arabe¡¯s anger surged, and she emitted a blood-curdling scream, hurtling toward Alessia with all her might. Yet, the wind cage remained resolute, thwarting her every attempt to breach it.


    ¡°ze¡­ please, no¡­.¡±

 Chapter 130

    ¡°ze¡­¡± Arabe choked back a sob; her eyes fixated on ze¡¯s unmoving body. She didn¡¯t need words; the truth was discernable. zey dead before her, just as the prophecy had foretold.


    Consumed by overwhelming grief, Arabe let out an ear-splitting screech, her fingers clenching the bars of the now-visible cage. ¡°Please, no,¡± she whispered, shaking her head, tears streaming down her pale face. How could life continue without him? How could she possibly defeat Sandro without ze? How could she¡­?


    ¡°You¡¯re cruel!¡± she yelled, her voice reverberating through the room. ¡°So cruel for taking him away from me!¡± She cast her gaze around the dimly lit space, a desperate search for any god or goddess in charge of the phoenixes. Even for any of her predecessors but it was futile.


    They had witnessed ze¡¯s final moments as they had her father¡¯s. A fresh wave of grief coursed through her, and she shuddered, tears flowing until they couldn¡¯t anymore. Her sobs ebbed into quiet whimpers, leaving her eyes red and swollen.


    Arabe stood numb, her gaze fixed on ze¡¯s lifeless form, struggling to grasp the extent of the tragedy that had unfolded.


    ze was truly gone. The realization hit her like a ton of bricks as she grappled with never experiencing his presence again. His drawled nickname ¡®Be¡¯ would never touch her ears, his infectiousughter would no longer resonate, and his face would never again illuminate with that captivating smile. The idea of never feeling his warm embrace or sping his hand was an unbearable weight.


    Arabe reached out a hand toward ze, but it was ineffective  all she could do was gaze at him. Resigned to her inability to touch him, she decided to express her emotions through words.


    ¡°ze. You promised¡­ you promised you¡¯d never depart. Forever together, you vowed-¡± Her words were overtaken by another wave of tears that spilled from her eyes as she sobbed. ¡°You said you wouldn¡¯t leave, ze. Please, don¡¯t. I can¡¯t survive without you.¡±


    ¡°If only, if only I had listened to Orga and stayed in the cave,¡± she muttered to herself. Bitter thoughts haunted her mind, reying her actions and decisions over again.


    Yet, if she had been stronger, ze would still be alive. She had thought herself invincible after beating Orga, believing she could face any challenge. But Alessia had shattered that illusion. Her weakness paved the way to ze¡¯s death, and this reality surged within Arabe as anger.


    Alessia approached, a wicked grin etched across her face as she gripped both sides of the cage. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, dear sister? Is the truth finally sinking in? You¡¯re powerless against me,¡± she taunted.


    Gritting her teeth, Arabe¡¯s eyes zed with fury. ¡°I won¡¯t spare you, Alessia. Whether by blood or not, you will pay,¡± she vowed.


    Alessia¡¯s lips curved into a dark smile. ¡°I could say the same, Arabe,¡± she retorted. ¡°And I enjoy the thought of breaking you. I used to believe you were untouchable.¡±


    Janice observed the tense exchange with a sense of dread. Fear of Alessia¡¯s wrath silenced her as she hesitated to provoke someone whose powers remained a mystery. There was no room for preaching peace, for Alessia¡¯s mental state was unstable, and she couldsh out at any moment. Hence, Janice remained quiet, keeping close to Alessia, hoping to evade the impending conflict.


    Alessia raised her hands into the air, and Arabe observed the wind gather around her again, coalescing into an energy vortex. The wind took on tangible form, molding into a cage constructed entirely of air.


    Arabe sensed its descent, despite her existing confinement. The bars of this new cage were thin yet imprable.


    ¡°Alessia, what the hell?¡± Arabe yelled, rushing to the bars and pulling on them with all her might, yet they remained as immovable as the previous ones.


    But that wasn¡¯t the extent of it. Alessia extended her hands towards Arabe, and the wind converged into a long chain that wound tightly around Arabe¡¯s body.


    Arabe struggled against the chain¡¯s unyielding grip, but it held her fast, constricting like a vice. Gasping for air, it felt like her breath was being stolen.


    Alessia smirked, a self-satisfied expression spreading across her face. ¡°Now you won¡¯t be able to escape. This should keep you at bay, sister,¡± she sneered. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want you to meddle in my ns again.¡±


    Arabe fought against the unrelenting chain, her efforts proving futile.


    Her eyes narrowed, and then a low growl rumbled from her throat. ¡°Alessia, release me from this cage right-¡± Her words were abruptly cut off as a sudden surge of energy coursed through her, sending her body into uncontroble convulsions.


    Initially gripped by terror, Arabe found an odd sense offort as the strange sensation intensified. It was as though something dormant within her was awakening and asserting its power.


    A rush of wind erupted from her, stirring up debris in the room. Her eyes widened, and a gasp escaped her lips as an unfamiliar sensation held her back.


    To her astonishment, she saw it ¨C a wing.


    A bloody wing!Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    It was growing out of her!


    Speechless, she watched in horror as it continued to expand, pushing through her skin to unfurl behind her.


    Just as she thought it was over, an unbearable pain, unlike anything she¡¯d ever experienced before, seared through her. It ripped across her back, forcing a cry of agony from her lips. Every muscle in her body contorted as she struggled to remain upright.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± she screamed, biting down on her lower lip so hard that it drew blood.


    A few secondster, the pain subsided as if it had never happened.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening to me?¡± Arabe whispered, her voice quivering.


    To her astonishment, she observed the metal bars starting to dissolve as she clutched them with her hands.


    With caution, she eased herself out of the cage, an overwhelming warmth coursing through her veins. The heat within her intensified, her gaze drawn inexorably to the mes dancing around her. Then, as if by some enchantment, the fires surged forth with intensity, as if the ancient power of the Phoenix spirit had ignited within her.


    Turning slowly, Arabe fixed her eyes on the two majestic wings-ming red and shimmering gold. Her heart raced as the realization struck her: she possessed the ability to manifest wings, just like Orga.

 Chapter 131

    Momentster, Arabe finally grasped the purpose behind the grueling flight training that Orga had imposed upon her. Striding toward ze, her magnificent red and golden wings beat powerfully behind her. As she lifted his lifeless body, a shiver ran through her; he felt cold, utterly still. The reality of his absence had yet to sink in fully.


    Tears streamed down Arabe¡¯s face as she cradled ze tenderly. Swiftly wiping them away, she sought to conceal any signs of vulnerability in front of Alessia. Her eyes smoldered with outrage and pain as she turned to confront Alessia.


    ¡°You will pay for this, Alessia,¡± Arabe growled, her voice dripping with intensity. ¡°I swear on my soul; I¡¯ll make you suffer for what you¡¯ve done.¡±


    With her wings fully spread behind her, Arabe¡¯s imposing presence intensified. Alessia tutted dismissively, refraining from the immediate response as Arabe continued her emotional tirade.


    ¡°Crossing me was a grave mistake, Alessia,¡± Arabe snarled, her words dripping with venom. ¡°You¡¯ll regret it for every breath you take in your pathetic life.¡±


    A devilish cackle erupted from Alessia as she unleashed her pent-up energy. Suddenly, her body contorted and twisted in defiance of naturalws. Her skin stretched, eyes widening with excitement. A manicugh echoed as her once-pale wings, now a demonic ck, burst from her back-enormous appendages casting city-engulfing shadows.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    But there was more. Her eyes shifted from pale blue to an eerie white.


    ¡°Showtime,¡± Alessia purred with a sly smile. ¡°Cool wings aren¡¯t just your thing!¡±


    With a dark beam conjured in her hand, Alessia hurled herself at Arabe. Simultaneously, Arabe charged toward Alessia, leaving fiery trails in her wake. A yellow aura beam formed around her.


    Their powers collided in a cataclysmic explosion, unleashing waves of energy that obliterated their surroundings. Cracks spread across the walls, and Janice was forced to dodge the airborne debris.


    Employing her wind maniption, Alessia conjured sharp des of air aimed at Arabe. In response, Arabe countered with her crimson aura beams. The sh created a massive explosion, rattling the entire room.


    ¡°Stop!¡± Janice¡¯s voice erupted amidst the chaos of demolition, yet it fell on deaf ears. Forced to distance herself from the escting battle, she sought refuge from potential harm in the shadows.


    Arabe unleashed a barrage of yellow aura beams aimed at Alessia, who, in response, conjured a wind-powered shield. The shield¡¯s defenses crumbled against Arabe¡¯s relentless attack, propelling Alessia backward.


    In retaliation, Alessia channeled a gust of wind, sending Arabe careening into a wall. Swiftly recovering, Arabe countered with a blue aura beam, causing the ground beneath Alessia to tremble.


    From her concealed vantage point, Janice observed that Arabe had gained the upper hand, noting that she hadn¡¯t even tapped into her full powers yet. She recognized the lethal potential of Arabe¡¯s fury and waspelled to prevent tragedy, her head shaking with determination. No, she couldn¡¯t allow Arabe to follow through on her fatal intentions, but she remained uncertain of how to intervene.


    Recognizing her disadvantage, Alessia resolved to unleash her most formidable attack: a tornado. Frenzied winds spiraled into a colossal funnel, pulling everything within the room toward its center.


    Arabe fought to maintain her stance, teeth clenched in defiance. Alessia¡¯s taunting words echoed: ¡°Surrender, dearest sister, and let the world be mine!¡±


    ¡°Never!¡± Arabe¡¯s retort resonated with raw determination. ¡°I¡¯d rather die than witness your reign!¡±


    With her eyes shut tight, Arabe drew upon the culmination of her powers, seeking to unleash an immense energy st that would dispel the tornado¡¯s fury.


    In the critical moment before Arabe could deliver the decisive strike against Alessia, amanding voice boomed, ¡°Cease this at once!¡±


    But Arabe pressed on, releasing her attack. However, it faltered, extinguished before reaching its target.


    Stunned, Arabe wavered, losing her equilibrium and copsing to the ground. Gasping for breath, she struggled to regain her poise.


    Surveying her surroundings, she recognized ze¡¯s absence, a renewed surge of panic and grief engulfing her as tears streamed down her face.


    ¡°ze!¡± she screeched, frantically scanning her surroundings for any sign of him. Her frustration and anger swelled, threatening to burst forth in a torrent of destructive energy-a way to release the pent-up turmoil within her.


    Then, out of nowhere, Orga materialized before her, effectively blocking her path. Arabe¡¯s eyes zed with fury as they bore into him, ready to unleash her wrath. ¡°What have you done with ze? Where is he?¡± she hissed, her voice quivering with anger.


    Despite her aggressive stance, Orga remained resolute andposed. In response to her vehement questions, his voice remained steady and reassuring. ¡°ze is safe, Arabe. He¡¯s been taken to the cave for treatment.¡±


    Arabe¡¯s skepticism red. ¡°I don¡¯t believe you,¡± she retorted, advancing a step toward Orga. ¡°You¡¯re lying. I know you¡¯re lying.¡±


    Undeterred, Orga met her gaze head-on. ¡°You have to believe me, Arabe. ze lives, and your tears yed a part in his salvation. Evidence of it was found on him,¡± his tone softened, a glimmer of empathy in his eyes.


    As her anger ebbed, confusion and doubt crept in. Could it be true? Could ze truly be alive? She shook her head, attempting to clear her mind off the chaotic whirlwind of emotions.


    ¡°I¡­ I need to see him. I need to ensure he¡¯s alright,¡± her voice barely audible, a tremor in her words.


    Orga nodded, his demeanor understanding. ¡°Come with me,¡± he beckoned, gesturing for Arabe to follow.


    Exiting the building, Arabe¡¯s heightened senses caught the sound of approaching footsteps. She pivoted to face the source and gasped as she beheld Sandro standing there-his expression twisted into a sinister grin, his eyes glinting with menace.


    Frozen in ce, her heart raced with fear, memories of their prior encounter resurfacing vividly. A step back was met with Sandro¡¯s confident advance, his smirk widening.


    ¡°Found you,¡± Sandro growled, a chilling deration that sent a shiver down her spine.

 Chapter 132

    ¡°I won¡¯t let you have your way, Sandro,¡± Orga snarled, his face contorted in anger as he red at Sandro, whom he believed should have fled after their discement.


    Aware that he was the one after Arabe, Orga tried to shield her, but Alessia¡¯s involvement was also a significant factor in his motivations. Surveying his surroundings, he realized Alessia was no longer amidst the ruins; she must have escaped.


    Sandro¡¯s scoff snapped Orga¡¯s attention back to him. His eyes glinted with amusement. ¡°And just what are you nning to do about it? Star in a cosy?¡± Sandro chuckled though irritationced his voice.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    The air crackled with tension between the two men as Orga assumed an offensive stance. Before he couldunch himself at Sandro, Arabe stepped forward, obstructing his path.


    ¡°My Queen, you need to step aside. This man must pay for what he¡¯s done to you,¡± Orga growled, his fists still clenched.


    Arabe raised a brow, certain she hadn¡¯t disclosed much about herself except her status as a phoenix. She wondered how Orga knew about Sandro¡¯s actions.


    Though tempted to question him, she realized now wasn¡¯t the appropriate time. cing a hand on his shoulder, she halted him in his tracks. ¡°I¡¯ll handle him,¡± Arabe asserted, her voice brooking no argument.


    Caught off guard, Orga protested. ¡°What? You can¡¯t possibly fight him. Look at you; you¡¯re utterly exhausted.¡±


    Arabe¡¯s expression hardened with resolve. ¡°I must do this, Orga,¡± she insisted. ¡°I need to be the one to bring him down. I require the satisfaction of being the one who defeats him.¡± She shot a re at Sandro.


    Orga hesitated, torn between his protective instincts and his faith in Arabe¡¯s capabilities. He didn¡¯t want to abandon her to face the potentially advantaged Sandro alone. However, deep down, he recognized her point. She needed to confront this final battle alone.


    ¡°Okay,¡± he finally relented, though his voice carried a note of caution. ¡°But please, be careful.¡± Orga unfurled his wings and readied himself to take flight.


    Turning to him, Arabe offered a faint smile. ¡°Goodbye, Orga,¡± she murmured softly. Her gaze followed him as he ascended into the sky, growing smaller and smaller until he vanished from sight.


    Arabe redirected her attention from Orga and stepped towards Sandro. Her heart raced within her chest as she confronted him, his cold smirk on full disy.


    Weeks of training had led to this moment, sharpening her skills and mastering new techniques, all to bring down the monster who had inflicted so much pain.


    Approaching him, Arabe understood the gravity of taking down Sandro and was determined not to sumb to her fear. She longed for ze to witness her fight, thoughforted by the knowledge that he was safe and distant from harm¡¯s reach.


    When their gazes locked, her pulse surged. Arabe battled a wave of uncertainty. Was she truly prepared for the looming conflict, or would Sandro prove an insurmountable challenge?


    Recalling the injuries he¡¯d inflicted and the chaos he¡¯d sown, her resolve solidified. His intention to take her away couldn¡¯t be allowed. The prospect of submitting to him kindled a fierce rage.


    Inhaling deeply, Arabe shut her eyes, concentrating on summoning her wings from her back. A tingling spread through her as her energy concentrated, and she pushed herself, attempting to muster the strength to reveal her wings.


    A bead of sweat traced her forehead as fatigue pressed down. Despite her waning energy, Arabe refused to betray vulnerability.


    Atst, she felt them  the mystical ps emerging from her back. Gritting her teeth, Arabe pushed herself further, focusing all her concentration on the emergence of her wings. As the wings sprouted from her back, Sandro stood nearby,pletely enraptured by the sight.


    With growing apprehension, Arabe watched as he approached her, his movements fluid and graceful, resembling a predator closing in on its prey. He loomed over her, his presence imposing and overwhelming. She fought to remain still, suppressing any flinching, determined to stand tall and meet his gaze with equal intensity.


    ¡°Oh, your coven granted you wings, huh?¡± Sandro¡¯s voice dripped with malice, and his smirk exuded both evil and intimidation. ¡°They¡¯re pretty,¡± he remarked, his gaze fixed on her wings. ¡°But I¡¯m certain they¡¯ll be even prettier when hanging on the wall in my room.¡±


    His lips curled into a smirk, revealing an evil gleam in his eyes.


    Arabe¡¯s spine stiffened, her heart racing as she sensed the dangerous energy emanating from him.


    ¡°Moreover, I was right about you, sweetheart,¡± Sandro drawled, his toneden with condescension.


    The word ¡®sweetheart¡¯ felt like a dagger aimed at her chest, designed to undermine her confidence and strength. Arabe refused to let it affect her.


    ¡°My name is Arabe Collins,¡± she dered, locking eyes with him. ¡°And I will never be anything to you. You have no right to call me ¡®sweetheart¡¯ or any other endearing name. I am not your possession.¡±


    Sandro¡¯s smirk wavered momentarily at the strength of her voice, and he scoffed. ¡°Whatever,¡± he waved his hand dismissively. ¡°I¡¯m not here for pleasantries either. I have another purpose. To im what is rightfully mine. And you, Be, are mine.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t belong to you!¡± Arabe growled, her voice charged with anger. The force she spoke with made everything in the room tremble, including Sandro.


    He staggered back a few steps, taken aback by the intensity of her power. Arabe held her ground, her wings extending to their full length as she readied herself for a confrontation.


    Sandro¡¯s steps stirred up dust as he paused in front of Arabe. The sly grin on his face widened as he spoke. ¡°Well, well, well. Arabe, the great and mighty, always ready with a sharp retort.¡±


    Her wings instinctively fanned out behind her as she bristled at his words. ¡°Stay back, Sandro,¡± she warned, her voice low and threatening. ¡°I won¡¯t hesitate to attack if youe any closer.¡±


    Raising an eyebrow, Sandro simply disregarded her warning and moved even closer, encroaching upon her personal space with his presence. Despite her best efforts, Arabe could feel her perseverance faltering. Her muscles trembled with the effort of holding herself back as she struggled to contain the anger rapidly boiling within her.


    As Sandro closed in on her, she recognized the necessity to take action. Gathering every ounce of her strength, she charged towards him, her clenched fist surrounded by a red aura pulsating with power. She directed the punch straight at his face, aiming to incapacitate him with a single blow. However, as the strike drew nearer, Arabe was hit by a sudden wave of exhaustion. The previous battle with Alessia had depleted her energy reserves, leaving her drained and empty.


    The punchnded weakly on Sandro¡¯s shoulder, causing Arabe to stumble forward, her body faltering under the weight of fatigue. Her wings fluttered feebly, and she struggled to remain upright. Blurriness invaded her vision, and her knees weakened  she knew a copse was imminent. Yet, just before she hit the ground, arge pair of hands caught her, and she looked up to find Sandro¡¯s face illuminated by a gleam of satisfaction.


    ¡°Sandro¡­stay away¡­¡± Her murmurs of incoherent warnings were disregarded as Sandro seemed to derive amusement from her distress, smirking down at her.


    She strained to break free from his grip. Observing his surroundings, Sandro noticed the absence of Alessia and Janice. Looking back at Arabe, who had ceased struggling, he remarked, ¡°Seems your witchery couldn¡¯t rescue you this time.¡± His grip on her arms remained unyielding. Arabe¡¯s heart raced, a cold shiver of fear coursing down her spine. Sheprehended that she was now at Sandro¡¯s mercy  how had circumstances spiraled to this point?


    Sandro¡¯s gaze remained fixed on Arabe¡¯s once-vibrant red and gold wings, now deted and faded on her back. The sight satisfied him, and he relished how they diminished her appearance, making her seem weak.


    ¡°Leave me¡­ alone,¡± Arabe murmured weakly, her voice barely audible above a whisper. But Sandro¡¯sughter only grew louder, as he savored her vulnerability.


    He harbored no intention of releasing her. In one swift movement, he hoisted Arabe over his broad shoulder, prompting her to cry out in agony. Sandro was spiriting her away to a destination unknown. Despite her weakened state, Arabe remained conscious, unable to put up a fight, helpless to halt his actions. She could only observe in panic as the world around her spun.

 Chapter 133

    Sandro stood beside Arabe¡¯s bed, her eyes closed and her breathing calm. He anxiously awaited the pack doctor, Mrs. Mabel, to finish examining her.


    The middle-aged woman with graying hair turned to him, a satisfied smile lighting up her face. ¡°Congrattions, Alpha,¡± she said excitedly. ¡°Arabe is pregnant, and she¡¯s been in this state for about eight weeks now.¡±


    ¡°W-what?¡± Sandro stuttered, caught off-guard by the news. He wondered if he had heard her right and hoped she would repeat it.


    ¡°She¡¯s pregnant, Alpha. And I believe she became unconscious because she used so much energy, and the baby is drawing energy from her, leaving not enough for both of them,¡± Mrs. Mabel exined.


    Arabe was pregnant, and Sandro mulled it over. A rush of unfamiliar emotions swirled within him as he thought about possibly having a child who would one day be the next Alpha of the Moon Howler¡¯s Pack.


    He had never entertained such a thought before. Heck, he never imagined having a child of his own. But right now, it didn¡¯t sound so bad, even though it was with Arabe, his sworn enemy. He didn¡¯t mind taking the child from her and discarding her afterward.


    He loathed Arabe; he should also hate the child. However, the emotion never came.


    Sandro nced down at Arabe¡¯s still form, feeling a surge of protectiveness kick in. He knew he had something incredibly precious to look after  his child. At least if he were to die early like he was foreseeing, his legacy would not be erased.


    His mind filled with anticipation as he eagerly asked the doctor, ¡°Can you tell if it¡¯s a boy or a girl now, doctor?¡±


    Mrs. Mabel smiled gently, understanding his anxiety. ¡°Well, it¡¯s best to wait a few weeks before we can determine that for more urate results, Alpha,¡± she said. Sandro nodded, looking away and diving back into his thoughts.


    Despite the disappointment coursing through him, he was still happy that it was definitely his baby. After all, he was the one who had taken her virginity.


    Or was the child, not his?


    Sandro¡¯s fleeting happiness quickly faded as his thoughts turned to ze. To his angered dismay, ze was connected with Arabe, raising the question of whether the child she carried belonged to him or that traitor.


    At the mere thought of ze potentially being the father, Sandro¡¯s hands balled into fists, his anger smoldering within.


    Sandro squinted and questioned, ¡°Are you entirely certain the child is mine?¡±


    Taken aback by his query, Mrs. Mabel hesitated before responding. ¡°I cannot guarantee with absolute certainty, Alpha. However, the child is likely yours.¡±


    Sandro¡¯s grip on the duvet tightened as his mind seethed with anger. ze had betrayed him in the worst way possible. Not only had he gone behind his back, taken what was rightfully his, and conspired with Thalia to deceive him, but now he had also impregnated Arabe.


    Sandro couldn¡¯t even consider the potential consequences of that. His emotions were so overwhelming that he felt on the verge of exploding.


    He growled, reaching out to Arabe and shaking her, ¡°Wake up, Arabe!¡±


    ¡°Arabe!¡± he yelled again, his voice harsh and unforgiving.


    Arabe¡¯s eyes slowly opened, unfocused and hazy, as she tried to shake off the grogginess clouding her mind. While struggling to regain awareness, she saw Sandro¡¯s piercing eyes staring back at her fiercely, sending a shiver of fear down her spine.


    Arabe sat up gradually, rubbing her eyes and attempting toprehend Sandro¡¯s words. ¡°What happened?¡±


    His face was only inches from hers; his jaw clenched tightly as his words sliced through the silence. ¡°Is it mine?¡± he growled.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Arabe asked. She was still trying to understand why Sandro was before her and why he was asking a question she didn¡¯t understand.


    ¡°Don¡¯t act ignorant, Arabe,¡± he snarled. ¡°Is the child mine?¡±


    Arabe was taken aback and bewildered by his sudden outburst. Her head throbbed, and her thoughts were in disarray, making it hard to grasp what was going on. Gradually, her surroundings came into focus as her confusion cleared. She realized she was lying in an unfamiliar hospital room, a pack doctor in the corner, and Sandro yelling at her for some reason.


    ¡°What child?¡± she asked again, her voice barely audible, a painful knot forming in her stomach.


    Sandro¡¯s face twisted with outrage and jealousy as he pulled back, pacing around the room.


    As he paced, he felt the suffocating weight of uncertainty pressing down on him. He exhaled slowly, attempting to calm himself down, but it wasn¡¯t effective. His clenched fists and the heat radiating from his body betrayed the inner turmoil he was experiencing.


    Sandro¡¯s eyes zed with intensity as he fixed his gaze on Arabe, demanding answers. ¡°I need to know who the father is,¡± he growled, his voice low and dangerous.


    ¡°I swear I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about,¡± Arabe said, trying to convey as much conviction as possible.


    Sandro¡¯s jaw tightened upon hearing her words. ¡°You¡¯re pregnant with a child, and I want to know who the father is.¡± The direct usation hit like a blow, and Arabe felt like she had been thrust into chaos.


    Her heart skipped a beat as she struggled to process the startling news she had just received. Pregnant? That couldn¡¯t be true. She wrestled toprehend the situation, her mind racing to understand it all.


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t understand,¡± Arabe¡¯s voice quivered.


    Sandro¡¯s eyes narrowed as he stepped closer to her, his expression growing even darker. Arabe instinctively recoiled, unsettled by the intensity of his gaze.


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand?¡± he grunted. ¡°Allow me to rify. You¡¯re carrying a child, and I want to know who the father is now.¡±Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    Arabe recalled beingte for her period, but she had momentarily forgotten about it. As reality hit and she remembered, a flood of emotions surged through her  fear, confusion, and a profound unease. So it was true she was pregnant, but who was the father? Sandro or ze?

 Chapter 134

    ¡°I won¡¯t ask again, Arabe,¡± warned Sandro sternly. ¡°Tell me who it is, or there will be consequences.¡±


    Sandro had never used her full name before, and the tone he used was unsettling.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Sandro,¡± she managed, her voice trembling. ¡°I didn¡¯t even realize I was pregnant.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re lying!¡± Sandro¡¯s voice was sharp. ¡°If you don¡¯t give me the answers I want, I¡¯ll find a way to make you tell the truth.¡±


    Arabe¡¯s heart raced at his threat. She knew Sandro was someone not to be taken lightly, and the thought of him causing her pain again sent a chill down her spine. She also understood she was too weak to resist him if he decided to confront her physically. Despite her fear, she couldn¡¯t think of a way out.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what to say,¡± she stammered.Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    ¡°You better start figuring out your words before Ie back.¡± Sandro hissed; he turned and exited the hospital room.


    Once he was gone, an oppressive silence filled the room.


    ncing around at where she was, she realized several guards with wicked-looking guns were by the door. She hadn¡¯t noticed them until now.


    Still, she couldn¡¯t stay. There should be a way out for her. She wondered about Orga and the rest-what they must be thinking. Perhaps they assumed she was dead, or they must have dered her missing and searched for her.


    Approaching Arabe, Mrs. Mabel ced a hand on her shoulder, offering aforting squeeze. ¡°I¡¯m sorry you¡¯re dealing with this,¡± she said before adding, ¡°I¡¯ll give you some privacy now. Remember, if you need anything, just use the button on the bedside table.¡±


    Arabe weakly nodded, her gaze following the doctor as she left. Coping with the reality of her pregnancy was overwhelming. She struggled to ept that it was truly happening to her.


    Yet, here she was-pregnant and alone, her mind clouded by uncertainty about the father of her child.


    An intuition she couldn¡¯t shake told her that ze might be the one responsible for her pregnancy. It wasn¡¯t based on any concrete evidence, just an instinct that ran deep. Then again, it could very well be Sandro¡¯s child.


    She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath in an attempt to clear her thoughts. But then, it did little to help her situation.


    Sometimeter, Mrs. Mabel returned to Arabe¡¯s room, breaking her train of thought.


    ¡°Doctor, you¡¯re back so soon after leaving?¡± she inquired.


    ¡°The Alpha requested that I check on you again,¡± the doctor exined, moving to Arabe¡¯s bedside and checking her monitors, jotting notes in her book.


    Desperationpelled Arabe to ask the doctor, ¡°Is it true? Am I really pregnant?¡±


    Perhaps the doctor could say it was a joke and they were trying to test her patience. Maybe she could tell her the truth now, and they wouldugh about it.


    But she gazed at her sympathetically. ¡°Yes, Arabe, you are indeed pregnant. You¡¯re approximately eight weeks along.¡±


    Once again, the reality hit Arabe hard, her heart sinking, and the hope that once surged through her while thinking it might be a joke died immediately.


    The thought of carrying Sandro¡¯s child made her feel nauseous. ¡°I can¡¯t go through with this,¡± she murmured, her voice barely audible. ¡°I can¡¯t bring a monster¡¯s baby into this world. I want an abortion.¡±


    Mrs. Mabel looked at Arabe with worry. ¡°I can¡¯t help you with that, Arabe. If the Alpha discovers I¡¯m doing anything without his approval, he¡¯ll be enraged. It might even cost me my life.¡±


    ¡°What options do I have?¡± Arabe asked, desperation seeping through her voice. ¡°I¡¯ll do anything you ask; I don¡¯t want to keep it.¡±


    Mrs. Mabel sighed, her expression sympathetic. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Arabe, but you need to address your issues with the Alpha. He¡¯s not as heartless as you think. He¡¯s¡­plex.¡±


    Arabe scoffed, ¡°He is notplex? He¡¯s a monster! He¡¯s condemned me to imprisonment!¡±


    ¡°I know it might not make sense now, Arabe, but you should try to see that the alpha has his reasons. He¡¯s not just being malicious. He¡¯s doing what he thinks is best for his pack,¡± Mrs. Mabel exined gently.


    Arabe shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t care about his reasons. I can¡¯t allow him to control my life like this.¡±


    ¡°I understand how challenging this is, Arabe, but I don¡¯t see a way around it,¡± Mrs. Mabel admitted.


    Arabe¡¯s anger pushed her to channel her powers. She visualized the room crumbling, ss and wood splintering in her mind¡¯s eye. Yet, to her dismay, nothing urred. Her powers seemed suppressed as if restrained by an invisible barrier.


    She tried once more, shutting her eyes tight and focusing intently on her abilities-still, nothing. Arabe¡¯s eyes flew open, her irritation growing.


    Locking eyes with Mrs. Mabel, she demanded, ¡°Why are my powers not working?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s at the Alpha¡¯s direction to-¡±


    ¡°Why would you let him do this to me? Am I some caged animal?¡± Arabe¡¯s voice shook with rage, interrupting her.


    Mrs Mabel maintained herposure. ¡°We didn¡¯t lock you up, Arabe. We¡¯re just taking precautions to ensure your safety and the baby¡¯s well-being.¡±


    Arabe grimaced, her lips twisting with disgust. ¡°Well-being? How can you say that? This baby is a monster¡¯s child. Its father is a monster!¡±


    ¡°I recognize the difficulty you¡¯re facing, but you need to remain calm. Sandro is a formidable alpha, and it¡¯s in your best interest not to defy him. Acting without his consent could put both you and the baby in danger.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t just sit here and let this unfold!¡± Arabe eximed. ¡°I need to escape.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but you¡¯re not allowed to leave. The Alpha genuinely has your well-being in mind.¡± Mrs Mabel replied.


    ¡°You have no idea what he¡¯s capable of. You don¡¯t know the things he¡¯s subjected me to, and there¡¯s nothing caring about his nature,¡± Arabe countered, frustration etched on her face.


    ¡°I understand your feelings, Arabe. However, we¡¯re bound by orders we must follow,¡± Mrs. Mabel reiterated.


    Her repetitive response was like that of an automated machine, fueling Arabe¡¯s anger further.


    In an explosion of fury, Arabe screamed, ¡°Alessandro De Luca, I swear I¡¯ll take your life with my own hands. Just wait and watch!¡±

 Chapter 135

    Orga¡¯s worry grew stronger as he kept checking the clock. The hands seemed to move so slowly, teasing him with their slowness. He¡¯d been checking for what felt like hours, his anxiety building with each passing minute.


    Arabe had been out with Sandro for a long time, and a sense of unease gnawed at him. He tried to distract himself by pacing the cave¡¯s rough stone floor, but his thoughts kept returning to Arabe.


    Had they argued? Was she hurt? Or worse, something bad happened to her?


    Orga wondered if he should have gone with Arabe despite her insistence on handling things alone.


    And then there was ze. Despite all his efforts to save him, ze¡¯s breathing remained shallow and troubled. Orga couldn¡¯t help but wonder if ze would ever awaken from hisa.


    Orga had enlisted a team of magical medical experts to care for ze. They worked tirelessly to determine the cause of his condition, but even they were baffled. They¡¯d run every conceivable test, yet nothing seemed to help.


    Was it a toxic substance, or perhaps an unnoticed head injury? He couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that he¡¯d missed something crucial. Despite the gravity of the situation, he remained determined not to give up on ze.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    Yes, he had warned him countless times, and if he had left Arabe alone, he wouldn¡¯t be in the condition, but that doesn¡¯t mean he would give up just yet.


    And then he wondered how Arabe would take the news of how they had helped him to no avail.


    Orga had assured her ze would be fine, but now he wondered how he was going to tell her otherwise.


    Thalia stood in the corner, her eyes fixed on ze¡¯s still form. Tears streamed down her cheeks, and she wiped them away with the back of her hand. ¡°I told you to stay away from that girl,¡± she whispered, her voice trembling with emotion. ¡°Now look what she¡¯s done to you.¡±


    She had begged ze to avoid Arabe, but he¡¯d refused to listen. He¡¯d been infatuated with her since they¡¯d met, and nothing she said could change that.


    Guilt washed over Thalia. Maybe if she¡¯d tried harder to convince him, he wouldn¡¯t be in this state. But she knew ze¡¯s stubborn nature would have prevailed.


    She took a deep breath, attempting topose herself. She couldn¡¯t fall apart now; ze needed her the most. She walked to his bedside, taking his hand in hers.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, ze,¡± she whispered. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t protect you from this.¡±


    Even as she spoke, Thalia clung to hope. Maybe, just maybe, ze would wake up, and things would return to normal. She held onto that hope, praying for his return.


    Turning to Orga with tear-filled eyes, Thalia voiced her concern, ¡°Orga, please, tell me, will my brother survive?¡±


    Orga took a deep breath, meeting her gaze. ¡°Thalia, I wish I could give you a clear answer, but right now, I can¡¯t be certain.¡±


    Thalia¡¯s heart sank. She had clung to the hope that her brother would pull through, but now fear consumed her. ¡°What do you mean you¡¯re not sure?¡±


    ¡°Well, we¡¯re doing everything to keep him stable and aid his recovery, but his condition remains critical,¡± Orga exined gently. ¡°There¡¯s a chance things could take a turn for the worse.¡±


    Thalia nced back at ze. ¡°Could he¡­ lose his life like this?¡± she whispered.


    Orga hesitated before nodding solemnly. ¡°Unfortunately, yes, it¡¯s possible,¡± he said, cing aforting hand on her shoulder. ¡°But we¡¯re doing our best to prevent that.¡±


    Tears flowed down Thalia¡¯s cheeks as she tried to grasp what he had said. A thousand questions and a million fears filled her mind. What if he never woke up? How could she go on without him?


    Her tears returned as she asked, ¡°How did this happen? What happened to my brother?¡±


    Orga paused before answering, his voice low. ¡°There was a prophecy,¡± he said. ¡°ze had been warned multiple times about the risk to his life. He should¡¯ve stayed away from Arabe, but he didn¡¯t, and now he¡¯s paying for it.¡±


    Thalia was stunned. ¡°A prophecy?¡± she asked in disbelief. ¡°What kind of prophecy?¡±


    Orga sighed and said, ¡°The prophecy warned ze of the danger, but he chose to ignore it. Love can be blinding, you know.¡±


    Thalia couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡°This can¡¯t be happening,¡± she muttered. ¡°He¡¯s my brother. He¡¯s supposed to be strong.¡±


    ¡°I understand, Thalia. I wish I could say otherwise, but I can¡¯t. We¡¯ve done all we can, but his condition is critical. We¡¯re just waiting for him to pass so we can give him a proper farewell.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± she protested, tears welling up. ¡°There has to be something we can try.¡±


    Orga¡¯s expression remained somber. ¡°I wish there were, Thalia. Sometimes, fate takes control. All we can do now is support each other through this tough time.¡±


    With a heavy heart, Thalia nodded, her tears falling freely. Facing the reality that her brother might not make it was unimaginably painful.

 Chapter 136

    Sandro¡¯s heavy footsteps echoed into the room, making Arabe jump in surprise.


    He scowled, ring from Mrs Mabel, who trembled at the sight of him, to Arabe, who tried to act as fearless as possible.


    Yet, he could see the fear that emerged to the surface every now and then.


    He was furious. Sandro had overheard all that was said as he was within earshot.


    He wondered if they realized that. Maybe that was why they looked afraid, although he doubted there was anything for the doctor to be afraid of as she didn¡¯t entertain the idea of Arabe aborting the child in her.


    Tension filled the room, making it hard to breathe. Arabe sensed Sandro¡¯s anger radiating from him. When he spoke, his voice was low and menacing.


    ¡°Not if I kill you first,¡± he growled, never taking his eyes off her.


    He heard. He heard everything that was said. Arabe shuddered, emitting a breath. She flushed a deep shade of red before averting her gaze from him.


    Yet, she still felt the intensity of his gaze on her.


    ¡°You need to tell me everything about that demon inside you,¡± He snapped.


    Although she was afraid and couldn¡¯t imagine what he might do to her, Arabe refused to show fear and give him the satisfaction that she was afraid.


    She scoffed defiantly, ¡°You can¡¯t keep me captive forever. My people wille, and they¡¯ll make sure you pay for your actions.¡±


    ¡°Try all you want, Sandro,¡± she dered with fierce determination, ¡°You can¡¯t contain the fire within me. Threats won¡¯t silence a phoenix, much less the queen.¡±


    Sandro¡¯s face twisted with anger at her bold words, and he let out a low growl that filled the room.


    ¡°Mind your tongue, Arabe,¡± he warned, ¡°I¡¯m the Alpha, and I¡¯ve earned respect and obedience in Ascotan through my actions and leadership.¡±


    His eyes gleamed dangerously as he emphasized his words, trying to assert dominance and regain control. But Arabe wasn¡¯t easily intimidated; she met his hard stare with one of her own.


    ¡°Respect isn¡¯t something you can demand, Sandro,¡± she said calmly but firmly. ¡°It¡¯s earned through actions and trust. You¡¯re a monster, unworthy of your status.¡±


    Sandro¡¯s snarl grew deeper at her insinuation, and he stepped closer, his fists clenched. But Arabe cut him off before he could respond, hitting him where it hurt the most.


    ¡°Usurper,¡± she sneered, her voice dripping with contempt. ¡°That¡¯s what they call someone who ims the throne without the people¡¯s support and eptance.¡±


    Sandro¡¯s fierce gaze returned to Arabe. Ignoring herment, he said, ¡°No one cane into my territory and threaten me over you,¡± he growled. ¡°You¡¯re mine, and you always have been.¡±


    Arabe¡¯s teeth gritted, ¡°I¡¯m not your possession, Sandro,¡± she shot back. ¡°I¡¯m a person with my own choices and can¡¯t be owned.¡±


    Arabe¡¯s heart skipped a beat at his next word.


    ¡°I have reason to believe you¡¯re carrying my child,¡± he said, his intense gaze making her feel small and vulnerable. ¡°But a paternity test will confirm it. As much as I want that child in you not to be born fatherless, I won¡¯t father a demon.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s be clear,¡± he continued. ¡°If anyone confronts me about you or that child, I¡¯ll kill them without hesitation. If you care about yourself and your people, you¡¯ll tell me the truth while I¡¯m still being lenient.¡±


    ¡°Whose child is inside you, Arabe?¡± Sandro¡¯s eyes bore into hers, the intensity burning into her soul.


    She hesitated momentarily, feeling the weight of Sandro¡¯s expectations. She knew her answer would have far-reaching consequences, but the consequences be damned!


    Something inside Arabe snapped. She was fed up with being manipted and controlled by Sandro, tired of living in fear of what he might do to her or the baby.


    Without thinking, she blurted out. ¡°It is ze¡¯s.¡±


    Sandro¡¯s expression darkened as he processed her words. For a moment, he said nothing, his eyes searching hers for any sign of deceit.


    He couldn¡¯t quite understand why the mention of his former Beta, ze, filled him with such fury. It wasn¡¯t just the betrayal he felt at ze¡¯s defection; it was the fact that he had been intimate with Arabe and, worse, that she had enjoyed it.


    The thought of Arabe in ze¡¯s bed lingered in Sandro¡¯s mind, and the thought of ze experiencing the same pleasures was almost unbearable. Despite his anger, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a pang of jealousy and hurt.Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    Sandro moved aggressively towards her, grabbing her arm and pulling her off the bed without any gentleness. Arabe cried out in pain as he mmed her into the wall.


    ¡°That child in you needs to leave,¡± he seethed. ¡°I don¡¯t care if I have to tear it out or torture you until you bleed. You¡¯ll have no other man, especially a demon spawn, in you!¡±


    Arabe¡¯s heart thumped as she stared up at Sandro, ¡°You can¡¯t do this, Sandro,¡± she pleaded, her voice trembling with fear. ¡°You can¡¯t hurt me or the child.¡±


    Sandro¡¯s anger zed in his eyes as he stared down at her. ¡°I can do whatever I want,¡± he snarled. ¡°I¡¯m the Alpha. I am Alessandro De Luca, and I won¡¯t let some demon spawn take you or my pack away from me.¡±


    Arabe struggled to free herself, but his grip remained unyielding, tears welled in her eyes.


    She felt lost and terrified, not knowing how to escape the dire situation and fearing for the safety of herself and her unborn child.

 Chapter 137

    Sitting alone in the small room, Arabe¡¯s mind raced with worries. She remained under Sandro¡¯s control, wondering why no one hade for her yet. She also thought about ze and how he was holding up, whether he was awake and concerned for her.


    She felt the weight of Sandro¡¯s constant presence. He frequently entered the room, either watching her silently or berating her for carrying ze¡¯s child. She knew she should confess the truth but didn¡¯t want to.


    Feeling trapped, like a bird in a cage, Arabe longed for her freedom, the wind in her hair. Surprisingly, she even missed the Phoenix cave and Orga.


    Though she vowed not to give him the satisfaction of seeing her defeated, she couldn¡¯t deny her difort in his presence.


    Lost in thought, Arabe didn¡¯t notice Sandro entering the room until he spoke. Startled, she looked up and met his gaze.


    ¡°That¡¯s newsing from you,¡± he remarked, a trace of amusement in his voice.


    Confused, Arabe furrowed her brow. ¡°What do you mean?¡± she asked.


    Sandro smirked. ¡°You mentioned being ufortable around me,¡± he replied. Despite the amusement in his voice, his face remained impassive. ¡°I assumed that thought was meant for your ears alone, but you said it loud enough for me to hear,¡± he added dryly.


    She couldn¡¯t recall saying those words aloud. Her gaze shifted away from him, focusing on herp.


    ¡°Let me go,¡± she said quietly, still avoiding eye contact. ¡°I don¡¯t understand why you¡¯re keeping me here. Either you¡¯re going to kill me, or you¡¯re going to let me go. Just make up your mind because staying in the same ce as you makes me want to throw up.¡±


    Sandro¡¯s expression turned serious. He took a step closer to her, his eyes locked onto hers.


    ¡°You¡¯re talking back to me because you fucked my Beta,¡± he used. ¡°That¡¯s why you¡¯re so defiant and disrespectful.¡±


    Arabe¡¯s eyes widened in surprise and indignation. ¡°ze has nothing to do with this,¡± she retorted, crossing her arms defensively.


    Sandro¡¯s eyes darkened with anger as he advanced towards her. ¡°He has everything to do with it,¡± he growled. ¡°He always has, from the very beginning. I¡¯ll capture ze and kill him in front of you if he¡¯s not dead already. And then I¡¯ll make sure he dies a slow and painful death before dealing with the frea¡­ child you¡¯re carrying.¡±


    Panic surged through Arabe as Sandro¡¯s words hit her like a blow to the stomach. Without thinking, she jumped out of the bed and grabbed his hand, desperation in her eyes. ¡°Please, Sandro, you can¡¯t hurt ze. He¡¯s innocent; he didn¡¯t do anything wrong.¡±Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    Yanking his hand out of her grip, Sandro snarled, ¡°Why should I leave him alone? Did you enjoy being with him so much that you can¡¯t bear to see him die? Maybe I should take something from him, too, like he took something from me¡­ Like cutting off his dick¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t hurt him, please,¡± Arabe pleaded, attempting to reason with Sandro. ¡°It¡¯s not his fault.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Sandro growled. ¡°He knew you were mine, and he still crossed that line. He¡¯s betrayed me, and he will pay the price for it.¡±


    Tears welled up in the corners of her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. Weakness wasn¡¯t an option in front of Sandro, not now, not ever.


    ¡°He¡¯s innocent,¡± she repeated, her voice quivering. ¡°Please, Sandro, don¡¯t hurt him.¡±


    Sandro seized her by the arm and pulled her close, his breath warm against her face. ¡°Innocent is not how I see it, my dear Be,¡± he hissed. ¡°ze betrayed me. He broke our code of conduct, knowing exactly what he was doing. And you¡­ You belong to me, every part of you. No one else has the right to touch you. No one.¡± With a release, she stumbled backward, feeling like a puppet whose strings had been cut.


    ¡°It¡¯s best you pray to whatever power you believe in,¡± Sandro spat as he strode out of the room. ¡°Not even your position as a queen can save him.¡±


    Arabe copsed to the floor, her head buried in her hands. Her body shook as sobs wracked her.


    ¡°No, no, no¡­¡± she muttered, shaking her head, the thought of ze¡¯s death consuming her.


    The mafia¡¯s rules were etched into her soul, just as they were for Sandro. The code of omerta and other unspoken codes were sacrosanct among mafia members.


    Anyone who breached it faced grave consequences. ze had vited that code by being with her, and Sandro was using it as a weapon. To Sandro, ze was like a traitor, and as the gang¡¯s leader, he had to enforce the rules. ze had to serve as an example, a warning to all that betrayal would not be tolerated.


    Arabe¡¯s heart sank as she understood that ze was as good as dead. Sandro was a man of his word, and he had sworn to kill ze in her presence. A nauseating realization overcame her; she was the cause of ze¡¯s impending doom.


    Arabe understood that the Phoenix cave was heavily fortified, but she couldn¡¯t ignore the fact that Sandro had formidable witches supporting him. Despite her own considerable power, she had been overpowered by them. She had to entertain the grim possibility that Sandro could breach the cave¡¯s defenses and reach ze.


    ¡°I have to reach ze first!¡± Arabe eximed, brushing away the tears that angrily streaked down her cheeks.


    Desperation surged within her, but the room was her prison. She needed to escape, but how? And even if she managed to break free, how could she evade Sandro¡¯s ever-watchful gaze? The odds were stacked against her, and the weight of her powerlessness pressed upon her like never before.

 Chapter 138

    Arabe panted heavily, pressing a hand to her chest. The other hand wiped the sweat from her face as she tried to steady her breathing. She nced around, searching frantically, hoping Sandro hadn¡¯t dispatched his guards after her.Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    Somehow, she¡¯d managed to escape. Arabe couldn¡¯t quite fathom how it happened, but the moment Sandro exited the room, she found herself outside the pack house. It was as if something had taken hold of her, propelling her deeper into the woods without pause.


    Arabe mused on whether the guards had been asleep, missing her departure from the room. She also puzzled over how she¡¯d managed to leave a heavily fortified chamber. She concluded that she must have somehow breached the barrier, her determination oveing the obstacle.


    Summoning thest reserves of her strength, she burst out of the woods, her gaze fixed on the Phoenix cave, just a short distance away.


    But she doubted she could reach it.


    Arabe stumbled, trying to walk further. Her foot caught a pebble, and though she fought to regain bnce, it seemed nearly impossible. She braced for impact, but a sturdy arm wrapped around her instead.


    ¡°My queen,¡± the voice said.


    Arabe blinked, clearing the haze from her vision to focus on the face above her. He was one of the guards who usually patrolled near the woods.


    Arabe wondered why she hadn¡¯t spotted him until now. Her mind must have been preupied, and she was too exhausted to notice.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± he asked, his eyes filled with concern. Arabe gently pushed his arm aside, attempting to stand, but she faltered.


    The guard¡¯s arms encircled her once more. Instead of resisting, she allowed him to steady her.


    ¡°Take me to the cave,¡± she whispered. ¡°Take me to ze.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my queen,¡± the guard replied without hesitation, respecting her wish without further inquiry.


    ***


    ze jolted awake abruptly, wheezing. His eyes widened as he scanned the room.


    ¡°What the hell?!¡± Thalia screeched, her eyes widening as they locked onto ze.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Be?¡± ze rasped, clutching his throat.


    ¡°Cole!¡± She screamed, snapping out of her initial shock. She enveloped him in her arms, tears streaming down her face.


    He was alive. Her brother was alive!


    ¡°Where the hell is Be?!¡± ze demanded again.


    ¡°Unbelievable!¡± Thalia scoffed, her voice tinged with irritation despite her surprise at his revival. ¡°How can he wake up and ask for the woman who put him in danger in the first ce?! I¡¯ll never understand what she did to you, but I hope you snap out of it soon.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s Be, Thalia?¡± ze¡¯s gaze bore into hers.


    Thalia opened her mouth to respond, but Arabe¡¯s voice cut through.


    ¡°I am here!¡± Arabe cried as she burst into the room.


    ze rose unsteadily, moving towards Arabe, who was rushing toward him.


    They met halfway and embraced.


    ¡°You¡¯re alive,¡± Arabe wept. ¡°You¡¯re alive!¡±


    She cradled his face, her eyes searching his. Arabe wondered if he might vanish as if she were caught in a hallucination. He had died right before her eyes. He had stopped breathing. Though Orga had warned her he might be revived, she hadn¡¯t fully epted the possibility while in Sandro¡¯s custody. Seeing ze alive now unleashed all the emotions she¡¯d suppressed.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry I couldn¡¯t protect you,¡± Arabe sobbed into his chest. ¡°I wanted to, but I was too weak, and¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey, hey¡­¡± ze cupped her face with his hand, shaking his head. ¡°I¡¯m alive, and it¡¯s not your fault.¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± Arabe insisted, shaking her head. ¡°If we hadn¡¯t left, you wouldn¡¯t have been in that position.¡±


    ¡°True,¡± ze managed a weak smile. ¡°But I was meant to be your protector, not the other way around. So I failed you, too.¡±


    ¡°But how are you not dead? Considering the prophecy and all¡­¡± Arabe wondered aloud.


    ¡°I told you never to worry about that,¡± ze said. ¡°And I believe the goddess wanted us together, or I wouldn¡¯t be talking with you now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just d you¡¯re alive,¡± Arabe replied.


    Thalia sighed as she watched them both. She wanted to scold him for his recklessness, for putting himself in such danger, but she couldn¡¯t. ze was alive. That was what truly mattered. She hadn¡¯t been so terrified in her life as she was when she saw ze lying helplessly in the corner.


    Thalia had prayed fervently to the goddess for him toe back to life. She¡¯d even vowed to do all that was right in her eyes. Thest time she¡¯d prayed this intensely was after her parents¡¯ death.


    She¡¯d pleaded for them to return, but her prayers hadn¡¯t been answered. Thalia had assumed it would be the same for ze. Again, she was grateful that the countless nightmares of him dying hadn¡¯te to pass. She wondered what she would have done if ze hadn¡¯t woken up.


    Orga entered the room, nked by two warriors on each side. When he saw Arabe, he stopped, his brows knitting in amazement.


    ¡°H-how did you get here?¡± Orga asked astonishment in his voice.


    ¡°I escaped. It¡¯s a long story,¡± Arabe exined.


    ¡°We were on our way to rescue you, but I¡¯m relieved to see you here,¡± Orga admitted.


    He¡¯d spent the whole day pondering how he could save Arabe without inciting a war in Sandro¡¯s camp. He knew he couldn¡¯t take her without facing Sandro, and he suspected it wouldn¡¯t end without bloodshed.


    Arabe smiled and nodded. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Despite her gratitude, she was secretly relieved they hadn¡¯t arrived. Sandro would have likely used them for his vile purposes, and their powers would have been useless. She hadn¡¯t been able to harness hers, and she doubted they¡¯d fare any better.


    ¡°Now that you¡¯re back, what¡¯s our next move?¡± Orga inquired.


    ¡°Continue training and thenunch an assault on Sandro¡¯s pack,¡± Arabe dered, determination etching her features. She hadn¡¯t been able to take down Sandro alone, but with everyone together, she believed she could.


    And she wanted to move swiftly; she couldn¡¯t bear the thought of Sandro hunting her down once more.


    ¡°We must gather for a meeting,¡± Orga dered, and Arabe readily agreed with a nod.

 Chapter 139

    The meeting didn¡¯t unfold as Arabe had nned. Just as they entered the meeting hall, a loud bang reverberated outside, shaking the entire cave, followed by a shout.


    ¡°Arabeaaaa!¡± The unmistakable voice of Sandro echoed throughout the entire cave.


    ¡°Sandro,¡± Arabe winced, her gaze shifting from ze to Thalia, then to Orga, and back to ze.


    ¡°Sandro,¡± ze affirmed with a nod, stepping towards her and encircling her with his arm. He felt her shiver and leaned in, asking softly, ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°I am,¡± Arabe muttered, but ze wasn¡¯t entirely convinced. She was fidgeting with a button on his shirt, and he sighed, gently rubbing his palm up her arm. As much as he wanted to inquire about her well-being, he held back.


    He believed it wasn¡¯t the right moment to broach such matters.


    ¡°What should we do,¡± Arabe whispered, her eyes wide with fear, flickering back to ze.


    ¡°We wait to see what¡¯s going to happen,¡± ze replied. He was certain that making hasty decisions involving Sandro was thest thing anyone should consider.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to wait!¡± Arabe eximed.


    ¡°You have to,¡± ze insisted.


    ¡°No, no, no¡­¡± Arabe shook her head. She couldn¡¯t quite put a finger on why she was suddenly so frightened of Sandro. While she knew he¡¯d eventually track her down, she hadn¡¯t expected him so soon after her departure.


    What unsettled her most was that the attack on the cave¡¯s structure was making headway. She could sense its protective barrier weakening.


    ¡°Arabe!¡± Sandro¡¯s roar echoed again. ¡°Either youe out, or I¡¯ming in to get you myself.¡±


    ¡°I detest you so much,¡± hissed Arabe, her body trembling. ¡°I loathe you, Sandro. Let me live my life in peace!¡± She vehemently expressed thest sentence.


    As if in response to Arabe¡¯s outburst, Sandro let out a menacing growl. ¡°That demon within you must be aborted, and I¡¯m here to take you back. I won¡¯t leave until you¡¯re in my domain, where you rightfully belong!¡±


    ¡°Demon?¡± ze¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    Arabe bit her lower lip. She hadn¡¯t informed ze about what had transpired between Sandro and herself. She had hoped to do so after the meeting when they were alone, but then Sandro had arrived, disrupting everything as usual.


    ¡°Be,¡± ze murmured, cupping her face, his eyes searching hers. ¡°Is there something I should know?¡±


    Arabe shook her head, wincing as the sounds outside grew louder.


    ¡°You should rest, mydy. We¡¯ll handle him,¡± Orga suggested.


    Arabe began to shake her head, but ze interjected.


    ¡°Let Orga handle it. I¡¯ll assist him¡­¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Arabe eximed. ¡°Are you crazy?!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± ze asked, confused.


    Arabe¡¯s narrowed eyes made him wonder if he had misspoken. She was acting strangely, and he didn¡¯t like the fear he saw in her eyes.


    ¡°You can¡¯t confront Sandro,¡± she insisted, clutching his shirt. ¡°You can¡¯t, ze. I won¡¯t allow it.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± ze pressed.


    ¡°Because he¡¯s intent on killing you. He said that!¡± Arabe choked out. ¡°I can¡¯t bear the pain of seeing you lifeless again. I can¡¯t witness you die for a second time.¡±


    ¡°Come on, have a little trust, Be.¡± ze chuckled. ¡°I can handle Sandro, and he needs to be put in his ce.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t let you, ze!¡± Arabe dered. She wrapped her arms around him, resting her head on his chest. ¡°You¡¯re staying within the protection of this cave.¡±


    ¡°Now, you¡¯re behaving quite strangely,¡± ze remarked. ¡°I can¡¯t just stand by while they do all the work outside. That would be cowardly.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s better to act like a coward than to risk your life,¡± Arabe retorted.


    ze took a deep breath and gently tried to free her arms from around him as Orga and the others moved toward the door.


    ¡°Be, please listen¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to,¡± she muttered, then sniffled.


    ze felt her trembling, deepening the frown on his face.


    ¡°Are you crying?¡± he asked. Then he winced as her tearful face turned toward him.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Be. I didn¡¯t mean to upset you like this,¡± ze groaned.


    His arms enveloped her, and heforted her with a soothing caress on her back as her sobs grew stronger.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m not leaving,¡± ze dered. ¡°I¡¯ll stay right here with you, and I¡¯ll do whatever you need, even if it¡¯s just to watch your face.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re really staying?¡± Arabe asked, gently wiping the tears from her face.


    ¡°I am,¡± ze confirmed. ¡°Though I¡¯m not entirely sure what¡¯s happening, I trust you¡¯ll tell me when you¡¯re ready.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, ze,¡± Arabe said, shaking her head and wiping away thest of her tears. ¡°It was so thoughtless of me to act this way.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the one being a jerk,¡± ze admitted. He gently tilted her head so he could look into her eyes. Leaning in, he kissed the corner of her lip before giving her a reassuring smile. ¡°me me. I never meant to make you cry. Please forgive me.¡±


    Arabe nodded, and then she giggled, ¡°I forgive you.¡± For a fleeting moment, they held onto their position ¨C Arabe¡¯s arms still wrapped around him while ze tenderly caressed her and whispered sweet nothings in her ear.


    Arabe knew she¡¯d been insensitive and emotional, even though she couldn¡¯t pinpoint the exact reason behind her tears. She knew she had to reveal the truth.


    But how in the world was she going to do it? How could she tell him she was carrying Sandro¡¯s child?


    A whirlwind of thoughts raced through her mind as she contemted how ze would react. Would he be angry and use her? Would he demand she remove the child while trying to assert his own im on her?


    She couldn¡¯t tell him. Yet, she couldn¡¯t keep it from him either.


    ¡°As much as I hate to admit it, I agree with the bitch,¡± Thalia¡¯s voice cut through Arabe¡¯s reverie.


    Arabe let go of ze and turned to stare at Thalia.


    ¡°Thalia,¡± ze murmured as she approached them.


    She had been standing at the far end of the room, observing the unfolding events since they arrived at the expansive meeting hall for the phoenixes.


    ¡°I watched you die, Cole. I saw you dead, and now you¡¯re willingly putting yourself in danger! Don¡¯t you have any empathy? Even if you don¡¯t care for anyone else, don¡¯t you care about leaving your sister alone in this cruel world¡­¡±Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Thalia¡­¡± ze began, but his words were cut short.


    ¡°You¡¯re utterly selfish! I used to think Sandro was, but now, I¡¯m almost forgiving him. The title of ¡®most selfish man¡¯ rightfully belongs to you, Cole. Right now, being around you makes me want to do something drastic!¡± Thalia stormed out of the room before ze could respond.


    ¡°But I haven¡¯t done anything wrong!¡± He eximed, running a hand through his hair.


    ¡°You have,¡± Arabe gently affirmed. ¡°And while her words were harsh, I can¡¯t help but agree with her.¡±


    ze let out a frustrated groan. He grappled with the idea of being called selfish when he was only trying to protect them both. Yet, having the two people he cared about the most perceive him this way left him feeling utterly bewildered.

 Chapter 140

    ¡°He¡¯s gone berserk,¡± Orga panted, barging into the hall. Sweat and blood coated his face.


    ¡°Berserk?¡± Arabe asked, her brow tilted.


    ¡°Yeah, you know, when someone is furious? Sandro is beyond furious, and he doesn¡¯t resemble the person I saw before,¡± Orga exined. ¡°I doubt we can subdue him without giving him what he wants, considering he¡¯s not the main threat right now.¡±


    Orga was well aware of the threat to Arabe from the very beginning. He knew she had a twin and was familiar with the prophecy that kept them apart. However, he deliberately led her to believe it was Sandro, counting on her intense hatred to push her to unleash her maximum power rather than making her feel at ease.


    ¡°What do you mean you can¡¯t handle him?¡± Arabe asked, her brows furrowed. ¡°He¡¯s just one person. You¡¯re powerful and possess enough of the Phoenix to take down fifty werewolves!¡±


    ¡°Sandro isn¡¯t just any werewolf,¡± ze asserted.


    Arabe shook her head as she stared at him. ¡°Then what is he?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s an Alpha, Arabe,¡± ze said, his voice serious.


    ¡°Of course, I know that,¡± Arabe rolled her eyes. This foolish Alpha! ¡°Does that give him the right to act like he owns everything here?!¡±


    ¡°He does,¡± ze sighed. He stepped toward her and continued, ¡°He owns the entire territory of Ascotan. You should know this cave belongs to him because it¡¯s in Ascotan, and he can do as he pleases with his territory. Now, I don¡¯t think he¡¯s here alone, which mightplicate taking him down.¡±


    ze tilted his head and turned to Orga, ¡°Who¡¯s outside with him?¡±


    ¡°Some strangely attired women in white. They seem to be chanting spells.¡±


    ¡°Brianna,¡± ze whispered to himself. ¡°They¡¯re the witches of the pack.¡±


    Orga nodded, ¡°With each word they speak, he seems to gain a lot of strength to bring down the building. It¡¯s only a matter of time before the structure crumbles.¡±


    ¡°What do we do?¡± Arabe asked. ¡°I mean, we can¡¯t just watch him destroy everything, and I doubt it¡¯s the time for another meeting.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not,¡± Orga agreed.


    ¡°We give him what he wants, or else he won¡¯t stop,¡± ze said.


    Arabe¡¯s eyes narrowed at him. ¡°I¡¯m not going to that monster outside. Don¡¯t you dare suggest it to me! I¡¯m not leaving this cave.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not asking you to leave,¡± ze muttered. ¡°I¡¯ll go to him instead. He can do whatever he desires with me.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Arabe and Thalia yelled simultaneously.


    ze turned to the door where Thalia stood. He hadn¡¯t realized she had returned. Fury zed in her eyes as she marched towards him.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re really going through with this selfishness? Are you, not Cole?! You hate me this much?!¡± Thalia screeched.


    ¡°Thalia, listen¡­¡± ze started, but Thalia cut him off.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to listen to you!¡± She snapped. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear anything you have to say, Cole.¡±


    ze red at her before shoving a hand through his hair. ¡°I¡¯m trying to save you!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not saving!¡± Thalia shot back. ¡°It¡¯s the selfish you talking right now. It¡¯s ze talking, not my brother Cole!¡±


    ze heaved out a breath. ¡°Then I suggest you stop referring to me as Cole for now. I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t stop being selfish. I can¡¯t stop being selfish for your sake. If that¡¯s what it takes, I¡¯ll be that way forever,¡± ze said, his eyes flickering from Thalia to Arabe.


    ¡°ze,¡± Arabe said, moving towards him, but he shook his head.


    ¡°If you¡¯re here to reprimand me too, I suggest you hold your breath. I can¡¯t just stand and watch you be taken away. I can¡¯t watch my sister get hurt!¡±


    ¡°I understand, ze,¡± Arabe said. She reached him and held his hand. Even though she disagreed with his decision, thinking it was foolish and selfish, as Thalia had said, she knew ze¡¯s mind was already made up. He would go through with it.


    ze cupped her face. ¡°Then let me go. If it takes Sandro capturing me to leave you all alone, so be it. And don¡¯te after me, Arabe.¡±


    Arabe sighed. ¡°I have something to say to you.¡±


    ¡°It can wait,¡± ze whispered. ¡°Sandro won¡¯t keep me forever if he gets hold of me.¡±


    Arabe bit her lower lip. Sandro wouldn¡¯t keep him forever; he would kill him. ¡°I want to stop you,¡± she said, her grip tightening on his shirt. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to go to him.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t,¡± ze said. ¡°Sooner orter, I¡¯ll still be caught because I broke the group¡¯s vow. Let me pay for my sin.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my sin, too,¡± Arabe muttered. ¡°You didn¡¯t sin alone. I did, too, by being with you, ze. You don¡¯t have to face this alone.¡±


    ¡°I need to,¡± ze said, his hand wrapping around Arabe as she flinched.


    ¡°I need to leave.¡± He leaned in, kissing the corner of her mouth, bringing tears to Arabe¡¯s eyes. She couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that this might be thest time she¡¯d see him.


    ¡°Kiss me properly, ze. If you¡¯re leaving me here, you need to kiss me like you love me, not just some whore you picked up by the roadside.¡±


    ze smiled before pulling her into him, a hand at the back of her head, and he closed his lips around hers, pouring all his emotion into the kiss.


    He kissed her with such intensity that her toes curled and uncurled. Arabe felt giddy. Her heart thumped, and desire coursed through her. She wanted him, but she doubted there was enough time for them to indulge.


    She let out a breath as ze released her lips. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare die, ze,¡± she whispered, her hands gripping his shirt. ¡°I swear, I won¡¯t forgive you if it happens.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t die, Be,¡± ze chuckled, pinching her cheek. He wrapped his arms around her as her lips trembled, inhaling her scent once more. ¡°I¡¯lle back to you, Be.¡±


    Arabe said nothing. She could only nod her head and savor the warmth radiating off him before he let her go. As he stepped toward the door, the urge to run into his arms filled her, but she resisted. She knew that if she did, she wouldn¡¯t let him leave the cave.


    He had promised toe back. She guessed that was all that mattered right now.


    ¡°Cole,¡± Thalia¡¯s voice halted ze in his tracks. He was near the door, turning to her. He shook his head as she started towards him, but she didn¡¯t stop.


    ¡°What do I need to do to stop you from this suicidal trip you¡¯re about to embark on?¡± Tears streamed down her cheeks.


    ¡°Nothing, T,¡± ze said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me that!¡± Thalia sniffled, then giggled. Her lips quivered as she stared at him again. ¡°You¡¯re leaving me yet again.¡±


    ¡°I have no choice,¡± ze said.


    ¡°You have every choice in the whole world if you really want to stay. But you hate me so much and want to leave me alone.¡± Thalia sped her face and sobbed into her hands.


    ¡°Thalia,¡± ze groaned, stepping towards her. He clutched her hand, tugging her into him. For a brief moment, he said nothing, only caressing her back as she sobbed.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    When she eventually stopped, she stared up at him with red-rimmed eyes. ¡°Please don¡¯t. Sandro will kill you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the only way,¡± ze said.


    ¡°You know he¡¯ll kill you?¡± She asked, then her eyes widened as realization dawned on her. ¡°You know it¡¯s possible you won¡¯te back.¡± Her voice was bitter.


    She attempted to leave his embrace, but ze¡¯s hands tightened around her, and halted her.


    ¡°It¡¯s the code, Thalia,¡± ze said.


    ¡°But it isn¡¯t your fault. The bitch should go to him instead of you. He wants her, not you!¡± Thalia shouted.


    ¡°I broke it, and I need to face the punishment. I can¡¯t run away forever, and even if Sandro happens to have Be now, he won¡¯t stop hunting me down. I might as well face whatever punishment he has for me now rather than try to evade it,¡± ze tried to exin.


    ¡°I hate you so much, and I don¡¯t ever want to see your face!¡± Thalia cried. ¡°I hate you so much, Cole. You promised to protect me. Is this what protection is? You¡¯re still leaving me at his mercy.¡±


    ze groaned. He had thought Arabe would be the most difficult to deal with after making his decision, but Thalia was even worse than he had imagined.


    Of course, he was moved by her tears, but that wasn¡¯t enough for him to stay. Ever since they arrived at Ascotan, he had thought about the day he would surrender himself to Sandro. Although he had believed Sandro would be easily defeated, he guessed he should have known better.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Thalia,¡± ze said. ¡°I need to go.¡±


    ¡°I hate you¡­¡±


    ¡°I know you don¡¯t hate me,¡± ze said. ¡°I love you as much as you love me. Just remember that.¡± ze released Thalia and managed to loosen her grip on him.


    As he started towards the door, he halted as Thalia said, ¡°Come back to me, please. Don¡¯t you dare think of leaving me behind? If you do, I¡¯m going to hunt you down and kill you over again, Cole, and I¡¯m dead serious!¡±


    ze nodded, a grin on his face. He had two people awaiting his return, and even though he believed it might be hisst time, he was determined to make it count.


    He was going to stay alive for them.


    ¡°Get along with Arabe, Thalia. You should know no amount of hate will ever make me stop loving her. So, get used to her because I¡¯m going to put a ring on her finger, then mark her when Ie back!¡± ze said, winking at Arabe, who giggled before he headed for the entrance.


    ¡°Idiot,¡± Thalia muttered, unable to stop the smile that spread across her face. She wrapped her arms around herself as she watched ze leave.


    Hisst smile at her. It was the smile she wanted to remember because she couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that it might truly be hisst. She was losing her brother all over again, not even forty-eight hours after he had died.

 Chapter 141

    As ze stepped out of the cave, a mysterious force immediately pulled him towards Sandro. He wondered if it was Brianna and her Coven at work, or perhaps it was the cave itself, now that he had left its protective walls.


    Lost in thought, ze strode towards Sandro, who was still focused on the relentless onught he was unleashing.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Be?¡± Sandro snarled, his narrowed eyes fixed on ze. He exerted even more strength, releasing therge brick he held. Sandro had used these bricks on the wall while the witches by his side cast spells on the structure. He had initially brought a hundred, but he doubted if there were even half that number remaining.


    Yet, he hadn¡¯t managed to breach it.


    ¡°ze,¡± Sandro growled when ze didn¡¯t respond. ¡°Do I need to force the words out of your mouth?¡±


    ¡°Arabe won¡¯t being,¡± ze replied, his voice mirroring Sandro¡¯s intensity. ¡°It¡¯s me you¡¯re after; take me with you and do as you please.¡±


    ¡°You think it¡¯s you I want? You must be delusional!¡± Sandro scoffed.


    ¡°I¡¯m the one who messed up. I vited the bro code by taking your girl. I broke the omerta by saying things I shouldn¡¯t have to Be. Instead of protecting you, I went against you. I¡¯m the one in the wrong.¡± ze confessed, hoping Sandro would cease the attack on the cave and call the witches to halt.


    ¡°ze, ze, ze,¡± Sandro tutted, striding towards him. ¡°Now I¡¯m left wondering how many more lies you¡¯ve hidden from me. Is she really worth all you¡¯ve done? It¡¯s just a woman with amon pussy, and you can find that anywhere, even in that bitch who was hovering around you. Why does it have to be Be?¡±


    ¡°For the same reason you wanted her,¡± ze muttered, locking eyes with Sandro. ¡°You desire Be, and so do I.¡±


    For once, ze knew he was provoking Sandro, and thetter could potentially do something dangerous to him at any moment. But he didn¡¯t care. He¡¯d endure any blow, as long as it wasn¡¯t Arabe on the receiving end. He fervently hoped that any altercation that might arise would ur far from here. He didn¡¯t want Arabe to witness it; that would only put her in harm¡¯s way.


    Sandro snorted, his eyes still narrowed. He nced at the unyielding cave, then at the exhausted witches. He realized he had pushed them beyond their limits. He wondered if they¡¯d be able to break through at this juncture.


    The cave surprisingly held strong protection, and Sandro couldn¡¯t help but wonder if there was more to its resistance against Brianna and her coven¡¯s spell.


    He moved away from ze and approached Brianna, his voice gruff. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t break through,¡± Brianna murmured. ¡°The spell on it is too potent. I could have sworn we were making progress, but it seems someone inside is working to maintain the protection.¡±


    ¡°Be,¡± ze reflected. When hest saw her, he noticed her determined expression, though she had masked it with giggles. He was certain she was behind the unyielding protection, and he was relieved it wasn¡¯t working for Brianna and her coven.


    ze felt a slight ease at the thought, but he remained on edge, knowing Sandro might find a way around it.


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s best if we retreat for now,¡± Brianna suggested. Seeing Sandro raise a brow, she added, ¡°We can return tomorrow to try again.¡±


    ¡°Set up your tents nearby,¡± Sandro ordered. ¡°I won¡¯t leave without her!¡±


    No sooner had he said that thunder rumbled and lightning streaked across the starless, moonless sky. Sandro¡¯s gaze shifted upwards.


    The Goddess must be aware of what was happening as well. It wasn¡¯t often he saw the sky devoid of a moon and stars. The wolf moon had been predicted, so it was strange that no moon was visible.


    ¡°Alpha!¡± Brianna¡¯s urgent voice cut through Sandro¡¯s thoughts.


    ¡°What?¡± Sandro snapped, turning towards her.


    ¡°Something¡¯s not right,¡± she whispered. ¡°We need to leave here.¡±


    Sandro rolled his eyes. ¡°Are you trying to find any excuse to quit just because you¡¯re tired? I¡¯m the one giving orders, whether to return to the pack house or not, and I¡­¡±


    ¡°No, Alpha,¡± Brianna interrupted, wiping her suddenly sweaty palms. The hair at the nape of her neck stood on end, and she grimaced. ¡°I have a bad feeling.¡±


    She felt a surge of energy in the air and turned to the other coven members. ¡°Do you sense it, too?¡±


    As they nodded, she sighed in relief. She wasn¡¯t imagining things after all.


    ¡°We need to leave,¡± Brianna urged, her voice carrying a newfound urgency.


    Sandro opened his mouth to object, but his words failed him as the world suddenly shifted. He stumbled backward, and as soon as he regained his bnce, he was forcefully mmed against a nearby tree.


    ¡°Brianna!¡± Sandro growled. ¡°What¡¯s happening?!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not doing anything!¡± She shouted, straining to reach Sandro, who was now pinned against the tree. However, she felt immobilized in her spot.


    ¡°Movere (Move),¡± she gritted out a spell, but it proved ineffective.


    ¡°Then who is doing this?!¡± Sandro demanded, his narrowed eyes fixed on ze, who remained in the same spot where he had been left.


    ¡°I have no idea.¡± ze gestured helplessly. He was struggling to move as well, only able to use the upper part of his body. He wondered if it was Arabe or Orga at y, as a simr urrence had transpired when they encountered Sandro in the woods.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tear that whore apart!¡± Sandro roared. ¡°Arabeaa!¡±


    The wind howled around them, swallowing his words. ¡°I can¡¯t stand this!¡± he eximed as the wind whipped up dust, debris, and various objects from the ground.


    ¡°Do something, Brianna, or I¡¯ll be blinded!¡± Sandro snapped.


    ¡°Be,¡± ze murmured her name again. He was equally puzzled and couldn¡¯t fathom what was unfolding. While Arabe could be fierce with her adversaries, it wasn¡¯t always like this.


    The ground tilted again, and his stomach churned. ze winced, clutching his abdomen. Then, he squinted, and his ears perked up as he caught cackling in the air. It wasn¡¯t from the lightning that had once struck, but rather, ze sensed it was emanating from their vicinity.


    ¡°Sister!¡± Brianna¡¯s voice broke through ze¡¯s thoughts. ¡°Hold on, we¡¯re on the verge of discement!¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± ze heard disbelief in Sandro¡¯s voice.


    Before he could ask for an exnation, everything around them swirled into chaos.


    A massive whirlwind formed in the distance, sweeping up everything in its path and hurtling toward them.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± ze groaned, making an attempt to sprint toward the cave as he regained some mobility. But luck wasn¡¯t on his side. The cave vanished from view, and ze was drawn into the whirlwind.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.

 Chapter 142

    As ze departed, Arabe let out a sigh. She took a step towards the entrance but paused as she heard Thalia¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Are you nning to go after him too?¡± Thalia inquired, her brows raised.


    ¡°No,¡± Arabe replied, then added, ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve always been this selfish. I wish my brother could see through your charm instead of being blinded by his attraction to you,¡± Thalia retorted.


    ¡°ze made it clear that I should stay. Don¡¯t you think it would be selfish and foolish of me to put myself in danger after he tried so hard to help me out of it?¡± Arabe countered. Thalia just shrugged. ¡°I see you have a different opinion.¡±


    Arabe took another deep breath. Regardless of what Thalia thought of her, she had no intention of making ze feel like his efforts were in vain. It would be foolish to leave the cave when she knew Sandro was solely focused on her. She hoped ze was safe, as she hadn¡¯t heard anything for a while now. Though the attack on the cave¡¯s structure hadn¡¯t stopped, she could feel it weakening.


    ¡°Why are you hiding here while my brother risks his life out there?¡± Thalia¡¯s annoying voice interrupted her thoughts again.


    ¡°You know Sandro will stille for you and do as he pleases if he¡¯s lucky enough to defeat ze,¡± Thalia added.


    ¡°I hope he won¡¯t do that,¡± Arabe murmured. She couldn¡¯t bear the thought of ze dying. She just couldn¡¯t.


    ¡°Listen up, Arabe,¡± Thalia snapped her fingers, wrinkling her nose. ¡°Sandro will eventually break through this structure, capture us, and kill us. So, don¡¯t think you¡¯re achieving anything grand by trying to protect yourself or ze. It would¡¯ve been a lot simpler if you¡¯d died.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve reinforced the protection on the structure. Sandro and his witches won¡¯t be able to breach it. Also, even though ze is outside the cave, he¡¯s still shielded unless they take him somewhere else, which I¡¯m fervently hoping won¡¯t happen,¡± Arabe exined, causing Thalia to scoff.


    ¡°For goodness¡¯ sake, can you be any more delusional?¡± Thalia asserted. She groaned, ran a hand through her hair, then paced around. ¡°You did nothing to shield my brother!¡±


    ¡°I know you hate me, Thalia,¡± Arabe murmured, catching her attention.


    Thalia halted, her eyes narrowing at Arabe, who stood near the door with her palm on the wall.


    ¡°Hating you is an understatement, Arabe. I don¡¯t just hate you, but I also want you gone from this world,¡± Thalia dered, advancing towards Arabe and putting some distance between them. ¡°Since you appeared, everything¡¯s been going downhill. You¡¯ve got two men fighting over you! It¡¯s like everything revolves around you. I despise you for it, Arabe. I despise you so much.¡±


    Arabe nodded. ¡°It¡¯s alright to feel that way. But there¡¯s nothing you can do about ze and me. You can ask me to leave him, but I won¡¯t agree. Also, it¡¯s best if we try to be civil, like ze suggested since I¡¯ll be with him forever.¡±


    ¡°Only if hees back will he put a ring on that finger,¡± Thalia snorted. ¡°And I¡¯m sorry, Arabe, but I¡¯ll always be hard with you. The sooner you realize we can¡¯t be civil, the better for you.¡±


    ¡°Again, I¡¯m not surprised,¡± Arabe grinned.


    She hadn¡¯t expected Thalia to agree. She had tried to have a conversation, but she knew Thalia would never give her what she wanted. One thing she wanted was for the argument to end. She suspected that the main reason Thalia was angry with her was her connection to Sandro. Even though Arabe had assured her repeatedly that there was nothing between them, she doubted Thalia would ever believe it, given Sandro¡¯s relentless pursuit.


    ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re not,¡± Thalia shot Arabe a smile that didn¡¯t reach her eyes. Then, she gasped as the ground shifted.


    Thalia stared at Arabe, whose eyes were shut and brows furrowed. She wondered if Arabe had intentionally caused her to stumble, but it didn¡¯t seem like it. Arabe appeared to be focusing on something, perhaps trying to reinforce the wall¡¯s protection. Thalia sighed, straightening up before stumbling again.


    This time, the shift was more pronounced. Thalia ended up on the floor, groaning. ¡°Arabe, what the hell are you doing?!¡±Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    There was no response from Arabe. She sighed, her eyes still closed, unaware of what was happening around her.


    The window of the room shattered, and the curtains whipped about as a fierce gust of wind rushed in. It wasn¡¯t just a gentle breeze, but a violent force that brought instant chaos.


    ¡°Arabe!¡± Thalia hissed, narrowly avoiding a chair hurtling toward her. ¡°Are you trying to get me killed?!¡± Still, she got no response.


    She managed to crawl over to where Arabe stood and gripped her leg. ¡°Snap out of it!¡±


    Arabe gasped, feeling the hold on her leg and a sharp pinch. She looked down to find Thalia crouching in front of her.


    ¡°What on earth are you doing?¡± Arabe asked, shaking her leg free from Thalia¡¯s grasp.


    ¡°Oh, now it¡¯s time to act like you don¡¯t know what you¡¯ve done?¡± Thalia grunted, rising to her feet. She brushed off the dirt from her clothes and fixed her gaze on Arabe. ¡°Look around and tell me you didn¡¯t cause this chaos.¡±


    Arabe followed Thalia¡¯s gaze, her eyes widening at the disarrayed room. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d someone as sharp as me is here to rify things for you, you damn fool. You nearly got me killed!¡± Thalia yelled.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do this,¡± Arabe mumbled, inspecting her hands and the mess in the room. ¡°I swear, I didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need an exnation from you. Right now, what I need is to be away from you,¡± Thalia dered. She approached the door leading to the hall, but when she turned the knob, it was locked.


    ¡°Arabe!¡± Thalia snapped. ¡°Open the door!¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything to it!¡± Arabe shouted back. ¡°I was just trying to reinforce the protective barrier around the structure. So, I didn¡¯t do anything wrong.¡±


    ¡°You im innocence,¡± Thalia responded with a nod. ¡°That¡¯s fine. But open the damned door!¡±


    Arabe stepped up to the door, gripping the knob and trying to turn it, but it wouldn¡¯t budge.


    ¡°Why won¡¯t it open?¡± Thalia¡¯s irritation was evident in her voice.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Arabe replied, attempting to turn it again.


    ¡°Well, you should know. You locked it in the first ce, remember?¡± Thalia pointed out.


    Arabe let out a frustrated sigh, then turned to re at Thalia. ¡°Perhaps if you were less judgmental and allowed me to think of a solution, we could get out of here sooner.¡±


    ¡°Then be quick about it,¡± Thalia muttered.


    ¡°Goodness, I can¡¯t stand her,¡± Arabe gritted her teeth, ring at the door. ¡°Open, damn it!¡±


    However, it remained stubbornly sealed, prompting her to kick it in frustration.


    ¡°Shit!¡± Arabe gasped as the room tilted once again.


    Thalia groaned, trying to steady herself, but it showed no signs of stopping.


    A cold feeling settled in the pit of Arabe¡¯s stomach. She clutched a pir in the room for support. She turned to Thalia, whose face had taken on an unsettlingly pale hue.


    ¡°Not again,¡± Thalia muttered.


    ¡°Do you know what¡¯s happening?¡± Arabe inquired.


    ¡°We¡¯re getting thrown around!¡± Thalia yelled amid the chaos in the room.


    ¡°What do you mean, ¡®thrown around¡¯?¡± Arabe pressed.


    Thalia opened her mouth to respond, but no words came out. Suddenly, both of them were flung violently across the room, their heads mming into the wall, rendering them both unconscious.

 Chapter 143

    ¡°You did a great job, Alexis,¡± Paolo patted Alessia¡¯s head.


    ¡°It¡¯s Alessia,¡± Alessia muttered, her eyes wandering towards Janice, whoy unconscious on the floor. She stared at her hand before letting out a sigh. It was all her fault. She had attacked Janice. It was all her fault, she muttered over again.


    For two days now, since they had been miraculously pulled out of Acostan, courtesy of Paolo, Alessia had been at his beck and call. She had done all that he asked her to do, and he promised to give her the freedom she desired, even though she knew it wasn¡¯t true. Yet, she had let him use her. Janice was against all that was happening and had confronted her father, but on his order, Janice had knocked her out. It wasn¡¯t the first time she¡¯d done it, and it wasn¡¯t the second time either.


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask the servant to bring in your food,¡± Paolo smiled, striding to the door.


    ¡°My food?¡± Alessia snarled, her nose wrinkling. ¡°Do you call a slice of bread and water that isn¡¯t enough to quench my taste food? You might as well kill me. Kill me; it will be better than keeping me here!¡±


    Paolo halted and turned slowly to her, his eyes narrowing. ¡°Be careful what you wish for, child.¡±


    ¡°I am ready to die!¡± Alessia shouted. ¡°What is my use if you only need to control me? I¡¯ve been locked in here for two days now, yet you won¡¯t even let me eat something good!¡±


    ¡°Alessia,¡± Janice groaned as she started toe awake.


    ¡°Janice,¡± Alessia muttered and broke into a sob. ¡°I am so sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have done what he asked me to do.¡±


    Paolo snorted. ¡°I knew you were weak, but I won¡¯t be discarding you right now. You need toplete all that I need, and you can choose to do whatever you desire with your life.¡±C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    Paolo strode out of the room. He just needed Sandro out of Acostan. He needed the Rose as well, and only Alessia had a connection to her. He had kept Alessia since she had a great ability, and with the help of the witches, he had been able to disce Sandro¡¯s current location. Paolo believed that was the first phase.


    The second phase would be rendering him powerless and then attacking him unaware.


    ¡°Give me good food!¡± Alessia yelled at him, but he paid no heed.


    Paolo had a reason for making her feast on a slice of bread and a little bit of water. He had been told she obtained powers even from the littlest thing, and feeding her well would not only make her stronger, but it would also make her escape where he had ced her. So, he was cautious while trying to avoid such a situation.


    ¡°God, I hate him so much. I hate him,¡± Alessia cried, watching him with blurry eyes as he left, mming the door hard.


    She crawled towards Janice, gripping her warm hands in her cool ones. She rubbed hers against Janice, muttering, ¡°I hope you forgive me. I swear, I don¡¯t know what I was doing. I sensed some forces were at y.¡±


    ¡°I believe you,¡± Janice whispered, hershes fluttering against her cheeks. ¡°I believe you never did what you did on purpose.¡±


    Alessia nodded, going in for a hug. Her arms wrapped around Janice¡¯s midsection, and she heard her groan.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Alessia murmured, letting her go. ¡°I should have hardened my mind against his orders.¡±


    ¡°My father is maniptive,¡± Janice said. ¡°He can go to great lengths to do what he desires, and I should be the sorry one. If I hadn¡¯t brought you here when you were injured, he wouldn¡¯t have had the opportunity to control you.¡±


    ¡°But he didn¡¯t want me,¡± Alessia said. ¡°He only wants to use me to get the people he desires. I guess I¡¯ll try my best to do that so he will let us go.¡±


    Janice shook her head. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t, Alessia. They did nothing wrong to my father. He¡¯s just hungry for power like I told you, and you shouldn¡¯t let him have his way.¡±


    ¡°I should,¡± Alessia muttered, her face contorted in a grimace. ¡°I hate Arabe. I hate her so much, and only one of us needs to be in this world. I don¡¯t care about the rest, but Arabe needs to leave, and I¡¯ll do everything to make your father have her.¡±


    Janice gripped Alessia¡¯s shoulder, staring into her eyes. ¡°You don¡¯t hate Arabe, Alessia,¡± she firmly said.


    ¡°She continued, ¡®You don¡¯t even know her enough to have such hatred for her. I should be the one saying that, but now realizing all that is happening, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s fair to keep hating on her because she did nothing wrong. She has been a victim, Alessia¡­''¡±


    ¡°I am a victim too!¡± Alessia shouted, shrugging Janice¡¯s hands off her shoulder. ¡°I am a victim because of her. The fact that we resembled made me susceptible to many dangers. If we never looked alike, Sandro wouldn¡¯t have captured me, and I¡¯d be in my school right now. But here I am in a world I never knew was supernatural!¡±


    Janice sighed and reached to grip her shoulder again, but Alessia moved out of reach.


    ¡°I need to kill Arabe by all means.¡± Her hands were clenched. ¡°Would you help me do that, Janice? Then we can be together forever.¡±


    ¡°Alessia,¡± Janice shook her head, her brows furrowing. ¡°This isn¡¯t you speaking. I don¡¯t think you mean all that you¡¯re saying about killing Arabe. She¡¯s your sister, Alessia. And I¡¯m pretty sure you both have something to say to each other.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know me, Janice. And I definitely have nothing to say to that person.¡± Alessia snapped. ¡°Do you want to be a part of me or not?!¡±


    Janice stared at Alessia for a long time. She was confused. She didn¡¯t know what was going on with her, and she knew it definitely wasn¡¯t the Alessia she fell for. Or was it mere infatuation, and she had interpreted the mate bond as that? Janice¡¯s head reeled as she continued to stare at her. Something had happened to her, and she knew it was her father¡¯s doing.


    ¡°Janice!¡± Alessia yelled, snapping her out of her thoughts.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Alessia, but I can¡¯t let you fight innocent people,¡± Janice muttered, her eyes brimming with tears.


    ¡°Innocent people?¡± Alessia snorted. ¡°It¡¯s just Arabe, and she¡¯s a person. If you don¡¯t want to help me, then so be it. I¡¯ll do it alone. I never needed you in the first ce!¡± Her mind was made up already.


    She was going to confront Arabe the next time they saw each other. She wouldn¡¯t spare her.

 Chapter 144

    ¡°Fuck!¡± Sandro groaned as he came to.


    His head throbbed, and he blinked rapidly to adjust to the room¡¯s lighting. But no matter what he did, his vision blurred even more, the ringing in his ears only grew louder, and he doubted it would stop soon.


    He was in a¡­ Room? He pondered, a frown forming on his face as he recalled being near the cave where Arabe was before they were swept into the whirlwind. Now, this ce was nothing like a forest.


    ¡°Brianna,¡± he called. She was the only one who could exin what had happened.


    Sandro heard a groan beside him and turned to see ze huddled over.


    ¡°ze?¡± he said, making sure he was really seeing him.


    Just then, his vision cleared, and he nced around. Sandro stood abruptly as he realized where he was. He was in his room. Everything was intact, just as he¡¯d left it.


    Sandro stepped towards the window, shifted the curtains, and peered out. He noticed his pack members were outside, too. They chatted happily and embraced each other.


    Turning to ze as he heard him groan again, Sandro asked, ¡°What happened, Traitor?¡±


    ¡°We got transported back here,¡± ze said, straightening.


    ¡°Why? And who did it?¡± Sandro asked. He knew it wasn¡¯t Brianna, whom he believed was just as surprised when it was happening.


    ¡°I honestly don¡¯t know,¡± ze muttered. ¡°I¡¯m trying to think.¡±


    ze¡¯s mind was fixated on Arabe. Had she been brought here as well? He couldn¡¯t help but wonder. What about Thalia? Who had brought them back? His mind was muddled, and more questions without answers kepting, making it even worse.


    ¡°It seems all the members are back in Cooan,¡± Sandro said.


    ze nodded. ¡°They are.¡±


    ¡°I think there¡¯s a need for a meeting,¡± Sandro said. He strode towards the door, then halted. He turned, his eyes narrowed on ze.


    ¡°What?¡± ze grunted. ¡°Am I not wee at your meetings anymore?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, you¡¯re not,¡± Sandro asserted. ¡°I have a new Beta who will serve me well and won¡¯t try to take Arabe from me.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± ze said. ¡°I wasn¡¯t looking forward to attending anyway. I guess we¡¯ll have to sort our issues out the old-fashioned way.¡±


    Sandro nodded, offering a smile that didn¡¯t quite reach his eyes. ¡°Ah, yes. That will be after my pack¡¯s meeting. And I hope you won¡¯t be inclined to try and escape.¡±


    ¡°Why would I?¡± ze asked. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be here with you if I had any such ns.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Sandro said. ¡°It matters not where you might run to, ze. I will find you and ensure you suffer for all that you¡¯ve done.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± ze rolled his eyes inwardly. He watched Sandro step out of the room and breathe out. Patting his pocket in search of his phone, he let out a relieved sigh when he felt it. Slipping it out, he powered it on.


    He was grateful it had enough charge. It would suffice to call either Arabe or Thalia, whoever he could reach first. He needed to know if they were both safe.


    Dialing Arabe¡¯s number first, he ced the phone to his ear after the first ring. ze paced around the room as it rang for the third time, but there was no reply. He tried again, hoping she was upied, but this time it didn¡¯t connect. He let out a grunt, double-checking the number to be sure. It was indeed her number. Arabe had input it herself and evenbeled it ¡®ze¡¯s girl.¡¯


    ze attempted it for the third time, yet it yielded the same result. He let it ring and then hung up.


    He decided to try Thalia. If Arabe¡¯s number wasn¡¯t going through, Thalia¡¯s might be reachable, he reasoned. But he received the same response, even after the fourth ring.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t they picking up?¡± He groaned. Stepping toward the window, he gazed out. How would he know if they were safe if he couldn¡¯t reach them? He could have sworn he saw the cave caught in the whirlwind, too, but he wasn¡¯t certain.


    ze pushed a hand through his hair, shutting his eyes and then opening them. Maybe they were fine. Arabe was resilient, and he trusted Thalia to keep her safe. They were fine. He tried to reassure himself. Yet, he pondered how long he could maintain that assurance in Sandro¡¯s custody.


    ***


    ¡°Alpha!¡± Brianna called out as Sandro stepped into the hall. Sandro tilted his head, studying her as she panted. ¡°I was just about to reach out to you. Do you understand why this happened?¡±


    ¡°My sisters and I will consult the Oracle since we¡¯re here. But Alpha, I¡¯m afraid this isn¡¯t a good sign. Whoever did this is trying to reach Arabe. She¡¯s the target here.¡±


    Sandro couldn¡¯t help but feel that she always managed to make everything about her. And he couldn¡¯t fathom why everyone seemed to covet what he desired. ze had imed her as his, and now the world wanted her too.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    ¡°I¡¯d sooner face death than let them take her from me,¡± Sandro muttered.


    ¡°Then we must take immediate action. This part of the world is even more dangerous than Ascotan, and as far as I can tell, now everyone knows about her. There¡¯ll be even greater danger,¡± Brianna warned.


    Sandro nodded. He was already aware of this. He just couldn¡¯t understand why she was attracting even more attention now.


    ¡°It¡¯s because she¡¯s unlocked her powers,¡± Brianna exined. ¡°If they had remained dormant, no one would have discovered her. Plus, the arrival of her twin has onlyplicated matters further.¡±


    ¡°Very well, just do what you do best, and I¡¯ll do my part,¡± Sandro replied.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll give it my all,¡± Brianna assured before stepping away.


    Just in time, Leo entered the hall, precisely whom Sandro wanted to see.


    ¡°Gather everyone. We¡¯re having a meeting right away,¡± Sandromanded.


    ¡°Yes, Alpha,¡± Leo affirmed.


    As Sandro paced around, he only halted when the hall was filled with pack members. Stepping toward the round table to address them, he didn¡¯t waste time on pleasantries.


    ¡°I won¡¯t sugarcoat this. We¡¯ve been brought back here by some evil force, magic, or whatever you want to call it. But know this-it¡¯s urgent.¡±


    He paused, his gaze sweeping across each face in the hall to ensure they were all attentive.


    When he saw everyone¡¯s attention on him, he continued. ¡°I won¡¯t deny having a lot of enemies around here, but know this: as the alpha, I¡¯ll never purposefully put anyone¡¯s life in danger. I want you all to be vignt and selfless. Look out for one another because these times won¡¯t be easy. They will be challenging and may involve a lot of hardship.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Alpha,¡± came the chorus of replies.


    Leo stepped forward. ¡°Our allegiance is to you and to the pack. We will protect you and each other, even with ourst breath.¡±


    Sandro nodded. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    He dismissed the meeting but stayed in the room, watching as everyone filed out.


    ¡°Janice!¡± He called. He wasn¡¯t entirely certain that was her name, but he could recall her face. She was Janice¡¯s twin. He was sure of that.


    ¡°Me?¡± She asked, pointing to herself. Sandro resisted the urge to reply, ¡®No, me,¡¯ so he nodded instead.


    She stumbled towards him, her eyes cast downward, and she wound her fingers together. ¡°I am Annalise.¡±


    ¡°I want to know about your father,¡± Sandro said.


    Annalise nodded.


    ¡°Come with me,¡± he ordered, striding towards my room. When Sandro stepped in, he saw ze by the window. ¡°Are you nning on jumping out?¡±


    ¡°Why would I want to do that?¡± ze asked. ¡°I could easily escape since you were long gone. And who¡¯s she?¡± He nodded to Annalise as she stepped into the room.


    ze frowned as he stared at her. It was as if he was looking at Janice, or at least a different version of her. They looked identical. Without being told, he was sure they were rted, but he wondered how Sandro had acquired her. Perhaps another raid? So he could deal with Janice?


    ¡°She¡¯s a twin to the bitch who spied on me,¡± Sandro said. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I was ever lenient with her. I even treated her as a sibling, and she betrayed me!¡±


    ze shrugged. ¡°What does she want here? Are you nning to take your revenge on her?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Sandro scoffed. ¡°She¡¯s here to tell us about her father.¡±


    ze¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°Who¡¯s her father, and what does it have to do with me?¡±


    ¡°My father is Paolo Salvatore,¡± Annalise replied.


    ¡°And you, my traitor friend and ex-Beta, will be assisting me in extracting the information I need from him,¡± Sandro dered a wolfish grin on his face.


    ze didn¡¯t quite grasp Sandro¡¯s intentions, but he was sure it wouldn¡¯t bode well. If Sandro wanted him to gather information about Paolo, it was evident the man was a formidable enemy. The only person less formidable he¡¯d ever stalked was Arabe.


    ze¡¯s stomach churned. Strangely, he found himself preferring immediate punishment over the mission Sandro was about to assign him.

 Chapter 145

    ze stood outside the De Luca Vi on patrol after his discussion with Sandro and Annalise. Sandro had agreed for him to stay on patrol as he always did for the time being.


    Not much had been said between him, Sandro, and Annalise, but with the limited information shared, he understood that Paolo Salvatore posed a threat to Sandro¡¯s life. The reason behind it remained a mystery for now.


    He also couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that Annalise wasn¡¯t revealing everything she knew. At times, she hesitated, and other times, she blurted out fragments, looking embarrassed afterward.


    Her demeanor intrigued him, and he yearned for her to share more, suspecting she held valuable information. Yet, he doubted she¡¯d be at ease doing so.


    ¡°ze, right?¡±


    Startled, ze turned to find Annalise beside him. He hadn¡¯t heard her approach. She tucked a strand of curly dark-brown hair behind her ear before casting her gaze downward.


    ¡°Depends on who¡¯s asking and why,¡± ze replied.


    Annalise nodded, managing a faint smile while stealing a nce at him. He somehow intimidated her, though she felt more at ease in his presence than she did with Sandro.


    ¡°You know my sister,¡± Annalise began.


    ¡°Janice?¡± ze inquired, straightening. As Annalise confirmed, he remarked, ¡°A good girl in a tough crowd.¡±


    ¡°Tough crowd?¡± Annalise raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°We¡¯re a tough crowd,¡± ze stated. ¡°Getting involved with any gang is being in toughpany. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re aware of that already.¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± Annalise acknowledged. ¡°After all, I was born into one. As a werewolf, I don¡¯t think anything could be more dangerous than that. Though, I¡¯m yet to trigger my curse.¡±


    Annalise winced, her gaze falling once again.


    ze shook his head. He wanted to inquire why she hadn¡¯t triggered her curse, but he refrained from pressing her. He wanted her to share it when she felt ready.


    ¡°My father coerced Janice into all she did. I promise she¡¯d never spy on Allesandro. Given how harshly my father spoke about him, I doubted Janice would risk his wrath.¡±


    ze shrugged. Even during Janice¡¯s time in the De Luca household, she had tested Sandro¡¯s patience numerous times and even challenged his authority on asion. Yet, he had never retaliated.


    He believed that the special treatment Sandro showed Janice stemmed from a sense of pity, a sentiment ze could rte to. If he were in Sandro¡¯s shoes, he would have likely felt the same.


    The first time he saw Janice, she was in the most pitiable state imaginable. She was skittish, and he initially thought of her as fragile, but ze understood the trauma she must have endured, for he, too had not been exempt.


    ¡°Our mother passed away shortly after naming us, right after our birth. I never had the chance to see her. There was no one to share stories about her, no family member to inquire about her appearance or¡­ No¡­¡± Annalise shook her head, her brows furrowing.


    ¡°I came across an old photograph of her in one of her belongings. Our father had hidden it and destroyed the rest.¡± Annalise let out a sigh. ¡°We were her mirror image, and I often wonder if she would have been happier with us had she been alive.¡±


    ¡°She would have been,¡± ze assured her. ¡°From what I gather, you never did anything to deserve the mistreatment from your father. Your mother would have certainly protected you.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps and maybe die while doing so.¡± Annalise smiled wistfully.


    ¡°At the age of three, we were put to work on various manual tasks assigned by our father. If we disobeyed or showed any sign of weakness, we were met with blows and denied food for the day. Sometimes, we¡¯d be confined to the dungeon.¡± Annalise gazed at her hand.


    She recalled the chains that had encircled her wrists. She could still discern the now fading dark mark that had etched her skin for years. She shuddered, taking in a breath, willing the memory of her huddled in the cold, dim dungeon, which had been a part of her upbringing, to vanish.


    ¡°That¡¯s horrible,¡± ze murmured, gently sping her trembling hands.


    ¡°It was,¡± Annalise affirmed, her eyes welling up with tears.


    She sniffled, holding back her tears, but ze held onto her hands, not letting go. ¡°I always wished to be the stronger twin. I wanted to be there for Janice, to shield her from our father. But those thoughts were only in my head. In reality, I was the weaker twin, the one who endured the most taunts. This meant that Janice had to watch my back all the time. She bore the brunt of the punishment meant for me.¡±


    ze listened intently, understanding that sometimes silence spoke louder than words. He sensed that Annalise simply needed someone to confide in.


    ¡°We were forced to grow up fast. By the age of sixteen, we knew every inch of the underground in Cooan. We took on even riskier tasks on our father¡¯s orders, and failure wasn¡¯t an option, as you can imagine.¡± Annalise let out a nervousugh.


    ze gazed at her, noticing the tears streaming down her cheeks. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± he said.


    Annalise shrugged, wiping her tears. ¡°I came to terms with my fate and believed I was born into the Salvatore family for a reason.¡±


    ¡°Why did Janice leave?¡± ze asked, trying to recall if Janice had been sixteen or eighteen when they first met her. He couldn¡¯t quite remember, but he was sure she was around that age.


    ¡°We were being¡­ assaulted.¡±


    ¡°By whom?¡± ze interjected with a low growl. ¡°By your father?!¡±


    Annalise nodded. ¡°We were subjected to it from the age of three, and it only got worse as we got older. Everyone took part, and he never defended us. I wasn¡¯t surprised, though, because he imed he hated us, believing we were responsible for our mother¡¯s death.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s horrifying,¡± ze stated.


    ¡°I¡¯m not telling you this to elicit pity. I just want you to save Janice,¡± Annalise rified. Then she added, ¡°Janice wanted a different life for us. She wanted the abuse to end and vowed to do whatever our father asked to give us that chance. So, he started assigning us even riskier missions, and during one of them, Janice ran away. I never learned the exact reason, but it must have been rted to spying on Alessandro.¡±


    ze nodded. ¡°What exactly does your father want with Alessandro, and why did you run away?¡±


    Annalise hesitated, biting her lower lip and fidgeting with a loose thread on her dress.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t want to say. I won¡¯t force you,¡± ze reassured her.Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    ¡°My father wants to¡­ give me away to one of his associates as his¡­ Bedmate,¡± Annalise managed to say, wincing. Even vocalizing it made her question what ze might think of her.


    Perhaps she was a mess, which wasn¡¯t too far from the truth. Still, she forged ahead. She had shared all she needed to because she believed she could trust him. After reading Janice¡¯s journal, she learned a lot about ze. If Janice trusted him, then so could she.


    ¡°My father told his associate, ¡®He said Alessandro has something of his, and his daughter was sent to retrieve it for him.¡¯ That¡¯s when I realized he was exploiting Janice. I had to seize the opportunity to escape.¡± Annalise concluded, stealing a nce at ze.


    She half-expected to find disgust and pity in his expression, but instead, she saw a steely determination. He rose to his feet.


    ¡°Please, save Janice, ze. You¡¯re the only one I can confide in, and she¡¯s not a bad person. I don¡¯t want to lose the only family I have in this world,¡± Annalise whispered.


    ¡°I will save her,¡± ze affirmed, turning to face her. The resolve in his eyes was evident.


    ¡°I¡¯ll ensure your father faces justice,¡± he vowed.


    ¡°My father is a formidable man. He¡¯s an alpha and a mafia lord. He controls many of the gangs in Cooan, and I doubt he¡¯d let anyone challenge him without a fight,¡± Annalise hurriedly exined. She was beginning to worry that involving ze might have been a mistake.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know how tough I can be,¡± ze dered. ¡°And don¡¯t worry, Sandro has your back. No matter what, he protects his own,¡± he reassured her.


    Sandro might project a harsh exterior, but there hadn¡¯t been a moment when he needed help, and Sandro hadn¡¯t extended a hand. They trusted each other, and he had faith in Sandro. The onlyplication was Arabe, though he had no regrets about desiring her.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Annalise expressed, a sense of relief washing over her. ¡°I believe that¡¯s the assurance I was seeking. I need to go.¡±


    She rose to her feet, walking back into the vi.


    ze let out a sigh, his thoughts drifting back to Paolo Salvatore and how he would gather the necessary information for Sandro. Given what he had learned from Annalise, he believed it might be somewhat easier than anticipated.

 Chapter 146

    Thalia awoke with a gasp, her eyes wide as she took in her surroundings.


    ¡°Arabe,¡± she called out, trying to get her bearings. She remembered being in the cave, tossed around.


    Recollection of holding Arabe came to her, but she couldn¡¯t find her now. She tried to stand, but her stomach churned, and she let out a groan, steadying herself with a nearby chair.


    ¡°Arabe,¡± she called again, but there was no response.


    Thalia wondered where she could be. Standing upright, she finally found her bnce and surveyed her surroundings. She was back home in her living room. She couldn¡¯t be certain of what had transpired, but she believed the force that had taken them to Ascotan had brought them back to Cooan.


    Yet, she had doubts about whether it had done the same for Arabe. There was no sign of her anywhere.


    Thalia made her way to the room ze often used when he visited her. She opened the door and peered inside.


    ¡°Arabe!¡± she yelled, rushing towards her.


    Arabe was sprawled on the floor at an awkward angle. Thalia couldn¡¯t tell if she was breathing, but the position she was in looked dangerous. It seemed a mere grace could have prevented a bone from breaking.


    Gripping Arabe by the shoulder, she shook her awake.


    Still, there was no response. Thalia checked for her pulse, cing a finger on the side of her neck. It was faint, but she was alive.


    Thalia rubbed Arabe¡¯s cold palms in her warm ones, calling her name. ¡°Wake up, bitch!¡±


    Arabe remained unresponsive. ¡°If you leave me now, what will I tell ze, who¡¯s so hung up on you? I need someone who can exin what happened!¡±


    Thalia gripped at her hair, frustration welling up. No matter what she said or did, Arabe didn¡¯t respond.


    ¡°For goodness¡¯ sake! How can you still make this about you?¡± Thalia red.


    ¡°You should find someone else to bother,¡± Arabe groaned, her eyshes fluttering against her cheeks.


    Startled by the sudden intrusion of the voice in her thoughts, Thalia turned to see Arabe.


    ¡°fuck, you startled me!¡± Thalia scowled as she helped Arabe to her feet.


    ¡°Where are we?¡± Arabe asked, scanning their surroundings.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Thalia inquired, brushing off Arabe¡¯s question. ¡°Do you have any broken bones? Given the position I found you in, it wouldn¡¯t be a surprise.¡±


    ¡°Are you actually worried about me?¡± Arabe asked, taken aback. It was a first for her. Thalia had never shown concern for her well-being before. She had never cared if she was on the brink of death and had even put her in dangerous situations, like when she had forced Sandro to take her back after she fled. But now, Thalia seemed genuinely concerned.


    Arabe studied Thalia¡¯s expression, trying to discern if this concern was real.


    ¡°What?¡± Thalia snapped, scowling. ¡°I asked you a question.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s surprising to see you care,¡± Arabe remarked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about you, Arabe. Don¡¯t be delusional,¡± Thalia retorted. ¡°And just so we¡¯re clear, I¡¯m only doing this for ze. I don¡¯t want him storming in here, ready to tear my head off because something happened to you. Plus, I need to know what¡¯s going on.¡±


    Despite herself, Arabe couldn¡¯t help but smile. She didn¡¯t want to admit it, but she felt a glimmer of genuine concern from Thalia.


    It was also the first time they were in each other¡¯s presence without Thalia hurling insults or curses at her.


    ¡°Are you going to answer my question, or are you going to keep giving me those strange looks?¡± Thalia pressed.


    ¡°We were transported back here,¡± Arabe replied. She stood up and walked over to the window, peering outside.


    ¡°And I don¡¯t think we¡¯re the only ones.¡± Arabe¡¯s voice was low, her eyes narrowed as they locked onto Orga and a few Phoenixes.


    ¡°Why do you say that? I can¡¯t see ze or Sandro,¡± Thalia noted.


    ¡°It¡¯s because Orga is here,¡± Arabe exined.


    Thalia joined her at the window, looking out. ¡°The big winged guy,¡± she remarked with a roll of her eyes before turning back to Arabe.


    ¡°Do you think this has something to do with ze and Sandro¡¯s fight?¡± she asked. ¡°I mean, as soon as ze left the cave, everything went downhill.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hardly about them,¡± Orga stated as he entered the room. He bowed towards Arabe, who smiled at him before turning to Thalia, who wore a scowl.


    ¡°We could have been naked!¡± Thalia red at him. ¡°Don¡¯t you winged people have any decency?¡±


    ¡°I apologize for that,¡± Orga replied. ¡°I made sure you weren¡¯t exposed before I entered, and the door was open,¡± he added.


    ¡°You ensured we weren¡¯t exposed by peeking?¡± Thalia¡¯s voice dripped with incredulity. She turned to Arabe. ¡°How can you have such a pervert on your team?!¡±


    ¡°I ensured you weren¡¯t exposed, and I informed him,¡± Daphne interjected as she stepped into the room. She was a Phoenix with the power of invisibility and was rarely seen in thepany of others.


    ¡°Are you taking his side?¡± Thalia snapped. ¡°He should apologize for being a pervert!¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not defending him,¡± Arabe asserted before Daphne could respond. ¡°Daphne must have observed us while she was in her invisible state. Besides, arguing with Orga is thest thing we should be doing.¡±


    ¡°I know you¡¯ll undoubtedly support him,¡± Thalia grumbled. ¡°Why am I even being civil to you?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on, Orga?¡± Arabe asked, approaching him.


    ¡°It concerns you, mydy,¡± he replied. ¡°You¡¯ve been brought back by someone malevolent, and they desire to im you for themselves.¡±


    ¡°How do you know this?¡± Arabe inquired. ¡°And does this involve Sandro?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not Sandro, and he¡¯s not your main enemy. It¡¯s someone else. Someone incredibly powerful,¡± Orga exined, his voice growing distant. ¡°You need to be cautious, mydy. There are many dark energies swirling around here.¡±


    Arabe nodded, still trying to grasp the situation and identify who was currently after her since it wasn¡¯t Sandro.


    ¡°Are you allfortable being here? I mean, it¡¯s not your natural habitat, and it might draw attention if people see you with wings¡­¡± Arabe said.


    Orga chuckled and then folded his wings. ¡°We can adapt to any environment, you know. We can even blend in with other creatures. You needn¡¯t worry about us, mydy. We¡¯re at ease when you are,¡± he assured her.


    ¡°I¡¯ll need everyone to be on guard. I have to reach ze,¡± Arabe dered and began to walk away, but Orga stopped her.


    ¡°You should let him go,¡± he advised. ¡°He chose to leave on his own. Calling him back might put him in grave danger this time.¡±


    Arabe sighed, ¡°I thought you had reconciled with him already. Why are you speaking ill of him again?¡±


    ¡°I hold no grudge against him,¡± Orga rified. ¡°I¡¯m merely offering a warning, something I believe you should be aware of.¡±


    Arabe nodded, though she doubted she would heed the warning. She still needed to find ze and ensure he was alright.Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

 Chapter 147

    ze took a drag of the cigarette stuck between his index and middle fingers; his eyes narrowed as he continued to lurk in the shadows. He had been standing on the highest floor of an unfinished building for what felt like hours now, yet he hadn¡¯t seen anything out of the ordinary. Paolo Salvatore and Janice remained inessible.


    With the limited information he¡¯d gathered from Annalise, he managed to locate the residence. It wasn¡¯t an easy task, but ze knew his way around even the most dangerous situations.


    The Salvatore¡¯s residence was situated at the farthest side of the city of Cooan. The two-story house in front of him exuded hostility. It felt colder than the De Luca vi at first nce, and he couldn¡¯t help but imagine how much Janice and Annalise had endured at the hands of their cruel father.


    ze sighed, leaning against the wall. He didn¡¯t hold much hope of seeing them soon. Still, he was determined to stay, for Sandro needed information, and ze couldn¡¯t leave without providing it.


    Shutting his eyes briefly, he opened them again and stood abruptly as they met hers. ¡°Alessia,¡± ze gritted his teeth, willing his legs not to jump down from the building and move towards her.


    He knew she wasn¡¯t Arabe. There was no way Arabe would befortable in thepany of such a man. Besides, Arabe always carried positive energy around her. Yet, at first nce, he¡¯d let himself believe she was the one.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    ze continued to stare at Alessia, whose back was turned to him, until Janice emerged from the house, followed by a man he believed to be Paolo Salvatore. He was a tall man with greying hair, appearing to be in his mid or perhapste forties. ze didn¡¯t care about his age. It was the tattoo on his raised hand that captivated him.


    Zooming in with the binocrs on Paolo¡¯s hand, a curse escaped him, and he quickly concealed himself near a wall as Paolo turned his gaze toward the building. ze lingered there for a while, not daring toe out. He couldn¡¯t be sure if Paolo had spotted him, but ze was certain that someone was watching him.


    Alessia, Janice, and Paolo retreated indoors, causing ze to exhale in relief. His thoughts circled back to the tattoo. He¡¯d seen it before-an eagle with a cross encircled by a wolf. He was certain of that, but ze couldn¡¯t ce where.


    His brows furrowed in deep concentration, yet nothing emerged in his mind. Perhaps Sandro would know, he reasoned.


    After all, Sandro was the one with numerous enemies, and he was familiar with most people¡¯s symbols, except for the neers¡¯ gangs.


    Janice¡¯s father wasn¡¯t a neer, though. Now, ze believed every word Annalise had said about her father being a formidable man. He certainly looked the part, and ze had no desire to cross his path. Even if he did, he was certain he wouldn¡¯t go down without a fight.


    ze hopped down from the building, walking towards his bike, and swiftly rode off.


    When he arrived at the De Luca vi, he spotted Sandro outside the building with some of the members wandering about.


    ze parked to the side, dismounting and furrowing his brow.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± he asked, noting the rage etched on Sandro¡¯s face.


    ¡°We were attacked,¡± Annalise exined. ¡°Luckily, Alessandro saw it and intervened.¡±


    ¡°He killed them?¡± ze inquired. It wouldn¡¯t be surprising, considering how seriously Sandro took any threat against him.


    ¡°No, they¡¯re in the dungeon, and he¡¯s pressing them for answers on who sent them,¡± Annalise rified.


    ¡°Good for them,¡± ze remarked. ¡°They walked into the Alpha¡¯s den.¡±


    ¡°My traitorous ex-best friend and Beta,¡± Sandro said as he approached ze and Annalise. Thetter quickly bowed and retreated, giving them privacy to talk.


    ¡°Are you trying to add her to your list of conquests? Just know I am disgusted with you,¡± Sandro¡¯s lips twisted in disdain.


    ¡°For a while, I¡¯ve only been involved with two people¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, the bitch who kept throwing herself at you,¡± Sandro scoffed. ¡°I¡¯m not surprised. And who¡¯s the second?¡±


    ¡°You know who,¡± ze replied, shrugging.


    Sandro¡¯s frown deepened before he caught on to whom ze was referring. His hand clenched into a fist, and he struck ze¡¯s jaw before he could stop himself.


    ¡°What the hell?!¡± ze gasped, staggering backward. Blood trickled from his mouth, and he clutched his now throbbing jaw.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been wanting to do that for a while since you¡¯ve been missing and took Arabe with you. Now I did; it feels so good,¡± Sandro admitted.


    ¡°You should not provoke me over Arabe,¡± Sandro warned. ¡°I¡¯ll only be lenient with you for the time being, as I need information from the spy¡¯s father. I can end this right now if I choose to.¡± He patted at the gun that was inside his jeans pocket.


    ze grimaced, his eyes narrowed, and he turned to find everyone watching. He wondered about the repercussions if he retaliated against Sandro. The odds were undoubtedly against him, so he pushed back the thoughts.


    ¡°Clean up; we have some discussing to do,¡± Sandro patted his back before stepping away.


    ¡°Fucking psycho!¡± ze hissed.


    It had clearly been a provocation, and he felt no remorse for his response. He only wished Sandro would release Arabe and deal with him instead. Yet, Sandro desired her and still wanted to punish him.


    ze strode towards the vi, still gripping his jaw. He halted as Annalise rushed towards him.


    ¡°Are you alright? I saw what happened!¡± She voiced her concern.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± ze attempted tough but winced instead. ¡°I¡¯ll survive. I¡¯ve taken far worse hits from him.¡±


    ¡°I brought this as soon as I saw what happened,¡± She extended an ice pack towards him, but he shook his head.


    ¡°I¡¯ll manage,¡± he insisted.


    ¡°I can help heal,¡± he added.


    Annalise blushed, ¡°Right.¡±


    ze nodded, chuckling. His amusement wasn¡¯t due to her blush but rather a memory of Janice tending to his injuries after Sandro had struck him repeatedly.


    ze¡¯s expression darkened as thoughts of seeing Janice in that building crossed his mind again.


    Alessia and Janice were the enemy, having attempted to harm both him and Arabe. Annalise wanted Janice to be seen in a new light, but that didn¡¯t mean he wouldn¡¯t give her a piece of his mind if given the chance.


    ¡°I need to meet with Sandro, and thanks for the ice pack,¡± ze said, finally epting it from her.


    Annalise nodded, letting him go. She bit her lower lip, watching him disappear into the building.


    She exhaled, muttering, ¡°I should have asked him.¡± She was curious about Janice. She wondered if ze had seen her.


    Perhaps she could ask himter if she got the chance to do so.


    Twirling a lock of her hair out of habit, Annalise made her way towards her room.

 Chapter 148

    THALIA¡¯s RESIDENCE


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Thalia asked, eyeing Arabe. She set aside the book that was spread on herp and stood up.


    ¡°To look for ze,¡± Arabe replied, slipping into a red pullover that Thalia had confirmed belonged to ze.


    Thalia snorted and rolled her eyes, giggling. When she noticed the seriousness in Arabe¡¯s expression, she asked, ¡°Are you serious right now?¡±


    ¡°Of course I am,¡± Arabe affirmed. ¡°Why would I joke about finding ze?¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯re crazy,¡± Thalia said. ¡°Do you think ze would want to be found, even if he were here? I mean, it¡¯s because of you that he¡¯s running around!¡±


    ¡°I need to know if he¡¯s safe, Thalia. I can¡¯t just sit here and do nothing. It¡¯s been more than 24 hours since we got back!¡± Arabe insisted.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    ¡°And ze never gave you the order to find him. He¡¯s not missing, Arabe,¡± Thalia pointed out.


    ¡°How can you be so sure? What if he¡¯s still in Ascotan and he¡¯s being held captive?¡± Arabe asked.


    ¡°Your mind works mysteriously,¡± Thalia mused. ¡°But I wouldn¡¯t do something ze wouldn¡¯t want me to do if I were you,¡± she muttered, then added, ¡°Unless you have the urge to spread your wings and fly like the rest of your Phoenix people, I won¡¯t let you use my car. I¡¯ve had enough arguments with ze over you.¡±


    ¡°Thalia!¡± Arabe scowled. She had intended to borrow Thalia¡¯s car. She didn¡¯t think it was such a big deal, the way Thalia was making it out to be. Besides, she wasn¡¯t nning on deliberately revealing herself to anyone who might be looking for her.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be extra careful, Thalia,¡± Arabe promised.


    ¡°No,¡± Thalia shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ve been called enough names already; I don¡¯t need another.¡±


    Thalia gripped the book she had set aside and held it up to her face, avoiding eye contact with Arabe, who was currently pouting.


    ¡°And I know you¡¯re nning on going to De Luca¡¯s residence to find him, which, in my opinion is very risky. If you care about yourself and your baby, stay here. It¡¯s the only safe ce I know, and Sandro can¡¯t reach you here.¡±


    ¡°My baby?¡± Arabe frowned.


    ¡°You¡¯re pregnant,¡± Thalia pointed out. ¡°And I hope it¡¯s my brother¡¯s.¡±


    Stunned, Arabe¡¯s eyes widened. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. How had Thalia known? She had only told Sandro, who luckily found out from the doctor. She herself had been clueless. Yet, Thalia knew. Arabe wondered how long she¡¯d been aware.


    ¡°How do you know I¡¯m pregnant?¡± Arabe finally found her voice.


    ¡°It¡¯s quite obvious, Arabe. Unless people are blind,¡± Thalia pointed out. ¡°You¡¯re fat, and soon enough, you¡¯ll have that pregnancy glow.¡±


    ¡°fat?¡± Arabe eximed, scrutinizing herself. She wondered if Thalia was teasing her because she felt far from it. She still looked the same.


    ¡°Do you want to look too skinny?¡± Thalia arched a brow. ¡°Is that even healthy?¡±


    Arabe shook her head, ¡°I¡¯m just curious how you figured it out because I never got the chance to tell ze about it.¡±


    Thalia eyed Arabe, ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a confirmation it¡¯s his.¡±


    Arabe said nothing. She didn¡¯t know how to exin it to Thalia, and she feared Thalia might pass judgment if she admitted she believed it was Sandro¡¯s.


    Sinking into the sofa, Arabe let out a sigh. ¡°I want to see ze.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯lle find you himself,¡± Thalia warned. ¡°Don¡¯t try to track him down.¡±


    Arabe caught the seriousness in Thalia¡¯s tone. Even though she wanted to defy it, Orga would never let her leave the house. Orga believed she was a target and made sure her every attempt to venture out was thwarted.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll wait,¡± Arabe muttered.


    Silence settled in, and Arabe sat in contemtion about ze and the possible trials he might be enduring. She had tried to envision if he was facing the punishment he¡¯d mentioned, but each time she conjured an image of him chained and whipped, it sent shivers down her spine.


    Arabe knew that Sandro¡¯s retribution would be far more severe than she¡¯d imagined. Still, she couldn¡¯t bear to picture ze in agony.


    An hour passed, and Arabe grimaced. ¡°He¡¯s still not here. You told me to wait for him, but how is he going to find me if he doesn¡¯t even know I¡¯m here?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re quite the drama queen, Arabe. I thought I had that title, but you¡¯ve surpassed me,¡± Thalia remarked. ¡°When I say ¡®wait,¡¯ I mean it could be a month, a year¡­¡±


    ¡°Thalia!¡± Arabe interrupted, ring at her. ¡°Why on earth should I wait that long?¡±


    Thalia shrugged, ¡°Because, in the grand scheme, it¡¯s not that long.¡±


    ¡°ze is your brother, Thalia. Don¡¯t you feel anything about his absence?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care. He chose to put himself in whatever position he¡¯s in,¡± Thalia said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you,¡± Arabe retorted. She knew Thalia cared deeply for ze and wouldn¡¯t want any harm to befall him. She didn¡¯t think Thalia was being truthful about not caring.


    ¡°What do you want me to say?¡± Thalia scowled. ¡°That I¡¯m terrified he might truly be gone? That I wish I could step out of this house and scour the entire city of Cooan for him. That I want to go to the De Luca¡¯s Vi just to check? Of course, I¡¯m worried. All I can do is hope for the best.¡±


    ¡°You can if you want to,¡± Arabe suggested.


    ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± Thalia shook her head. ¡°Sandro wants my head. I¡¯ve been with Sandro for a long time, and I lied to him with a straight face about ze. If I hadn¡¯t escaped from Sandro, I might be dead.¡±


    ¡°What do we do then?¡± Arabe asked.


    ¡°Like I said, we can only sit tight and hope for the best,¡± Thalia advised.


    Arabe pondered. The situation seemed helpless. She longed for ze. She needed to know if he was safe, even if it was just a glimpse of him. She needed that assurance.

 Chapter 149

    DE LUCA¡¯s RESIDENCE


    ¡°What do you have for me?¡± Sandro asked as ze entered the room. He walked to the window, pulled the curtains apart, letting the light flood in, and then turned his gaze towards ze.


    ¡°Not much,¡± ze replied, taking a seat on the couch.


    ¡°And what does ¡®not much¡¯ mean?¡± Sandro¡¯s eyes narrowed.


    ¡°I found Paolo Salvatore, but he¡¯s no easy enemy,¡± ze warned.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t ask for that kind of information!¡± Sandro red. ¡°I wanted to know more about him and his operations. So, if I¡¯m attacked, I¡¯ll know where to strike back.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I said he¡¯s not someone you can easily take down. He¡¯s formidable,¡± ze admitted.


    Sandro groaned. ¡°Must I extract every word from you, ze?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m speaking the truth. I couldn¡¯t get too close to avoid detection. So, I observed them from a distance.¡±


    ¡°Them?¡± Sandro¡¯s brows furrowed.


    ¡°Alessia and Janice were with him,¡± ze revealed.


    ¡°I¡¯m not surprised,¡± Sandro remarked.


    ¡°There¡¯s something else I noticed, and I thought you might find it interesting,¡± ze continued.


    ¡°And?¡± Sandro prompted.


    ze remained silent for a while, causing Sandro to scoff. ¡°Are you trying to make me beg for information?¡±


    ¡°I never said you should,¡± ze pointed out. ¡°I¡¯m just trying to find the right way to say it.¡±


    Sandro nodded, waiting patiently, still observing ze, who seemed to relish making him wait.


    ¡°I¡¯vee across a tattoo, but I can¡¯t quite ce its significance,¡± ze finally admitted, handing over a paper with a sketch of the tattoo.


    Sandro¡¯s eyes narrowed as he studied the design for a long moment. He rose abruptly and strode towards the door.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    ¡°Where are you headed?¡± ze inquired, following him.


    ¡°To question the intruders who came here,¡± Sandro dered, then added, ¡°You¡¯re wee to join me if you n to.¡±


    ze needed no further invitation. He stepped out of the room, trailing behind Sandro as they made their way to the dungeon. He wrinkled his nose, waving his hand in front of his face as dust floated around them.


    Thest time he had been here was when he set Alessia free. Now, thinking about it, he wished he hadn¡¯t let her go. Perhaps she wouldn¡¯t have joined the wrong side, and she definitely wouldn¡¯t have attacked Arabe. But then again, ze knew he couldn¡¯t bear to watch her suffer. He couldn¡¯t stand by and see anyone suffer, especially when he knew they were innocent.


    Sandro came to a stop in front of arge cage, and ze did the same. Inside, ze saw the intruders-two of them, stripped down to nothing. He couldn¡¯t help but notice the cuts on their bodies and whip-like marks, making him wonder if Sandro had ordered them to be beaten.


    ze sighed as Sandro leaned into the cage. He wasn¡¯t sure what Sandro had in mind, but he knew it wouldn¡¯t bode well.


    ¡°Who sent you?¡± Sandro growled, his voice dripping with danger. ¡°If you¡¯d prefer to face my wrath, which I would very much enjoy delivering personally, then by all means, remain silent.¡±


    Shaking his head, ze said, ¡°That¡¯s not how you question people. You won¡¯t get any answers.¡±


    Sandro straightened, shooting a re at ze. ¡°The way I choose to interrogate my prisoners is none of your concern.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± ze nodded, raising his hands in surrender. ¡°Just offering my opinion.¡±


    ¡°If you think you can do it better, why don¡¯t you step up and try?¡± Sandro challenged.


    Approaching the cage, ze leaned in, studying the prisoners who avoided eye contact. His gaze roved over their battered bodies, and he frowned when it settled on their shoulders.


    ze attempted to slip his hand into the cage to grasp the one closest to him, but he was pulled back.


    ¡°Now, who¡¯s being reckless?¡± Sandro demanded.


    ¡°I noticed something,¡± ze exined, then turned his attention back to them. He was sure it was the same tattoo he¡¯d seen on Paolo.


    Turning to Sandro, he asked, ¡°Could I see the sketch I made?¡±


    ¡°You noticed it too, didn¡¯t you?¡± Sandro asked. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m here; I knew the bastard had sent them after me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Paolo,¡± a voice murmured.


    Sandro turned to one of the prisoners, ¡°Paolo Salvatore?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± the prisoner nodded. He appeared to be in worse shape of the two, but Sandro noticed he had more endurance, unlike the other, that was unconscious.


    ¡°What does he want with me?¡± Sandro inquired.


    The prisoner shook his head. ¡°I do not know. He only mentioned that if we were ever captured, we could im you were suffering for the sins of your father.¡±


    ¡°He anticipated this capture,¡± Sandro chuckled. ¡°Quite the clever bastard.¡±


    He gripped the bars of the cage and continued, ¡°If my fathermitted wrongs, should his sins be called upon his offspring? I have no knowledge of what transpired between him and my father. Paolo¡¯s attack on me in this manner is senseless. It¡¯s a pity you won¡¯t have the chance to convey this message to him.¡±


    ¡°Hypocrite,¡± ze muttered, and he knew Sandro heard, judging by the raised brow.


    Sandro was being hypocritical, iming he shouldn¡¯t bear the burden of his father¡¯s sins while doing the same to Arabe. He hadn¡¯t given her the chance to speak, and even if he had, ze doubted he would have listened.


    Now, ze was curious about what had transpired between Paolo and Sandro¡¯s father.


    ¡°I have more questions, but I¡¯d prefer you not be in this state to answer, as you¡¯re rather unappealing,¡± Sandro stated, then snapped his fingers.


    Two Deltas, previously hidden in the shadows, approached, each carrying buckets of water.


    ¡°Empty them,¡± Sandro ordered, and the water was thrown onto both prisoners.


    ze winced as the conscious one cried out in agony. He suspected it wasn¡¯t ordinary water, given the steam escaping the cage.


    ¡°If you want answers, this approach won¡¯t yield them. Boiling them alive is not the way!¡± ze¡¯s irritation was evident in his voice.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be in that position soon,¡± Sandro replied. ¡°And I prefer to see them like this.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re twisted!¡± ze grunted. ¡°I never knew you to be so callous. I don¡¯t even recognize you anymore.¡±


    ¡°You never really knew me, ze. Just as I never truly understood who you were,¡± Sandro asserted.


    ze shook his head, feeling drained. He¡¯d rather be lying down in his room, contemting what would transpire when Sandro decided on his punishment than be confined in the dungeon.


    ¡°I have another task for you,¡± Sandro stated, ¡°and it might be thest.¡±


    ¡°And what¡¯s that?¡± ze inquired.


    ¡°Find Arabe. I¡¯ve learned she¡¯s here,¡± Sandro revealed.


    ze¡¯s heart skipped a beat as he locked eyes with Sandro, sensing the challenge. It urged him to reject the task. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder how the conversation had shifted from Paolo to Arabe. And who had provided Sandro with this information?


    ¡°Be cautious, ze. I¡¯m willing to overlook your past mistakes if you bring her to me. Arabe is carrying my child¡­¡±


    ¡°your child?¡± ze asked in disbelief. It was the most astonishing thing he¡¯d ever heard from Sandro. Yet, Sandro¡¯s demeanor didn¡¯t suggest he was bluffing.


    ¡°I assume she never informed you,¡± Sandro remarked, a brief smile gracing his lips before vanishing. ¡°I need to ensure she¡¯s not carrying a demon.¡±


    ze¡¯s head still spun from Sandro¡¯s revtion. Arabe was expecting a child. How had he not known? Had she kept it a secret for a reason? Regardless, he needed to have been informed rather than blindsided by Sandro.

 Chapter 150

    ze wandered around the De Luca Vi, uncertain of what to do.


    He had left the dungeon earlier, and the conversation with Sandro still weighed on his mind. Not only did Sandro want Arabe back in the vi, but he also aimed to use her presence as leverage to lessen ze¡¯s intended punishment.


    However, ze harbored doubts about Sandro¡¯s sincerity. He suspected that even if Arabe returned, Sandro would still inflict severe punishment upon him. He sighed, torn between his desire to seek answers from Arabe and his wish to keep her safe. He believed she might be in Thalia¡¯s residence or even in his house.


    Nevertheless, the danger loomed whether he visited her or not. Her whereabouts were known, and it was only a matter of time before Sandro dispatched one of his Eta to retrieve her.


    ¡°Did you see my sister?¡± ze turned abruptly, finding Annalise standing before the grand gate.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be out here. It¡¯s quitete, and people might get the wrong idea if they see us together,¡± ze muttered, his gaze drifting to the moonless sky, predicting an impending storm.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing going on between us,¡± Annalise replied. ¡°I don¡¯t concern myself with idle gossip. I just want assurance that my sister is safe.¡±


    ¡°She is,¡± ze affirmed. ¡°I saw her with your father.¡±


    Annalise wrinkled her nose in distaste. ¡°I¡¯m relieved she¡¯s safe, even if she¡¯s unhappy.¡±


    ze knew Janice¡¯s uneasiness. He¡¯d glimpsed it in her eyes, along with a fierce determination. Though he couldn¡¯t fathom her exact thoughts, he surmised she was plotting an escape, a risky endeavor in his estimation.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Annalise said.


    ¡°For what?¡± ze locked eyes with her.


    Annalise cast her gaze down, then shook her head. ¡°You¡¯re kind,¡± she murmured, though ze heard her.


    ¡°You might see me as a devil. Don¡¯t judge me solely by my actions, Annalise. I¡¯m far from the kind man you perceive,¡± ze retorted.


    ¡°You helped Janice,¡± Annalise argued. ¡°You¡¯ve helped many others, including me.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯ve taken lives, too,¡± ze pointed out.


    ¡°All on Alessandro¡¯s orders, I¡¯m sure of that,¡± Annalise said.


    ze shrugged. Whether his actions were in Sandro¡¯s direction or not, he saw it as his duty. He¡¯d sworn loyalty to Sandro.


    ¡°You should head inside,¡± ze advised, eyeing Annalise as she wrapped her arms around herself. ¡°You¡¯re dressed too lightly; you¡¯ll catch a cold.¡±


    Annalise¡¯s cheeks burned as she nced down at her attire. She¡¯d only just realized what she was wearing  pink denim shorts and a barely-covering tank top. She¡¯d spotted ze from her window and hurried out, not wanting to miss him.


    ¡°I just wanted to talk to you and forgot to change into something more suitable,¡± she exined.


    ¡°Janice is safe. You needn¡¯t worry about her right now.¡±


    ¡°Right now,¡± Annalise murmured, wondering about ze¡¯s choice of words. It seemed he wasn¡¯t inclined to say more.


    She nodded and said, ¡°Thank you, I¡¯ll go now,¡± before hurrying away.


    ze raised a brow as she made her way to the vi¡¯s entrance. Annalise bumped into Sandro and stumbled back, quickly regaining her bnce and dashing inside.


    ze shook his head, and Sandro approached him, chuckling.


    Speaking with Sandro was thest thing ze wanted, but he knew no matter how hard he tried to evade him, he couldn¡¯t escape.


    ¡°You have quite a few women vying for your attention,¡± Sandro remarked.


    ¡°I am a gentleman,¡± ze replied. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°No true gentleman would take what belongs to his best friend,¡± Sandro¡¯s eyes narrowed.


    ze sighed. ¡°How much longer must we discuss Arabe¡¯s choice? I never forced her to be with me, not once.¡±


    Though ze believed he didn¡¯t owe Sandro an exnation for his rtionship with Arabe, he wanted to provide it. He hoped it would persuade Sandro to back off. He yearned for Sandro to stop dwelling on his perceived betrayal, even if it seemed unlikely.


    ¡°Got a cigar on you?¡± Sandro inquired.


    ze tapped his pocket, producing a box of Cohiba.


    ¡°You have a taste for the inexpensive, don¡¯t you?¡± Sandro grunted, taking out a stick and lighting it. He drew a drag, closing his eyes for a moment to savor it before exhaling.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    ¡°You seem to prefer cheap women. I saw you with the spy sister. What were you discussing with her? nning to fuck her like you did Arabe and her sister?¡± Sandro narrowed his eyes at ze.


    ¡°When will this end? I¡¯m ufortable discussing Arabe with you like this,¡± ze said.


    Sandro rarely revisited matters. He usually allowed issues to end on their own without interfering. But when it came to Arabe, he couldn¡¯t let go. He was hurt by what ze had done. He had trusted him, only to be betrayed. Moreover, every time he saw ze, he couldn¡¯t help but think of them together and how Arabe seemed more receptive to ze than to him.


    ¡°I¡¯d do anything for you to stop demeaning her in this way. And if she truly carries your child¡­¡± ze winced at the thought of it. He¡¯d been avoiding dwelling on the idea of Arabe being pregnant with Sandro¡¯s child. If it were true, he didn¡¯t know what he could do about it.


    ¡°If she were indeed carrying your child, at least show her some respect. Is this how you intend to treat her?¡± ze asked.


    ¡°Not unless I have confirmation the child is truly mine,¡± Sandro replied. ¡°All the more reason for her to be here.¡±


    ¡°When will you bring her to me?¡± Sandro pressed.


    ze frowned. He had no intention of delivering Arabe to Sandro, but he needed to provide an answer. So, he said, ¡°As soon as I locate her.¡±


    ¡°Why do I get the feeling you¡¯re being crafty?¡± Sandro questioned.


    ¡°I¡¯m not attempting to be,¡± ze asserted. ¡°You just informed me of her being seen a few hours ago. I need to make proper arrangements to apprehend her and bring her to you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll remember what you said,¡± Sandro warned. ¡°If you try anything, it won¡¯t go in your favor. I have a lot of eyes on you.¡±


    Sandro passed him the cigar and then turned away himself from ze towards the Vi¡¯s entrance.


    ze sighed. He was acutely aware of the many eyes trained on him. At present, he could identify at least ten of them at present, hidden in different locations. He pondered how he could possibly reach Arabe without being intercepted by one of them.

 Chapter 151

    Peering out of the window once again, Arabe grimaced. The street appeared empty, but she couldn¡¯t shake the feeling of being watched. She wondered if Sandro had managed to track her down and sent his henchmen after her. She sighed just as Thalia stepped into the room, dressed in jogging pants and a crop top.


    ¡°Where are you headed?¡± Arabe inquired.


    ¡°Where else?¡± Thalia replied.


    ¡°It¡¯s close to midnight, Thalia. Please don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re going for a walk,¡± Arabe eximed, her eyes widening as Thalia nonchntly shrugged her slender shoulders.


    ¡°I¡¯m going for a jog. I need to clear my head,¡± Thalia exined.


    ¡°At this hour?¡± Arabe shook her head. Thalia had been acting strange all day as if she were harboring a secret. Arabe had asked her multiple times, hoping for some insight, but had received no satisfactory answers. And now, Thalia was heading out for a jog at midnight.


    ¡°I find it more refreshing at this time of day,¡± Thalia reasoned. ¡°See youter.¡±


    Thalia yfully blew a kiss at Arabe before slipping out of the door and heading toward the entrance. There, she encountered Orga, who narrowed his eyes at her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t give me that look. Have I ever told you how creepy you can be?¡± Thalia teased.


    ¡°I understand what you¡¯re up to. But, for Arabe¡¯s sake, I¡¯d rather you not go through with it. It would affect all of us in one way or another,¡± Orga warned.


    Thalia scoffed. ¡°You understand what I¡¯m doing?¡± She took a step towards him, locking eyes. ¡°Why don¡¯t you enlighten me, big guy?¡±


    Orga shook his head. ¡°I can only assume, and I¡¯d rather not. Besides, you should be protective of Arabe. Whoever reaches her first could spell the end for the werewolf race, and you, my dear, are a werewolf,¡± he said with a smirk, taunting Thalia further.


    She didn¡¯t want to get entangled in his games. She knew he was clearly trying to stall her. ¡°We can discuss thister. I need to get to my jog.¡±


    Thalia dashed out of the gate before Orga could stop her, rounding the corner in search of ze, just as he had instructed. He had contacted her, and though she couldn¡¯t be certain, nobody else had her private number but him. Plus, he addressed her as ¡®T¡¯ as he always did, which made her believe it was truly him.


    She couldn¡¯t fathom why he wanted to meet at this hour of the night instead of during the day. Yet, she was certain it had something to do with Arabe, even though he never mentioned her by name.


    Arabe let out a sigh, her gaze fixed on the spot Thalia had upied moments earlier. She had intended to confront Orga the moment she approached him, but instead, Thalia had hurriedly left through the gate. Stepping back from the window, Arabe paced around the room, unable to shake her suspicions.


    Thalia was concealing something significant, and Arabe was determined to uncover the truth.


    ***


    ze nced at his wristwatch for what felt like the hundredth time. Where in the world was Thalia? He pondered. Time was running out, and he was certain that at any moment now, someone might notice he was absent from his post. Still, he had faith in the person he had left in charge, James. He could handle it and cover for him.


    After his conversation with Sandro, he attempted to contact Thalia once more, and her number finally went through after he received a text from her. So, he made his way to her residence, knowing she would be there and wanting to see her in person.


    Behind a towering tree, ze kept a hand on the shotgun in his pocket as he saw a figure approach. His eyes narrowed, ready for any oue. As the figure came into view, he rxed, recognizing Thalia.


    ¡°Thalia,¡± ze whispered, utilizing the mind-link to contact her for the very first time.


    He¡¯d always possessed this ability but considered it unnecessary, preferring to visit her in person if the need arose. Now, however, he believed it was crucial.


    ¡°Quit talking in my head and tell me where you are,¡± Thalia muttered, her words almost lost under her breath, earning a chuckle from ze.


    ¡°I¡¯m by arge tree. Juste straight down,¡± ze directed.


    Thalia followed his instructions and soon stood before the tree. ze emerged from the shadows, causing Thalia to gasp, her eyes widening.


    ¡°Cole¡­¡± she whispered, stepping towards him, tears shimmering in her eyes. ¡°Is it really you?¡±C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    ¡°Can you see Ghost? If so, then I¡¯m no ghost,¡± ze teased.


    Thalia rushed into his open arms, holding him tightly and taking in his familiar scent. He was real. She felt the warmth of him against her and bit her trembling lip. ¡°I thought you were gone forever.¡±


    ¡°Well, here I am, not a ghost,¡± ze reassured, chuckling.


    Thalia pulled back slightly, delivering a light punch to his chest. ¡°Quit cracking jokes at a time like this. It¡¯s not funny.¡±


    ¡°I never said it was,¡± ze pointed out. He sighed, studying her face, then shook his head. ¡°I missed you too.¡±


    He moved in for another hug but was interrupted by a voice he never expected to hear.


    ¡°ze.¡±


    ze tensed and turned toward the sound. His eyes narrowed as theynded on Arabe. She stood behind him, dressed lightly with his sweatshirt on top.


    ¡°Arabe¡­¡± ze stammered. ¡°What the fuck are you doing¡­¡±


    ze grunted as she crashed into him, cutting off his words.


    ¡°Oh my God, it¡¯s really you. It¡¯s you!¡± Arabe repeated, her arms squeezing tightly around him.


    ze shot Thalia an using nce. ¡°You told her, didn¡¯t you? I told you not to!¡±


    ¡°Hey, I didn¡¯t do anything wrong,¡± Thalia shot back. ¡°She probably came here on her own because I refused to tell her you got in touch.¡±


    ¡°Do you realize how risky it is for her to be out here? I gave explicit instructions¡­¡±


    ¡°Fine!¡± Thalia snapped. ¡°You obviously care more about her than you do about me. Did you even stop to think that I¡¯m also in danger from Sandro? No, you don¡¯t care. You¡¯re only concerned about your damn girlfriend while I¡¯ve been doing my best to watch over her, and you show up here to berate me!¡±


    ¡°Thalia¡­¡± ze groaned, sensing her anger.


    ¡°Don¡¯t ¡®Thalia¡¯ me, Cole. It¡¯s a recurring pattern for you, and I¡¯m not sure I want to be a part of your life anymore,¡± Thalia dered.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so dramatic, Thalia,¡± ze scowled.


    Arabe released her hold on ze and took a step back, feeling an unfamiliar pang. It was the first time she¡¯d embraced him, and he hadn¡¯t reciprocated.


    He was engrossed in a spat with his sister, seemingly oblivious to her presence.


    ¡°I think I walked in at a bad time. Maybe I should go¡­¡± She murmured, turning away. Perhaps she shouldn¡¯t have slipped out after Orga left the gate. Maybe following Thalia wasn¡¯t the best idea.


    Her fingers clenched the strings of the sweatshirt tightly. She had wanted to see him, but it seemed he didn¡¯t feel the same way.


    Was that why he hadn¡¯te looking for her?


    Had his feelings for her changed?


    Her mind raced with thoughts, and she didn¡¯t notice ze reaching for her hand.


    Startled, she stumbled back into his chest.


    ¡°Not you, too,¡± ze grimaced.


    Arabe pushed at his chest until he released her. ¡°What?¡± She frowned at him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave you two,¡± Thalia interjected, stepping away.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m the one who interrupted. I should go,¡± Arabe mumbled.


    Thalia rolled her eyes and stated, ¡°He obviously wanted to see you. So stay and talk with him.¡±


    Arabe crossed her arms in front of her and watched Thalia walk away.


    Turning back to ze, she studied him, realizing he was watching her as well.


    ¡°Are you angry with me?¡± He asked, breaking the silence.


    ¡°Am I angry with you?¡± Arabe retorted, her brows furrowing. ¡°Why would I be? It¡¯s my fault foring out to see where Thalia was going. I was wrong to hug you because I missed you, and I shouldn¡¯t have expected you to do the same. So, if anyone should be angry, it¡¯s you.¡±


    ¡°Well, now you¡¯re angry with me,¡± ze chuckled softly. He held her hand, pulling her closer.


    ¡°Let me go, you jerk,¡± Arabe protested, struggling in his arms.


    ¡°I missed you,¡± he murmured, holding her tighter as if afraid she might vanish.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t,¡± Arabe replied.


    ¡°I missed you so much that it hurt, knowing I could only see you this way and briefly,¡± ze confessed.


    Arabe sensed him rx into the embrace, and she furrowed her brows, ceasing her struggles. ze¡¯s shoulders moved, and she heard him sniffling.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± she asked.


    When he released her, she noticed his eyes were rimmed with red. It was the first time she¡¯d seen ze cry.


    ¡°Are you crying?¡± she inquired.


    ze held her hand tightly, leading her away from therge tree toward a car parked in a secluded corner.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡± Arabe questioned.


    ¡°We need to talk, and I can¡¯t do that here. We might be watched,¡± ze exined.


    Arabe nodded, refraining from asking any further questions, even though she had many about how he had managed to escape from Sandro.

 Chapter 152

    The moment they stepped into the car, ze cupped Arabe¡¯s face, pressing his lips to hers.


    Taken by surprise, Arabe¡¯s eyes widened. It took only a few seconds for her to respond to the kiss. She adjusted on the seat, her hands clutching ze¡¯s shirt, kissing him back with fervor.


    ¡°Shit, Be,¡± ze groaned into the kiss as her hands slipped into his shirt, caressing his chest. The feel of her warm palms on his skin almost sent him over the edge, and his arousal awakened.


    Releasing her lips to stare at her, he asked, ¡°Do we do it in here?¡± His brows furrowed as he saw a faint blush on her cheeks.


    She gazed around, then nodded.


    ¡°If it¡¯ll make you ufortable, I don¡¯t mind waiting until we get a proper¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, ze,¡± She said. ¡°You don¡¯t really need permission to fuck me.¡±


    ¡°Fuck you?¡± ze raised a brow, smirking at her. ¡°Since when did you start talking like that?¡±


    ¡°Since I met you,¡± She muttered. ¡°Are you going to keep talking, or are you going to take me and make me a good girl because I¡¯ve been naughty and disobedient.¡±


    ¡°Arabe,¡± ze groaned as she licked her lower lip slowly.


    ¡°What?¡± She asked innocently, slipping out of his sweatshirt. ¡°Don¡¯t you like it when I talk like this?¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± ze murmured. ¡°Hearing you talk like that makes me want to lose myself in you so fast, but I need to be gentle with you.¡±


    ze watched as she slipped out of her dress. She was wearing a camisole and denim shorts. Somehow, he was d she had worn extra clothing under her dress because he couldn¡¯t imagine hering out with just panties and a bra. ze noticed the changes in her body.


    He looked even healthier; her breasts appeared fuller, and there was a tiny bump, or maybe he was imagining it. But Arabe had all the glow of a pregnant woman. He was worried and wanted to ask her questions, but he knew that he would have to wait.


    He wanted her to confide in him rather than forcing it out of her.


    ¡°What are you staring at?¡± Arabe said, shielding herself from him. She was suddenly shy.


    Although he didn¡¯t look at her inappropriately, the way he continued to gaze at her as if he was trying to determine something made her ufortable.


    ¡°If you keep staring at me like that, I might leave,¡± she said, swatting her hand in front of his face.


    ¡°You¡¯re exquisite, Be, and I wish I knew you sooner,¡± ze murmured.


    He pushed back the car¡¯s seat to allow space for her toe to him, and she straddled him.


    ¡°I know you¡¯ll be leaving soon, and I want to remember this,¡± she said, going in to take his lips in another kiss. This time, instead of kissing in a frenzy, it started out slow and sweet.


    The kiss held so much more meaning this time. They kissed slowly, deeply. His tongue moved around hers, and they breathed in sync.


    The kiss turned deeper and more passionate. It became a need, a necessity. It was the air that he breathed and the blood in his veins. He couldn¡¯t stop and didn¡¯t want to.


    As the kiss deepened, ze¡¯s hands traveled up Arabe¡¯s thighs, feeling the silky softness of her skin under his fingers.


    He groaned. Fuck, she was so perfect.


    His hands went under her camisole, pulling it up and over her head. He looked at her for a moment before kissing her again, moving his kisses from her mouth to her cheek, down her jaw, and to her neck. He found her pulse point and sucked on it gently, not wanting to leave a mark.


    ze¡¯s hands came up her back and deftly undid her bra, letting it fall to the seat. He pushed her further into the seat and crawled on top of her, taking a breast in his mouth and sucking hard on it, eliciting a moan from her.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    He continued his ministrations, moving to the other breast, sucking and biting on her nipple.


    ¡°ze,¡± she moaned.


    ¡°Cole,¡± ze murmured. ¡°I need to hear my name.¡± He took the nipple between his teeth and bit gently, causing her back to arch.


    ¡°Cole,¡± Arabe whimpered, pulling at his hair, bringing his lips to hers, and kissing him fervently.


    ze¡¯s hands ran down her body, stopping at her panties. He slid his fingers along the waistband, teasing her.


    She was soaking wet, the heat radiating from her center.


    ¡°Please,¡± Arabe begged.


    He smiled against her lips, finally pulling her panties down.


    His lips were everywhere.


    On her neck, her chest, her stomach, and her thighs.


    ¡°Please fuck me,¡± Arabe begged, writhing underneath him.


    ¡°Not yet,¡± ze whispered. He pushed the seat further back so he could ess her body more.


    His hands traveled up her hoisted legs, stopping at her pussy; he gently parted her pussy lips and licked her.


    ¡°Oh my fucking god!¡± Arabe cried out, her hand flying to his hair, pushing him further into her.


    He licked up and down her slit, swirling his tongue around her clit. He sucked and licked, tasting her. She tasted like heaven, like pure, unfiltered fucking bliss.


    He could die happily now, ze mused. He didn¡¯t care if Sandro caught him at this instant.


    He would happily take a bullet in his head.


    ¡°Please, I need you.¡± Arabe whimpered.


    ¡°You¡¯ll get me,¡± He said, his voice husky with desire. ¡°You have me for the night.¡± He promised.


    ze¡¯s finger slid into her, and she moaned. He moved it slowly, curling it upwards. He felt her walls contract around his finger.


    He added another and started pumping them harder and faster.


    He could feel her body start to tense up, her walls tightening.


    Arabe writhed beneath him, her legs shaking.


    Her orgasm was close; he could feel it. ze sucked on her clit, and Arabe screamed out his name as her orgasm overtook her.


    He continued sucking and licking, riding her out through her orgasm.


    When Arabe¡¯s body stopped shaking, he pulled away.


    Swiftly, he took off his shirt, unbuttoned his pants, and pulled them down along with his boxers.


    ze gripped her thigh, his dick at her entrance.


    His eyes locked on hers, and slowly, he slowly entered her, hissing. ¡°Shit, you¡¯re tight.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while,¡± Arabe said.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± His brows creased.


    ¡°Yeah, just give me a second to adjust,¡± Arabe said, shifting into a morefortable position.


    He waited a few seconds before she nodded, ¡°I¡¯m fine; you can move.¡±


    ¡°Okay, you might need to brace yourself for this,¡± ze said, and Arabe¡¯s grip tightened on his wrists as he pulled almost all the way out and mmed back into her.


    ¡°Oh fuck!¡± Arabe gritted her teeth.


    He repeated this action, pulling almost all the way out before mming back into her.


    ze groaned; her walls were gripping his dick like a vice. He continued his actions, setting a steady pace.


    Arabe¡¯s legs wrapped around his waist, giving him better ess.


    He leaned down, taking a nipple in his mouth, sucking on it, swirling his tongue around it.


    ¡°ze,¡± She whimpered, ¡°Harder.¡±


    ze groaned, increasing the pace, going harder and faster.


    Arabe¡¯s body trembled, her walls clenched around his dick.


    ze felt her orgasm took over her, her walls squeezing him. He continued fucking her through her orgasm.


    When her body was no longer trembling, he pulled out of her, flipped her over the car seat, and pushed her head down so that her ass was in the air.


    He entered her from behind, his hands gripping her hips, his fingers digging into her flesh.


    Arabe cried out in pleasure as he fucked her hard.


    He reached a hand around her and ced his fingers on her clit, rubbing it furiously.


    ¡°Oh, Cole,¡± She moaned loudly, her hands clenched.


    Her walls squeezed him tighter and tighter as he kept going. ze knew that she was going toe soon.


    And then she did, ¡°Cole!¡± She cried out his name as she came.


    But ze wasn¡¯t done yet. His movements were erratic; he was so close.


    His grip on Arabe¡¯s hips tightened, his nails digging into her flesh.


    His movements slowed, and his breath hitched.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± He growled as his orgasm ripped through him, making him see stars.


    He fell on top of her, careful not to exert all his weight before pulling her into his arms, holding her close.


    He was sweaty and tired, but he didn¡¯t care.


    All he cared about was her.


    He didn¡¯t know how long theyy there; it could have been hours or just minutes.


    But it didn¡¯t matter.


    Because she was his, and he was hers. He could face any other things when he got back to the De Luca Vi. At the moment, He cared only about Arabe.

 Chapter 153

    ¡°That was amazing,¡± Arabe said, turning to her side. ¡°I could do this every day.¡±


    She ced her hand on ze¡¯s chest, caressing it.


    ¡°Arabe,¡± ze groaned, ncing at his twitching dick. It was alive again and ready for another round. Only Arabe had this effect on him; he had never considered a repeat with any other woman.


    ¡°What?¡± Arabe said, leaning into him. She kissed his jaw, moving downwards, stopping at a nipple.


    ¡°I might not be able to resist taking you again,¡± ze admitted, gripping her shoulder as she hovered over him, her breasts near his face.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want you to,¡± she replied.


    ¡°We need to talk,¡± ze said, torn between his desire to lose himself in her again and the urgency of the matter that had brought him there in the first ce.


    Arabe paused, her brows raised, then shook her head. ¡°Can¡¯t it wait?¡± she asked, frowning.


    ¡°It could, but I might not have the chance to see you again after today,¡± ze confessed.


    Arabe sighed, settling back into the chair and quickly donning her discarded clothes. ¡°What¡¯s it about? You look and sound so serious.¡±


    ze wanted to retort that it was indeed serious, but he chose silence, watching her instead.


    When she finished putting on herst piece of clothing, he sighed, gazing into her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re pregnant,¡± he said without beating around the bush.


    He wanted to ask her immediately and be sure of the truth. ze¡¯s heart sank as he saw her eyes widen briefly before she stared at her hands. Sandro was right. Arabe was pregnant, and she had kept it from him.


    He couldn¡¯t help but wonder why. Also, the thought of who the father might be troubled him.


    ¡°How did you know?¡± she asked. ¡°Did Thalia tell you?¡±


    ¡°Oh, Thalia knew too?¡± ze murmured. ¡°I¡¯m the only one left in the dark.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ ze,¡± Arabe began, but he cut her off.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. You must have had your reasons for keeping me out of it,¡± he said.


    ¡°No,¡± Arabe shook her head. ¡°I intended to tell you as soon as I returned from Sandro¡¯s pack, but the opportunity never came. Plus, it was the same day we were all transported back here.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± ze nodded. ¡°I would have preferred to hear it from you rather than Sandro.¡±


    Arabe nodded, biting her lower lip. She wondered if ze would bring up the question of paternity.


    He gently sped her hands, prompting her to meet his gaze. ¡°I won¡¯t inquire about how the child came to be.¡±


    That was initially his intention, but ze knew it might hurt to hear her response. He didn¡¯t want to know if he or Sandro was the father. It was best left unknown, and he would dly im it as his own.


    ¡°You won¡¯t?¡± Arabe asked, surprised. ¡°I mean, that should have been your next question. Considering I¡¯ve been involved with both you and Sandro¡­¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t ask, Arabe. Regardless of who the father is, I want to consider this child as mine. I want you and the child within you to be mine,¡± ze stated firmly.


    Arabe saw the determination in his eyes and couldn¡¯t help but be moved. She had been worrying for nothing.


    ze gently cradled her face, drawing his lips closer to hers. ¡°I love you, Arabe. I love you deeply, and I want to be with you, grow old with you, and have as many children as we can¡­¡±


    ¡°But Sandro¡­¡± Arabe¡¯s words were silenced by ze¡¯s kiss.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m here,¡± ze said when he released her lips. ¡°Sandro wants me to bring you to him, or he won¡¯t spare my life.¡±


    ¡°W-what?¡± Arabe stammered, nudging him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll do everything in my power to keep you from him,¡± ze assured her.


    ¡°Which means you might risk your life!¡± Arabe eximed, clutching his hand.


    ¡°I¡¯m not easily defeated,¡± ze chuckled softly. ¡°I¡¯ll fight to the end, just for you.¡±


    ¡°No, ze, you can¡¯t do that,¡± Arabe insisted, shaking her head. She tightened her grip on his hand.


    ze snarled, shrugging her hand off. ¡°And would you rather I let him have you, Arabe? Would you rather I stand by and watch him destroy you? Would you rather I see you in pain and do nothing about it?!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d still prefer that to you risking your life just for me!¡± Arabe¡¯s voice grew more impassioned.


    ¡°You¡¯re being selfish,¡± ze said, averting his gaze from her widening eyes. ¡°If you knew how deeply I care about you, I don¡¯t think you¡¯d say those things. I¡¯m starting to wonder if you feel the same way about me.¡±


    ¡°What on earth are you saying?!¡± Arabe red at him. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m someone who¡¯d let herself but fucked in the back seat of a car without a second thought? We¡¯ve shared so much, and I don¡¯t appreciate you doubting my feelings for you, ze.¡±


    ¡°Then let me do what I need to do,¡± ze insisted.


    ¡°And how do you think that would make me feel if you get hurt for my sake? Tell me, ze.¡± Arabe¡¯s eyes shimmered with tears.


    It seemed a happy ending was out of her reach. With Sandro entangled in every aspect of her life, disruption was inevitable. She wiped at her tears with the back of her hand, sniffling. ¡°You could have spared me all this pain by noting today.¡±


    ze tried to steel himself against her tears, but they still affected him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Be,¡± he murmured, reaching out for her hand, but she pulled away.


    ¡°You can¡¯t say all those things to me and expect me to believe you¡¯re sorry. Why would you want to risk your life for me?!¡± She sobbed.


    ze sighed, frustrated. He reached out to her again, this time seeding in pulling her into his arms. He wrapped her in aforting embrace, letting her cry while he gently caressed her back.


    After she finished crying, he gently lifted her head, nting a soft kiss on the tip of her nose and then on each cheek stained with tears. ¡°I never meant to make you cry.¡±


    Arabe pushed at his chest, but his hold on her remained firm. ¡°You¡¯re such a jerk, you know that.¡±


    ¡°Point taken,¡± he acknowledged. ¡°I was just trying to watch out for you.¡±


    ¡°You should watch out for yourself, too,¡± Arabe insisted. ¡°I can¡¯t bear the thought of you being hurt or in mortal danger.¡±


    ze nodded, deep in thought. He supposed there was a n B. At least he had one in mind.


    ¡°What if you leave this ce for now? Your whereabouts are already known, and any moment now, I¡¯ll being here on Sandro¡¯s orders. It would be smarter if you¡¯re gone, and I arrive to find no one here,¡± ze suggested.


    Arabe pondered it for a moment and then nodded. It seemed like a better idea than him sacrificing himself.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with that suggestion,¡± she agreed. ¡°But promise me you¡¯lle find me.¡±


    ¡°I promise,¡± ze assured her, leaning in for another kiss.


    A notification sound interrupted their kiss, and he groaned, pulling away. He stared at his voice, which was now vibrating.


    ¡°It¡¯s time for me to go,¡± ze said, raising an eyebrow as Arabe straddled him once again.


    ¡°How about one more time before you leave? I don¡¯t know when I¡¯ll get to see you again,¡± she suggested, starting to unbuckle his belt.


    ze grasped her hand, stopping her. ¡°Do you think that¡¯s a good idea?¡±Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Arabe¡¯s lips curved into a seductive smile, her voice dropping to a huskier tone. ¡°I think it¡¯s a very good idea, Cole. Tell me you don¡¯t want it, too.¡±


    She guided his hand to her inner thigh, her arousal already evident; she bit his earlobe and whispered, ¡°See, this naughty kitten is ready for you.¡±


    ¡°Fuck,¡± ze breathed, his gaze darkening. ¡°When you put it like that, how the hell am I supposed to resist you?¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t resist me,¡± Arabe giggled as ze flipped her over.


    It would only be for a few minutes, ze reasoned. That surely wouldn¡¯t get him into trouble.

 Chapter 154

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear all the nasty details between my brother and you. I just need to know what he said and when he¡¯sing back,¡± Thalia said, pulling Arabe from her thoughts.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    Arabe¡¯s body buzzed, and she tingled all over. The second time hadn¡¯t been as frenzied as the first, but it was perfect. ze had taken her more slowly. She wondered if it was because he knew she was pregnant or perhaps it was something else. She couldn¡¯t tell, but she enjoyed it and felt slightly embarrassed when she walked in with a limp, Thalia watching her with disdain.


    ¡°He said he¡¯ll be back,¡± Arabe replied, shutting her eyes and resting her head on the sofa.


    ¡°When?¡± Thalia pressed. ¡°There should at least be a specific date. If I knew he was onlying here to fuck you, I wouldn¡¯t have told him you were with me.¡±


    Arabe¡¯s eyes opened, and she nced at Thalia, who began to pace the room. ¡°We didn¡¯t just do that.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Thalia nodded, rolling her eyes. ¡°All the hickeys all over your skin suggest you did a lot more talking.¡±


    Arabe heard the sarcasm in her voice but wasn¡¯t offended, maybe because she knew how Thalia was, or perhaps because Thalia rarely meant half of what she said.


    ¡°ze was here to confirm if I was truly pregnant or not,¡± Arabe exined, and Thalia looked at her.


    Arabe continued. ¡°He heard it from Sandro, and he said Sandro ising for me¡­ for us.¡± She shook her head.


    ¡°Did he say anything else?¡± Thalia murmured.


    ¡°We need to leave here as soon as we can. He¡¯ll find us soon enough,¡± Arabe said.


    Thalia let out a breath. He wasn¡¯t as much of a jerk as she had thought. He still cared about her, even if he showed it in his own way.


    She sat next to Arabe, ignoring the asional smile that yed on her face.


    ¡°What do you think we should do, and can you please stop thinking about my brother being inside you?¡± Thalia said.


    ¡°I¡¯m not thinking about that,¡± Arabe said, her cheeks tinged with red. ¡°I¡¯m just happy he was here. I thought I wouldn¡¯t see him again.¡±


    ¡°I feel the same, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s the right time for such thoughts. We have plenty of time to think about ze after we¡¯ve escaped.¡±


    Arabe nodded, her face turning serious. ¡°Do you have any specific ce in mind? I doubt Sandro would not be able to track down any location we choose for a thorough search.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s one he¡¯d never even consider,¡± Thalia said, thinking of her mother¡¯s n. She had maintained close ties with them even after her mother¡¯s passing, and they were more weing and protective than her father¡¯s n. They had not only embraced her but also provided a safe haven.


    Returning there didn¡¯t seem like a bad idea until ze found a solution to their predicament. Plus, one of the reasons she intended to visit was their unwavering loyalty. They would go to great lengths to ensure her safety.


    ¡°Thalia,¡± Arabe observed Thalia¡¯s distant gaze fixed on the wall.


    She grasped her hand, bringing her back to the present. ¡°You were lost in thought,¡± she pointed out.


    ¡°Oh, right,¡± Thalia said. ¡°I was pondering the perfect location.¡±


    ¡°Do you have one in mind?¡± Arabe inquired again.


    ¡°I do,¡± Thalia confirmed. ¡°We should set out as early as possible and¡­¡± She trailed off as her thoughts shifted to Orga.


    ¡°Will he be following us?¡± She asked, her nose wrinkling.


    ¡°Who, Orga?¡± Arabe rified, just as Orga entered the room.


    ¡°Yes, him,¡± Thalia said. ¡°He might make people uneasy, and that¡¯s thest thing I want from those who might offer us kindness.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t be apanying you,¡± Orga stated.


    Thalia rose to her feet, her arms crossed. ¡°Not only is he a pervert, he eavesdrops!¡± She shot him a re, her tone using.


    ¡°You were loud, and you should know we phoenixes have keen hearing, too,¡± he retorted.


    ¡°Right,¡± Arabe affirmed with a nod.


    ¡°I know you¡¯ll always defend him. You never seem to side with me,¡± Thalia grumbled, her gaze still fixed on Orga.


    ¡°What do you mean you won¡¯t being?¡± Arabe inquired.


    ¡°Where you¡¯re headed is werewolf territory. It wouldn¡¯t sit well with them to have phoenixes wandering about,¡± Orga exined.


    Arabe nodded in understanding. ¡°Where will you be, then?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be nearby, mydy,¡± he assured. ¡°We¡¯re more connected than you realize, and when you need us, we¡¯ll be there.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said, watching as he left the room. She turned to Thalia, who was also watching him.


    ¡°Do you have feelings for Orga?¡± Arabe asked. It might have been an odd question, but she couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that Thalia harbored something for him. The way they bantered wasn¡¯t something she witnessed every day, and there was an underlying tension between them. Maybe she was reading too much into it.


    ¡°What? Like Orga?¡± Thalia snorted. ¡°That¡¯s thest thing on my mind.¡±


    ¡°Orga isn¡¯t that bad,¡± Arabe said.


    ¡°He is,¡± Thalia murmured. ¡°He¡¯s as arrogant as theye. Just because he¡¯s a Phoenix with some fancy wings doesn¡¯t make him¡­¡±


    ¡°You think Orga¡¯s wings are fancy?¡± Arabe interrupted Thalia.


    ¡°What? No!¡± Thalia eximed.


    ¡°You definitely like him, Thalia. And I won¡¯t judge you because what¡¯s not to like?¡± Arabe grinned.


    ¡°Goodness, you¡¯re even worse than he is. What part of ¡®I don¡¯t like him¡¯ don¡¯t you get?¡± Thalia snapped.


    ¡°Fine, you don¡¯t,¡± Arabe conceded, but then added, ¡°You could date him. He¡¯s quite handsome.¡±


    ¡°Goodness, Arabe!¡± Thalia gritted her teeth, a re on her face. ¡°If you weren¡¯t Cole¡¯s girl, your heart would be on the floor for taunting me.¡±


    Despite the threat, Thalia didn¡¯t mean it. Yet, she couldn¡¯t deny that she wasn¡¯t entirely sure if she liked Orga or not. She just had a strange feeling when she was near him. Maybe she did like him and was trying to push those feelings aside, Thalia mused.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get packed,¡± Arabe said. ¡°But you could ask Orga to¡­¡±


    ¡°Arabe!¡± Thalia snatched a throw from a nearby chair and tossed it at Arabe before yfully chasing her.


    Even though she wasn¡¯t chasing Arabe because of what she had said about her and Orga, she needed the momentary distraction to stop her thoughts from wandering to what the future holds.

 Chapter 155

    At exactly 5:30 AM, Arabe and Thalia set out from thetter¡¯s residence, shrouded by the early dawn to avoid drawing attention.


    Arabe shifted in her seat, a hand gently cradling her stomach as she felt a twinge. Wincing, she stole a nce at it.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Thalia asked her gaze briefly on Arabe before scanning the room.


    They¡¯d been driving for nearly an hour, yet the lingering fog veiled the sky. But Arabe¡¯s concern wasn¡¯t the weather. It was ze. Upon waking earlier, she¡¯d received a disconcerting message from him.


    The fact that she couldn¡¯t reach him unsettled her. She hoped he was alright, but her worry extended to something more profound.


    It was her baby.


    ¡°I told you not to bother about Cole,¡± Thalia said. ¡°He wille to us, and I am sure he would have suggested the same thing.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not about ze,¡± Arabe replied, trying to dismiss Thalia¡¯s concern.


    ¡°Then what is it?¡± Thalia pressed.


    ¡°My baby,¡± Arabe confessed. ¡°It¡¯s been unusually active, and my stomach has suddenly grown.¡±


    Last night, there had been little evidence of her pregnancy. Despite Thalia saying she was showing earlier, she hadn¡¯t noticed any changes.


    Now, it was unmistakable. Arabe couldn¡¯t understand having such a prominent baby bump at just ten weeks.


    ¡°Arabe,¡± Thalia called again; concern etched in her features, her eyes drawn to Arabe¡¯s difort and the hand cradling her belly. ¡°Are you feeling unwell? Maybe I should pull over.¡±


    ¡°No, no, don¡¯t,¡± Arabe shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m just amazed.¡±


    She lifted her shirt for Thalia to see, and Thalia¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°That¡¯s quite sudden,¡± she murmured. ¡°Did ze do something to youst night besides fucking you know?¡±


    Thalia was vulgar, and she wondered if she could get used to her choice of words.


    ¡°No,¡± Arabe¡¯s cheeks flushed, shooting Thalia a re, though she detected a yful glint in her eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s strange how you¡¯ve started showing so suddenly,¡± Thalia observed. Then, her tone grew serious. ¡°Is this something we should be worried about?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Arabe said. ¡°But for the record, I feel it, alive and moving. So I don¡¯t think it¡¯s something to worry about unless I start hemorrhaging.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never been pregnant before,¡± Thalia shrugged.


    ¡°You should give it a try,¡± Arabe quipped, her voice tinged with sarcasm.


    Thalia nced at her, then back at the road before shaking her head. She had pondered having a child, a little version of herself and a little Sandro.


    Thalia winced as her thoughts drifted back to him. She¡¯d envisioned many scenarios with Sandro, but he was the very reason she was on the run again. Unfortunately, it wasn¡¯t for noble reasons, as she had done before.


    Still, she doubted if she would want a child with Sandro. Sandro was cruel. She couldn¡¯t bear the thought of raising a child who might turn out like him. While the opposite was possible, she couldn¡¯t trust it.


    ¡°You should keep your eyes on the road if you want us to get there in one piece!¡± Arabe¡¯s voice snapped her back to attention.


    ¡°Shit!¡± Thalia swerved just in time, narrowly avoiding a log blocking the road. ¡°What the heck was that?!¡±


    ¡°That could have been easily avoided if you hadn¡¯t been lost in thought,¡± Arabe pointed out.


    ¡°No, not that,¡± Thalia breathed out. Her eyes darted to the rearview mirror, but whatever she had glimpsed after the log had vanished.


    ¡°Did you see something else?¡± Arabe inquired, checking the road.


    Thalia nodded, ¡°But whoever it was, they¡¯re not there anymore.¡±


    Could she have imagined it? Thalia wondered. She took a deep breath, gripping the wheel tightly. Anxiety washed over her. She¡¯d felt watched earlier, and now it had intensified threefold. How could someone be observing them while they were driving? It didn¡¯t make any sense, and it certainly didn¡¯t sit well with her.


    Thalia¡¯s knuckles whitened from her tight grip on the wheel. She spoke through gritted teeth. ¡°Brace yourself, Arabe.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Arabe asked, looking at Thalia, whose gaze was fixed on the road. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m exceeding the speed limit,¡± she stated. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to go flying, hence the warning to brace yourself.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Arabe said, though she was puzzled by Thalia¡¯s sudden shift in demeanor. She suspected something had urred, perhaps triggered by her mention of pregnancy.


    Arabe gripped the handle just as Thalia elerated.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    ¡°Hold on, Arabe,¡± Thalia urged. She caught sight of the figure again. Maybe she shouldn¡¯t keep ncing at the mirror, but she couldn¡¯t help it.


    ¡°Believe me, I¡¯m holding on for dear life,¡± Arabe ground out through gritted teeth. ¡°I really hope today isn¡¯t myst!¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t the time for pessimism,¡± Thalia snapped, navigating the winding road.


    ¡°You¡¯re absolutely right,¡± shot back Arabe. ¡°If you¡¯d exined why I¡¯m hurtling toward a potential demise, maybe I¡¯d feel more at ease.¡±


    ¡°I told you, I saw something,¡± Thalia insisted. ¡°It¡¯s not my fault you can¡¯t see it!¡±


    Arabe winced, her free hand clutching her stomach as the car jolted, and she gasped through the sensation.


    ¡°Did you actually get a driver¡¯s license?¡± Arabe inquired. ¡°You should be sent to prison for driving like this!¡±


    Thalia¡¯s eyes widened as they approached another log in the road. Arabe squeezed her eyes shut, breathing heavily through her mouth, waiting for Thalia to navigate around it.


    ¡°No, I just waltzed into the licensing office, charmed everyone there, and vo, got it done, piece of cake,¡± Thalia retorted, her tone dripping with sarcasm.


    Arabe grimaced, shaking her head.


    ¡°You¡¯re the road queen, but could you at least let me focus on driving instead of acting like a nervous wreck?¡± Thalia quipped.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a nervous wreck,¡± Arabe shot back, ring at her.


    It wasn¡¯t that she was entirely afraid; it just felt eerily simr to her situation with ze when they were forced on the run. She half-expected gunfire to erupt, but she hadn¡¯t spotted any other vehicles approaching.


    ¡°We¡¯re almost there,¡± Thalia announced. While she didn¡¯t let up on her speed, she skillfully avoided any potholes along the way.


    They soon reached the pack house, which wasn¡¯t visible, but Arabe was immensely grateful that they had at least gotten to their destination.


    As soon as Thalia found a safe spot to park, Arabe gasped for breath, clutching the door handle for support.


    Her body ached, her backside felt numb from the prolonged sitting, and she trembled as she got out of the car.


    ncing at her watch, Thalia remarked, ¡°It was only a three-hour journey. Don¡¯t act like it¡¯s a major ordeal.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you try having a sudden watermelon-sized bump appear on your stomach and then hit the road to make sure you don¡¯t meet an untimely end from reckless driving? I¡¯m sure you¡¯d have plenty to say if you were in my shoes,¡± Arabe retorted, straightening up.


    ¡°I never encouraged you to get pregnant,¡± Thalia replied, aghast at the idea of being in Arabe¡¯s position.


    ¡°Fine,¡± Arabe huffed. ¡°Let¡¯s just move on from here.¡±


    Thalia nodded, taking the lead as they made their way towards the pack.

 Chapter 156

    Wincing as he awoke, ze¡¯s eyes scanned the cage he was trapped in. His hands were held in cuffs, tethered to the ceiling.


    He attempted to move, but every motion sent protests through his body. Sandro had personally dealt with him, rendering him powerless. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t want to fight back; he simply couldn¡¯t. Brianna had stripped him of his will before Sandro¡¯s arrival.


    Upon ze¡¯s return to the pack after meeting with Arabe, Sandro summoned him. ze believed Sandro had asked for him around the Vi, but no one had given him a satisfactory response.


    Perhaps he had received an answer but coerced it out of them, hence the reason he was summoned.


    ze remained unfazed when Sandro used him of meeting Arabe. Hisck of response had only angered Sandro, who then ordered him to be confined. It wasn¡¯t just confinement; he had been subjected to numerous beatings, which he bore withoutint. He believed he deserved every bit of it.


    However, it was Sandro¡¯s deration that he would go after Arabe himself that truly affected him. ze wondered if Sandro had managed to reach her. He had attempted to contact her before his phone was snatched and shattered before him. With no other means, he could only hope that she and Thalia had left the residence.


    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have gone to her,¡± he moaned. ¡°She¡¯s in danger because of me.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Sandro asserted.


    ze looked up as Sandro strode toward him. ¡°Leave Arabe out of this.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Sandro asked.


    ¡°Because she¡¯s my mate, Sandro. Arabe is mine, and whatever is happening between us, she shouldn¡¯t be caught in the middle.¡±


    Sandro tossed his head back and burst intoughter. ¡°Did you really think I¡¯d ever heed your words?¡±


    ¡°I know you won¡¯t,¡± ze murmured. ¡°But she¡¯s pregnant, man.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m well aware of that,¡± Sandro replied. ¡°I warned you that you¡¯d soon find yourself in this dangerous position. You should have been more cautious, my ex-friend.¡±


    ze didn¡¯t believe for a moment that Sandro harbored any sympathy for him. There was no trace of it in his cold, green eyes.


    ¡°I don¡¯t intend to harm Arabe,¡± Sandro murmured, his voice dropping even lower. ¡°I have far greater ns for her than to let her go like that. And the child in her could be mine.¡±


    ze¡¯s teeth clenched as he pulled at the chain restraining him. The thought of Arabe returning to Sandro¡¯s mercy set him on edge.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother trying to break free,¡± Sandro advised. ¡°I¡¯d prefer you conserve your energy for what¡¯s ahead.¡±


    Sandro retrieved his phone. ze watched as he tapped it for a while before holding it out to him.


    ¡°Speak to your girl,¡± Sandro growled thest part, his eyes glowing with a dangerous golden hue.


    For a moment, ze said nothing. He couldn¡¯t hear anything and wondered if Sandro was trying to provoke him until he heard her voice.


    ¡°What do you want with me?¡± Arabe¡¯s voice came from the other end.


    ¡°Oh, you might not want me,¡± Sandro murmured, then added, ¡°but your lover needs you.¡±


    ¡°Arabe,¡± ze murmured as Sandro thrust the phone toward him.


    ¡°ze,¡± he heard the uncertainty in her voice, imagining her tilting her head.


    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to him,¡± ze urged. ¡°Don¡¯te for me!¡±


    Even though Sandro hadn¡¯t explicitly mentioned inviting Arabe, ze knew it was likely his n in the end. If he revealed his situation to Arabe, she might rush to the vi. However, he¡¯d prefer if she didn¡¯t.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening, ze? And what do you mean by ¡®run far away¡¯? I received your message earlier,¡± Arabe said.


    ze winced, ncing at Sandro, whose face contorted in a grimace. ¡°I gave you a simple loyalty test, ze. You failed it. You let her go after being with her!¡±


    Sandro was beyond furious with ze. He knew ze would never give him easily, which was why he had made people watch his movement.


    ¡°This ends now, and wait until I get the bitch.¡± Sandro reached for his gun in the side pocket of his jacket, aiming it at ze and pulling the trigger.


    ze gasped, his eyes widening as he stared at Sandro and at the spot where the bullet had struck. He staggered backward, falling onto the concrete floor and immediately slipping into unconsciousness.


    ***


    Arabe¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She stared at her phone for a long moment before cing it against her ear. Though she¡¯d heard the shot, there was only ragged breathing on the line. She couldn¡¯t discern who had been hit or if they were still alive.


    ¡°ze,¡± her voice trembled as she spoke into the phone, met with silence.


    ¡°Please, no.¡± Arabe choked back a sob, tears streaming down her face. ¡°Please respond to me.¡±


    ¡°ze,¡± she cried into the phone. Again, silence. She headed toward the pack¡¯s entrance. They had just arrived and hadn¡¯t made any introductions yet. She hadn¡¯t even had a chance to look around before receiving Sandro¡¯s call.


    Arabe collided with a body, and they wrapped their arms around her. She struggled, pounding her fists against the chest.


    ¡°Let me go!¡± she cried.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on, Arabe?¡± Thalia asked, still holding her. She¡¯d seen Arabe stumbling toward where the car was parked and wondered if she had second thoughts abouting until she saw her tear-stained face.


    ¡°Thalia,¡± Arabe sobbed, her arms wrapped around Thalia¡¯s body.


    ¡°Tell me what¡¯s going on. We can¡¯t afford to leave here. I¡¯ve gathered information from the members as well,¡± Thalia said.


    For a while, Arabe said nothing, and Thalia didn¡¯t press. She waited for Arabe¡¯s tears to subside before asking again.


    ¡°It¡¯s ze,¡± Arabe said, her lips quivering, more tears streaming down.


    ¡°What about him?¡± Thalia asked. ¡°Did he break up with you or something?¡±


    As Arabe shook her head, Thalia sighed. ¡°Then there¡¯s nothing to worry about. I assume you¡¯re concerned because he hasn¡¯t reached out, but it hasn¡¯t been twenty hours since youst saw each other.¡±


    ¡°ze is dead,¡± Arabe whispered. When Thalia gazed at her with uncertainty, as if she hadn¡¯t heard clearly, Arabe repeated, ¡°ze is dead, Thalia.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Thalia muttered, her brows furrowed.


    ¡°Sandro killed him,¡± Arabe cried.


    ¡°No,¡± Thalia refused to believe it. There was no way she¡¯d ept her brother was dead without proper evidence.

 Chapter 157

    ¡°Are youing with me to the monster¡¯s vi, or should I do this alone?¡± Arabe murmured. Her voice was hoarse from crying too much. Her eyes were swollen and painful, butpared to the ache in her heart, it was nothing.


    As Thalia didn¡¯t respond, Arabe reached for the car door, but Thalia swiftly snatched the keys from her hands, tucking them into her pocket.


    ¡°What the hell?!¡± Arabe eximed, her face contorted in a re. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have told you my n. I knew you¡¯d try to stop me!¡±


    ¡°Of course I will,¡± Thalia said. ¡°I¡¯m trying to reason with you, Be. Going to Sandro¡¯s vi to confront him might be the riskiest decision I¡¯ve ever heard.¡±


    ¡°He killed ze,¡± Arabe said, her body trembling. ¡°He killed ze!¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know for sure,¡± Thalia pointed out.


    ¡°ze was talking to me, and then the shot rang out. I couldn¡¯t hear his voice anymore, Thalia. You might think I¡¯m going crazy, but I heard it,¡± Arabe said, her eyes shimmering with tears once more.


    She had thought it would be impossible for her to cry again after shedding tears nonstop for an hour since it happened, but she was mistaken. She wiped at her eyes with the back of her palm but regretted it instantly as pain red in the area.


    ¡°You told me that,¡± Thalia said. She stepped forward, gripping Arabe¡¯s shoulder and staring into her eyes. ¡°You need to stay calm, Be. Whatever happened at the vi, it might be a trap. Plus, we can¡¯t go in there without being prepared.¡±


    Arabe shook her head. Thalia seemed to be taking this better than she was. Why? She couldn¡¯t tell. Thalia loved ze dearly, but it felt as though she wasn¡¯t as concerned about everything she had said. Thalia seemed different. Arabe couldn¡¯t help but notice. If she were the Thalia she had first met, she was sure she would have gone to the De Luca¡¯s vi without being told.


    ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking,¡± Thalia murmured. ¡°And I feel just as unhinged. But we need help. We can¡¯t do this alone.¡±


    ¡°How do we get help, Thalia?¡± Arabe asked. ¡°ze might be bleeding out for all we know. How long before we reach him to know if he¡¯s truly fine?¡±


    ¡°My brother is going to be fine,¡± Thalia assured Arabe, though it was more for her own reassurance. She felt the need to say it. ze was going to pull through. She could feel it deep within her. Call it a sibling bond, but that was what she believed.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to believe that,¡± Arabe said.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s introduce ourselves lest we appear rude,¡± Thalia suggested, clutching Arabe¡¯s hand and leading her back to the pack house.


    For the first time since they arrived, Arabe took a moment to study the pack house. The air was thick with the earthy scent of damp moss and the fresh, wild fragrance of pine. The pack house itself was set back in a wide valley, surrounded by dense woond on all sides. It was a massive structure with imposing stone walls and several chimneys that seemed to expel smoke from a central fire pit she could see in the heart of the building. The roof, made of wood with a wooden frame and a covering of what she presumed to be thatch or some other grassy material, appeared sturdy but weathered. It stoodrge, encircled by several sizable wooden outbuildings connected by low, winding walkways. It seemed in better condition than the outbuildings, which looked older and more weather-beaten.


    Arabe wondered if this would be her home for the rest of her days. A small part of her resisted the idea. Although they seemed weing with their broad smiles, she didn¡¯t want to be confined here forever. But she knew she had no say in the matter.


    ¡°You must be Arabe Collins,¡± a middle-aged woman greeted with a warm smile, stepping forward. ¡°I am risse,¡± she introduced herself.


    Arabe was taken aback that the woman already knew her name. She turned to Thalia, raising her brows, but Thalia wore a shocked expression as well.


    ¡°How do you know my name?¡± Arabe asked.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been expecting you,¡± risse simply stated.


    Arabe had more questions swirling in her mind. She wanted to ask risse what she meant by expecting her, but considering the number of people who hade out to greet them, she sensed it wasn¡¯t the right time for that.


    ¡°I know you have a lot of questions, but here isn¡¯t the right ce,¡± risse said, and Arabe nodded.


    Then risse added, ¡°Everyone, listen. Miss Collins here will be staying with us until she deems it fit to return to her world. She holds significance here. I want her protected at all costs.¡±


    Arabe heard murmurs, but no one objected.


    ¡°Now, get back to your activities. We¡¯ll give her a proper wee tonight,¡± risse announced.


    The crowd nodded and dispersed, leaving Arabe with risse and Thalia.


    ¡°Come with me,¡± risse said, leading them to another building that resembled a cabin.


    As Arabe stepped in, she paused near the entrance. Her body tingled all over, and her eyes narrowed at risse, who wore a knowing smile.


    ¡°What is this ce?¡± asked Arabe as faint murmurs filled the air.


    ¡°This is one of your ancestors¡¯ abodes, Arabe. We coborated with them,¡± risse exined, causing Arabe to furrow her brows.


    ¡°We were promised you after thest Phoenix when your ancestor was cruelly taken from us. And now you are here,¡± risse said, smiling warmly at Arabe, who still looked bewildered.


    Arabe turned to Thalia, who shrugged in confusion.


    ¡°I¡¯m just as puzzled, Arabe. I never even mentioned you to risse. I only said I wasing here for a vacation with someone and hoped to speak to her once I arrived,¡± Thalia exined.


    ¡°She¡¯s right,¡± risse confirmed. ¡°We didn¡¯t have prior discussions. Also, can¡¯t you feel the powers here?¡±


    Arabe did feel it, but she didn¡¯t want to acknowledge it to risse. If her ancestors knew she was going toe here, why didn¡¯t they make it happen sooner? Why subject her to unnecessary suffering?Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

 Chapter 158

    ¡°There were two before you, and before them, there were two,¡± risse began. Her voice carried a solemn tone, casting an even more eerie atmosphere in the room where Arabe sat.


    ¡°This has been the way for centuries. Every hundred years, two are born,¡± risse exined.


    ¡°I¡¯m not quite following,¡± Arabe furrowed her brows.


    ¡°It¡¯s your history, Arabe. I believe you should have been told earlier, but circumstances arose,¡± risse continued. ¡°It¡¯s important for future generations to know about this in case you end up carrying multiple children.¡±


    Arabe¡¯s hand instinctively rested on her stomach as risse acknowledged it. She supposed it was now painfully obvious that she was pregnant. There was no need to conceal it any longer.


    ¡°What do you know about me?¡± Arabe inquired. She had longed to uncover more about herself and her mother. Despite her father¡¯s evasiveness and silence on the matter, her curiosity still gnawed at her.


    ¡°You discovered you have a twin after meeting her for the first time,¡± risse stated. ¡°But the revtion isn¡¯t simply that you were separated at birth for the sake of it. You and your twin are the missing pieces of a puzzle that could bring great harm to the world.¡±


    ¡°My sister, Alessia?¡± Arabe mumbled, and risse nodded.


    Arabe shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re right about this. Alessia despises me, and I feel the same way about her. As for destroying the world, I only want to destroy her when I see her.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the reaction they were hoping for, to trigger the great destruction. They orchestrated a conflict between you two that would inflict suffering on every creature, including humans.¡±


    Arabe was bewildered. She wondered what more revtions awaited her. She wasbeled a potent tool, pursued relentlessly, and now she was linked to world-altering consequences with Alessia. Despite her yearning for self-discovery, it was all bing overwhelming, causing her head to spin.


    ¡°Have you heard the tale of the twins who chose to erase their own history and undo the evil they wrought with their own hands?¡± risse raised a brow, and Arabe shook her head.


    ¡°Now, this is where we¡¯re headed, and I hope you¡¯re paying close attention, as this will be quite enlightening,¡± risse remarked. ¡°Come.¡±


    She motioned for Arabe and Thalia, both of whom had been listening intently. They entered another room, noticeably brighter and more spacious than the first. Arabe took a deep breath, relishing the clean air and the sweet scent that filled the room.


    She settled onto a sofa indicated by risse, and Thalia did the same.


    ¡°Well, it seems like this might be quite an extensive tale,¡± Arabe quipped.


    ¡°I won¡¯t tire you out. You¡¯ll learn more about it as you spend time here. For now, I¡¯ll share what you need to know,¡± risse assured.


    Arabe nodded, exhaling and trying to calm her pounding heart in anticipation of what was toe.


    A brief silence filled the room until risse cleared her throat and began. ¡°The first set of twins emerged a thousand years ago. Initially, it was seen as a cause for celebration. Two individuals born into the Phoenix bloodline simultaneously, possessing unique abilities, was perceived as a boon for the Phoenix people.¡±


    ¡°This continued for a while, and multiple births were well-received until those twins arrived, disrupting the established bnce. It didn¡¯t happen right away,¡± risse paused, scrutinizing Arabe to ensure her attention before proceeding.


    ¡°When did it begin?¡± Arabe inquired, her voice barely above a whisper, a lump forming suddenly in her throat.


    ¡°It started when they were in their twenties. Terrible things began to ur,¡± she exined. ¡°Both possessed unique abilities, but they were distinct despite being identical.¡±


    ¡°What transpired?¡± Arabe pressed.


    ¡°There¡¯s something known as the Pyrosm and Ignivore convergence, and it has always been a force. In their wake,nds were scorched, oceans turned to steam, and skies painted in shades of crimson and ck. When the twins joined forces, they birthed a new power, forged from elemental fury and ancient prophecy, advancing and leaving behind a trail of smoldering destruction and echoing embers,¡± risse detailed.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    Even without risse explicitly stating it, Arabe could sense the malevolence that apanied their name. It sent a shiver down her spine as she contemted the possibility of being akin to Alessia in this regard.


    ¡°It¡¯s unavoidable,¡± risse sighed. ¡°Your destinies are intertwined, just like with the other sets of Phoenix twins born before you. That¡¯s why you were always kept apart.¡±


    ¡°What can we do?¡± Arabe asked. ¡°There must be a solution to all of this. I don¡¯t want the world to be destroyed.¡±


    risse nodded in understanding. ¡°There are a few options. Trying to reason with your twin, though it¡¯s had little effect in the past, or, if that¡¯s not possible, considering¡­ a more drastic measure. If the merge urs and can¡¯t be stopped, you both will perish.¡±


    ¡°It seems senseless. Just when I thought I was getting close to understanding things, now there are conditions attached,¡± Arabe grumbled.


    ¡°Only if you wish to lead a peaceful life. Keep in mind, the threat is drawing nearer, and you need to think swiftly,¡± risse advised.


    ¡°I know,¡± Arabe gritted her teeth. Sandro. Even though he should be thest person on her mind, he still managed to upy her thoughts.


    risse rose from her seat, her gaze shifting towards Thalia. ¡°There¡¯s much more to discuss, but you girls need rest after the journey you¡¯ve been through.¡±


    ¡°Dinner will be ready soon,¡± she added, heading towards the door.


    ¡°I doubt I¡¯ll have much of an appetite with the way I¡¯m feeling,¡± Arabe confessed.


    ¡°You need to keep up your strength,¡± Thalia insisted. ¡°No matter what lies ahead, you¡¯ll need every ounce of it.¡±


    ¡°I suppose you¡¯re right,¡± Arabe sighed, briefly closing her eyes before reopening them.


    She knew she would require all the strength she could muster to face Sandro.

 Chapter 159

    ¡°Is risse the alpha of the pack?¡± Arabe asked Thalia.


    She set aside her almost empty cup of coffee before ncing at Thalia. While she could guess that risse held a leadership role in the pack, she couldn¡¯t tell if she was the overall head.


    ¡°She¡¯s the female alpha,¡± Thalia replied.


    ¡°That¡¯s amazing,¡± Arabe mumbled, wondering how a middle-aged woman could gather everyone together to lead them. She had seen many males in the pack, but Arabe knew that being an alpha had little to do with mere strength.


    Besides, there was something about her she couldn¡¯t quite ce her fingers on. It felt as though she was a different werewolf. The aura that radiated off her was different from that of the others. Even far different from what she could feel around Thalia.


    Or maybe she was the one thinking too much.


    Letting her mind wander back to ze, Arabe stared at her phone briefly, sighing when she saw no message as she had hoped. She then nced up as risse returned, holding a baby close to her hip, patting his back as he cried.


    Approaching them, risse muttered, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for this. The mother died recently, and ever since, we¡¯ve been unable tofort him.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Arabe murmured. She didn¡¯t have any experience taking care of kids, so she didn¡¯t know how to pacify them.


    ¡°Would you like to hold him?¡± risse asked. Arabe started shaking, but Thalia intervened.


    ¡°I¡¯ll hold him,¡± she said, taking the baby from risse. Thalia stared at him while rubbing his back, and the baby looked at her with uncertainty.


    ¡°Well, who do we have here?¡± She cooed. The baby sniffled, then burst into a fresh sob, even louder than the first.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m the monster here,¡± Thalia winced, shoving him back towards risse.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take him,¡± said Arabe, taking the wailing baby from risse. Cautiously, she patted his back, shing him a small smile that was immediately reciprocated.


    ¡°He s-smiled at me,¡± Arabe stuttered, her eyes wide.


    ¡°He sure did,¡± Thalia scowled. ¡°Both of you must be rted.¡±


    Arabe¡¯s heart warmed as the baby wrapped his tiny arms around her neck, resting his head on her chest. She had never felt this nice feeling before. Perhaps she had with ze, but this was even more profound. It felt as though she could rte to the pain the child was feeling as if they were kindred spirits.


    ¡°You¡¯re a kindred spirit,¡± risse said, settling into the couch. ¡°It¡¯s good to see that your presence makes him feel a lot better.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by ¡®we are kindred spirits¡¯? I¡¯m certain I¡¯m only seeing him for the first time,¡± Arabe said, taking a seat.


    She had expected the baby to protest when she wanted to sit, but instead, he remained silent. Arabe gazed down at him and saw that he was already fast asleep.


    ¡°Aside from the fact that your ancestors are rted, your presence to him is calming. He needed that calm,¡± risse exined.


    ¡°His parents are Phoenix?¡± I asked her.


    ¡°His father is a Phoenix, and his mother is a werewolf,¡± risse rified.


    ¡°Where is his father?¡± Arabe asked, remembering that risse hadn¡¯t mentioned him before.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I¡¯m asking too many questions. I¡¯m just curious,¡± she added.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± risse assured her, closing her eyes briefly and then reopening them. ¡°Thest attack took his father. So, we don¡¯t know if he¡¯s alive or not.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Arabe murmured.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be,¡± risse said. ¡°He¡¯s not dead yet. At least, as far as we know.¡±


    ¡°Can we get back to what we were discussing?¡± Thalia interjected.


    ¡°Yeah, just a minute,¡± risse said, then extended her hand toward Arabe. ¡°I¡¯ll take him to his cot.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right,¡± Arabe murmured, handing him over. risse left the room only to return a whileter. But she wasn¡¯t alone.


    Arabe jumped to her feet, her eyes wide with fear as she stared at the person before her.


    ¡°Sandro,¡± she snarled, her eyes narrowed on risse.


    ¡°What did you do?¡± Arabe red at the woman, who didn¡¯t appear the least bit disturbed by what was going on.


    ¡°How could you?!¡± Thalia hissed. She had trusted her. She had believed they were going to be safe in the pack house. Now, she should have known better that she was going to betray them.


    ¡°You were trying to stall us so you could reach out to him, weren¡¯t you? Now I¡¯m wondering if everything you said was the truth,¡± Thalia used.


    ¡°It needed to be done,¡± risse said calmly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Arabe, Thalia. But this needs to be done.¡±


    ¡°Damn, whatever ¡®needs to be done,¡¯ risse,¡± Arabe yelled. Her eyes darted to Sandro, who was watching her. She held out her hand, shaking her head as he started walking towards her. ¡°Do note closer.¡±


    ¡°Why not, Cara? Didn¡¯t you miss me?¡± Sandro smirked as he continued towards her.


    ¡°I¡¯ll never have such feelings towards you. I hate you with every fiber of my being, Sandro, and right now, I wish you could drop dead,¡± Arabe said.


    ¡°And you¡¯ll be carrying a bastard,¡± he said.


    ¡°I never said I was carrying your baby!¡± she retorted.


    ¡°Can both of you please keep calm?¡± Thalia threw in. She had been watching the back-and-forth argument between them. What she wanted to know was why risse had done what she did.


    ¡°You don¡¯t tell me what to do,¡± Sandro¡¯s eyes narrowed at Thalia.


    ¡°I can and I will. I am not at the Vi where you can control my every move,¡± Thalia said.


    ¡°I still have control over you,¡± Sandro smirked at her.


    ¡°He promised to help with Jude¡¯s father. The baby¡¯s father. And aside from that, he needed to reunite with Arabe because they are both suffering from the sins of their fathers, and only when they make peace with each other can they be liberated,¡± risse exined.


    ¡°You never said anything about my father¡¯s sins,¡± Sandro said, feeling as though he had been lied to.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t mention it over the phone. I needed you toe here for it,¡± risse said.


    ¡°Wow, you¡¯re so maniptive,¡± Thalia snorted as soon as risse was done speaking. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you would trade another soul just for your own benefit!¡±


    ¡°Stay out of it, Thalia. This is between Arabe and Sandro and how the bnce of the world needs to be restored with their help,¡± risse said.


    Thalia, offended, started towards risse, her hands balled by her sides, but Arabe gripped her hand, halting her movement.


    ¡°Whatever sick thought you have in mind, risse, I don¡¯t think I want to hear it. You¡¯ve said enough, and I am with ze. I can never be with Sandro, no matter what you say.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s your disobedience that is punishing him. If you had let him go, he would not be suffering,¡± risse imed.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard enough of that in my lifetime,¡± Arabe said, rolling her eyes.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°ze is a different kind of werewolf, and as much as your presence is calming to people around, it is very much chaotic to ze and could eventually lead to his downfall,¡± risse exined.


    ¡°And who are you to say that? What do you know about my brother?¡± Thalia asked risse.


    ¡°Because I am risse the fifth. The only surviving she-wolf of her n. I am the alpha, and I am not just an alpha alone; I am the seer. Fate brought you here. You never came by yourself.¡±


    Nothing was making sense.-all the things risse had said. What Arabe could understand was the fact that she was the alpha, but all the additional ims left her doubtful.


    However, Arabe could sense some truth in risse¡¯s words. She had perceived that risse had a unique gift and was different from the other werewolves, which was why she had asked Thalia.


    But even with this, it didn¡¯t exin the fact that risse had betrayed them.


    ¡°You can choose to sit, you can choose to stand, but I¡¯m going on with the story,¡± risse dered, her tone suddenly mysterious.


    Arabe took a seat, and Thalia followed suit. Only Sandro remained on his feet, his eyes fixed on Arabe, never wavering.


    He couldn¡¯t help but think she had be even more beautiful than thest time he saw her. There was an ethereal glow to her skin that made her look as though she wasn¡¯t entirely of this world.


    ¡°The werewolves and the Phoenix have always been¡­¡±


    Sandro¡¯s attention snapped to risse as she began. Even though he was only in the pack for Arabe, he needed to know what was going on.

 Chapter 160

    THE SIN OF THE FATHER(Part One)


    100 YEARS AGO(Before Allesandro and Arabe were born)


    MOONSTONE PACK, ASCOTAN


    Allesandro Ro De Luca, the first, strode into therge room. It was the biggest space in the entire pack house, often used for meetings. The room was now filled with the pack¡¯s elders, twenty in total, each wearing a solemn expression.


    Ro wasn¡¯t unaware of the reason they had gathered; after all, he was the one who had called the meeting. However, he didn¡¯t think it was as dire as they were making it out to be.


    ¡°Alpha,¡± the elders said in unison, rising to acknowledge his presence. Ro nodded and motioned for them to sit.


    ¡°Alpha,¡± one elder stood up. It was Lawrence, the oldest and arguably the wisest among them. He was also the leader of the elders and was the one who spoke most of the time on their behalf.


    Leaning on his cane, a smile graced his wrinkled face, and his eyes blinked rapidly as he spoke.


    Ro couldn¡¯t help but marvel at how he still stood despite his frail appearance.


    ¡°Thest meeting,¡± Elder Lawrence paused and cleared his throat before continuing, ¡°it was about the artifact.¡±


    Ro nodded, confirming Lawrence¡¯s observation.


    ¡°We need to return it if only that would bring us peace,¡± Lawrence said.


    Ro remained silent, allowing the elder to finish speaking.


    ¡°I¡¯ve learned there are two identical artifacts in this world; we simply haven¡¯t been able to find the one that truly belongs to us,¡± Lawrence exined, and Ro saw the other elders nodding in agreement.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think we¡¯d anger the goddess if we keep holding onto something that isn¡¯t rightfully ours?¡± another elder, Chadwick, voiced his concern.


    A heavy silence fell over the room as Chadwick¡¯s question hung in the air. Ro then rose to his feet.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°The goddess appeared to me in a vision, holding the exact same artifact,¡± Ro dered, retrieving the tiny blue gemstone he had securely tucked away in his pants pocket. Despite its small size, the stone held the potential for catastrophic destruction if it fell into the wrong hands.


    And it was only a matter of time before it happened, Ro mused, considering the numerous threats that hade his way ever since he acquired the artifact.


    ¡°It¡¯s for the goddess, and we were meant to give it to her as a peace offering,¡± Ro stated.


    ¡°But we did thatst night, and nothing happened,¡± Elder Leslie chimed in. His dark green eyes narrowed, and then his bushy brows furrowed as he kept his gaze on the gem.


    ¡°I noticed,¡± Ro replied.


    The ritual from the previous day was meant to bring peace to the pack and heal those affected by the mysterious disease that had afflicted some members. However, nothing had changed.


    Ro had wondered if he was doing something wrong until the seer mentioned it to him.


    ¡°Then we should return it to where we found it. I don¡¯t think we can endure more attacks. Everyone is currently battling one illness or another. The pack¡¯s elders are also losing their strength and¡­¡±


    Ro interrupted Lawrence. ¡°I figured out the reason it didn¡¯t work.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Lawrence inquired.


    ¡°We¡¯re supposed to offer the sacrifice to the goddess until a special full moon, known as the Obsidian Eclipse Moon, urs. It only happens every 100 years, and today is when it¡¯s supposed to ur with some special individuals,¡± Ro exined.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re saying we¡¯ve been doing it all wrong?¡± Elder Lawrence asked.


    ¡°We have,¡± Ro affirmed. Then he added, ¡°We need to prepare for it again. Today, the moon will be out.¡±


    ¡°Are you certain this will work?¡± Elder Lawrence queried, seeming skeptical.


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s a direct order from the seer,¡± Ro assured.


    The elders nodded, rising to their feet. If the alpha and the seer both confirmed it, then it was sure to seed, Elder Lawrence pondered. Yet, a nagging feeling within him lingered, one he couldn¡¯t easily dismiss, that something was going to go wrong.


    PRESENT DAY


    ¡°My ancestor clearly stated he would do it, and he did follow through,¡± Sandro said. ¡°So, how does that make it my father¡¯s sin? I don¡¯t understand this.¡±


    ¡°He may have promised, but he didn¡¯t fulfill it,¡± risse rified.


    ¡°How would you know that? You weren¡¯t there to experience the situation firsthand, and why should I believe all the things you¡¯re saying? It¡¯s possible you¡¯re trying to paint my ancestors in a bad light for a reason,¡± Sandro retorted, his re fixed on her as he stood up.


    ¡°I¡¯m done being nice and listening to all that you have to say. Now, I need to take what I came here for,¡± he gestured towards Arabe.


    risse rose to her feet. ¡°You want to witness this firsthand, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like you can make me,¡± Sandro shrugged. ¡°I wasn¡¯t born a hundred years ago.¡±


    ¡°Never underestimate what I can do,¡± risse grinned.


    She moved toward where Arabe was seated, gripping Arabe¡¯s hand. Then, she returned to Sandro, holding his hand with her free one.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Sandro growled, trying to free his hand.


    ¡°You want to witness this firsthand? Then I¡¯ll make you,¡± risse snarled. Suddenly, the wind surged through the window into the room, enveloping Sandro, Arabe, and risse.


    ¡°Arabe.¡± Thalia shrieked as more wind surged in, and she jumped out of their way.


    ¡°Thalia.¡± Arabe gasped out.


    Thalia watched in horror at what was unfolding, but she couldn¡¯t intervene in the tempest that surrounded them, even though she desperately wanted to help Arabe. She could only hope risse had no ill intentions towards her.


    ¡°Bitch!¡± Sandro growled, struggling against her firm grip.


    Her hold was surprisingly strong.


    ¡°Brace yourself,¡± risse yelled above the howling wind.


    Arabe clenched her teeth, preparing for what risse had in store. Her eyes closed, and she counted to ten, waiting for the spinning to stop. When it finally did, she opened her eyes.


    However, she wasn¡¯t in the previous room anymore. In fact, she was no longer with risse and Sandro. She stood alone in an unfamiliar ce, and she didn¡¯t like the energy radiating from it one bit.

 Chapter 161

    After navigating her unfamiliar surroundings, Arabe realized she was not as alone in the room as she had thought. She clutched one of the pirs, taking cover behind it as she heard voices.


    ¡°Sandro,¡± Arabe murmured, a frown creasing her face. It sounded remarkably like him, but she couldn¡¯t be certain. Besides, she wondered if her sudden transportation here was anything like what had happened to Her, ze, Sandro, and Alessia back at Ascotan.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s different,¡± she muttered, shaking her head. risse had mentioned that they were experiencing events from a hundred years ago firsthand.


    Arabe let out a breath, her eyes narrowing as she waited for the approaching figures to reveal themselves. As the footsteps drew nearer, she felt a tap on her shoulder. Instinctively, her hand shot to cover her mouth. She gasped into her hands, her eyes widening as she turned to see who it was.


    ¡°risse,¡± she hissed, ring. ¡°You scared me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± risse muttered.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    Arabe nced behind her, but Sandro was nowhere in sight.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He¡¯s somewhere nearby. He needs to understand what¡¯s happening before he joins you,¡± risse reassured.


    ¡°I¡¯m not worried,¡± Arabe stated. If anything, she was relieved he wasn¡¯t with her at this very moment.


    ¡°So, why am I here? What should I know?¡± she asked risse.


    Just then, a man approached them. Arabe darted around, ducking behind another pir, causing risse to chuckle.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. He can¡¯t see you. No one can,¡± risse assured. ¡°Just think of this as being in their minds and witnessing how it all began.¡±


    Arabe wasn¡¯t entirely sure if she could trust risse. The menacing-looking spear in the man¡¯s handpelled her to remain hidden. She didn¡¯t want to take risse¡¯s word, emerge from her hiding spot, and ultimately regret it.


    ¡°Alpha,¡± a voice said, apanied by another set of footsteps.


    The man who had been walking earlier came to a halt, prompting Arabe to peek out from her hiding ce, seizing the opportunity to scrutinize who the alpha was and who had addressed him.


    ¡°Sandro,¡± she said for the second time, this time in genuine surprise.


    The man looked uncannily like Sandro-no, scratch that-he was Sandro in the flesh. His piercing green eyes, proud aquiline nose, strong physique, and tousled hair were all unmistakably Sandro¡¯s. He possessed a chiseled jawline that could give Adonis a run for his money, and the way he smirked¡­ Damn it, why on earth was she staring at another Sandro?


    ¡°He¡¯s Alessandro Ro De Luca the first. The first of his name and the person from whom the sin originated in the De Luca household,¡± risse exined.


    ¡°He looks just like Sandro,¡± Arabe marveled. She¡¯d noticed how she and Alessia bore a striking resemnce. Yet, anyone who truly knew them could easily tell them apart. It wasn¡¯t just about their style or the way they carried themselves.


    But this man she was gazing at, she could hardly discern any significant difference between him and Sandro. They acted alike and looked alike, and perhaps, if Sandro were in this timeline as well, he would dress in the same manner. Alessandro, the first, was d in a breech, waistcoat, and coat, whereas the Sandro she was familiar with was much more contemporary in his attire.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Alessandro the first asked, his gaze fixed on the person who had called him.


    Arabe guessed he was a guard.


    ¡°You sent for me,¡± the guard stated.


    ¡°Ah, yes. Eric, isn¡¯t it?¡± Alessandro, the first inquired.


    ¡°Yes, it is,¡± Eric affirmed with a nod, his head still bowed.


    ¡°Gather your finest warrior. We are paying them a visit today, and we need to bring the Rose with us,¡± hemanded.


    ¡°A-Alpha,¡± Eric stammered, visible tremors in his features. ¡°Thest time I heard, they were infiltrated. Everyone who went there was killed. She¡¯s the most powerful being ever, Alpha. No one can approach her without forfeiting their life.¡±


    ¡°I am the alpha,¡± Alessandro the first snarled. ¡°And whatever order I give shall be obeyed. Would amon whore possess more power than I do? I reign over Ascotan and its environs!¡±


    ¡°But Alpha¡­¡± Eric attempted to interject.


    However, Alessandro, the first, cut him off. ¡°Unless you¡¯re ready to forfeit your life this very moment, you will obey me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do as you say. I¡¯ll assemble the finest warrior, Alpha,¡± Eric conceded, scrambling to his feet.


    A sinister smile crept onto Alessandro the first¡¯s face as he observed Eric dart away.


    ¡°That¡¯s more like it. This is your final day, whore,¡± he dered before stepping away.


    Arabe turned to risse, her brow furrowed. ¡°What is happening? And who is he going to infiltrate?¡±


    ¡°Keep watching,¡± risse advised, her tone just as mysterious as before. Arabe would have preferred hearing the story rather than experiencing it. She didn¡¯t like the direction the narrative was taking, and for the first time, she wished Sandro hadn¡¯t interrupted and had simply trusted risse.


    ¡°So¡­¡± Arabe began, but when she turned around, risse was no longer with her.


    Walking towards where Alessandro the first had gone, she discovered it was another chamber. More like a dungeon, really. She winced, clutching herself as she felt the echoes of the many people who had met their end within these walls. All their pain, tears, anger, and regrets surged into her at once as she stepped into the room.


    Arabe stumbled, her head now pounding. She shouldn¡¯t be feeling anything here. risse had told her they wouldn¡¯t be able to see her, but she hadn¡¯t mentioned that she might still feel something. She wondered if risse had omitted that detail on purpose.


    ¡°Arabe,¡± a voice called out. It was so loud it felt like it might shatter her eardrums.


    ¡°Stop,¡± she murmured, her eyes squeezed shut and teeth clenched.


    ¡°Why?¡± a spectral voice responded. ¡°Why should we?¡±


    ¡°Please, stop,¡± Arabe cried.


    ¡°You caused this. You were selfish and never understood our pain. You were so power-hungry and made us suffer for centuries, so now you are going to pay for everything that happened!¡± the voice proimed. It was as if many voices were speaking as one.


    ¡°Stop!¡± Arabe growled, her hands pressed tightly against her ears.


    For a few seconds, the room fell silent, and the only sound was the gentle breeze drifting through.


    Arabe opened her eyes and saw a figure standing before her. It was a woman d in a bloodied nightgown. Her head seemed almost detached from her neck, and a sinister grin stretched across her battered face- if one could even call it that.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Arabe inquired.


    ¡°I am you, dear child, and you are me,¡± the woman replied.


    ¡°No,¡± Arabe shook her head.


    ¡°Come with me,¡± she beckoned with a wave of her hand.


    With feet that seemed to move on their own, Arabe found herself following the mysterious woman.

 Chapter 162

    Sandro winced, rubbing the back of his head after colliding with a tall tree. Standing up, he took a deep breath and surveyed the forest surroundings. He was certain he was in some kind of forest, thanks to risse¡¯s questionable idea.


    Arabe was nowhere in sight, and Sandro wondered about her whereabouts. Dusting his hand on the leather jacket he wore, he approached the forest opening, muttering, ¡°What the hell?¡±


    His eyes widened as he halted, observing a surreal scene before him  a gathering of a thousand phoenixes as if stumbling upon a slumber party.


    Their colorful wings concealed their features, giving an impression of deliberate hiding.


    A cool voice interrupted Sandro, exining, ¡°It¡¯s the Phoenix Rising Ceremony, happening once every 100 years.¡±


    He turned to see risse.


    ¡°What the hell?¡± Sandro growled. ¡°Why bring me to a costume party, and where¡¯s Arabe?¡±


    Not finding Arabe behind risse, he expressed his concern.


    ¡°She¡¯s where she should be,¡± risse replied. ¡°And you are where you should be.¡±


    ¡°What does that even mean?¡± Sandro narrowed his eyes. ¡°If you¡¯ve harmed Arabe, I swear by the goddess, risse¡­¡±


    risse dismissed his threat, saying, ¡°You never cared about Arabe; don¡¯t act like you care now. She¡¯s fine for now.¡±


    Sandro red, refraining from further questioning. ¡°What am I supposed to see here?¡± he finally asked after a brief pause.


    ¡°Where it all started. It would be unfair if you were to see things solely from your ancestors¡¯ point of view. I wanted Arabe to witness your ancestor¡¯s perspective, and you can see from hers. Since you both share in the sin,¡± risse exined.


    ¡°Whatever,¡± Sandro muttered, ncing at a winged woman with dark-brown hair and a petite figure approaching. ¡°Can they see us?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± risse shook her head. ¡°We are in the past, and all these events happened before.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Sandro breathed out. The idea of being observed by the creatures he was gazing at was unsettling.


    The phoenixes before him were unlike any he had encountered. While at Ascotan, they were not as mysterious or frightening as exemplified by Arabe.


    ¡°This has always been the true form of a Phoenix,¡± risse said, interrupting his thoughts.


    ¡°With horns and fangs and slitted eyes. Great,¡± Sandro added, sarcasm dripping in his voice.


    For creatures often described as beautiful, they appeared anything but.


    Perhaps malevolent and malicious-those would be the easiest words to describe them.


    The banging of drums snapped him out of his reverie, and he walked towards the source of the sound, realizing he was standing where the ceremony would take ce.


    ¡°Although this is originally for the werewolves, this is the Phoenix¡¯s establishednd. A right had been granted to them by the goddess after calling a truce with the Phoenix Deity Pyralis,¡± risse exined.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t Arabe know about this instead of me?¡± Sandro pointed out.


    ¡°Arabe is learning as well. And both of you should know this for future generations,¡± risse replied, smiling briefly before her expression turned serious.


    risse began, ¡°The Pyralis is a deity of bnce, representing the cyclical nature of destruction and rebirth. Benevolent but demanding, Pyralis is revered for bringing both purifying mes and the promise of renewal.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the whole point of being a Phoenix? I mean the mes and rebirth, whatever,¡± Sandro asked as he and risse walked in circles around therge gathering.


    ¡°That is, but there¡¯s much more to it,¡± she replied. Sandro nodded, waiting for risse to continue, his eyes scanning the gathering and then returning to risse, who was gazing at the moon.


    ¡°There is a Cataclysmic event known as the Luminous Eclipse. Just as the fire influences the Phoenixes and the moon, the werewolves, the luminous eclipse disrupted the natural order of the celestial energies, creating a surge that affects the moon and the fire influence on both creatures.¡±


    ¡°Technically, we were both faced with threats,¡± Sandromented.


    ¡°Right,¡± risse affirmed. ¡°Both the goddess and Deity understood this and decided to find a way to restore bnce and call a truce. By doing that, both agreed to share guardianship over a unique artifact called the Sris Nocturne Crest, a gemstone, or whatever anyone decided to call it. But the original name was the Sris Nocturne Crest. Hence, the ceremony of concordance was established, mutual blessings were given to both factions-the werewolves and the phoenixes by the goddess and Deity-and rivalries were forbidden. Anyone who defied the truce shall face divine consequences.¡±


    Sandro nodded, but after a brief silence, he turned to risse. ¡°Is that all? That doesn¡¯t even exin the reason the rivalries between them urred. You only mentioned a truce.¡±


    ¡°It started long ago, before the truce between Selene and Pyralis. A sorceress called Astralys, who sought to exploit the inherent animosity between the werewolves and the Phoenixes, started it,¡± risse exined.


    Sandro groaned. ¡°Are youunching into another story? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll get what I had to do done at this rate.¡± He nced at his wristwatch before turning to risse as she spoke up.


    ¡°It¡¯s no use. Time stopped the moment you came here. When you return, it will be exactly the time on the wristwatch now. It seems as though everything has frozen briefly.¡±


    Sandro didn¡¯t really care about frozen time and more stories. He just wanted to leave. ¡°I need to take Arabe¡­¡±


    ¡°Mydy,¡± a deep baritone interrupted, halting Sandro¡¯s words.


    ¡°What is it, Steven? I thought we spoke about this earlier,¡± another voice, sultry and seemingly out of ce for the era, spoke up.


    ¡°I am sorry, mydy. I feel there is a need to bring it up again. I don¡¯t think any of us is ready for what ising. I mean, we can use the whole year to prepare, and we would never be able to beat them,¡± Steven expressed concern.


    ¡°Are you forgetting what I am?¡± said the sultry voice confidently. ¡°I am the most powerful being here, Steven. And did you even remember what happened thest time? They all fled. I am not backing down on this. They stole what belonged to us and started the war. So, it is only sensible we strike back.¡±


    Sandro was intrigued, eager to know who she was. A woman unafraid, proud, and overly confident-qualities he found attractive. He imagined a tall, slender woman with fiery red hair, stormy grey eyes, and a captivating smile that brought men down to their knees.


    Shaking his head, Sandro realized he was daydreaming about a woman from a hundred years ago, but he couldn¡¯t help himself.


    ¡°Perhaps,¡± Steven agreed, ¡°but not at this critical time. It is the Rising of the Phoenix ceremony, for goodness¡¯ sake. And this ce is a ground where blood must not be spilled; have you forgotten that?¡±


    ¡°That I have not forgotten, and I don¡¯t intend to fight on the Phoenix sacred ground,¡± she assured.


    Unable to resist the urge to know who was speaking, Sandro stepped toward the voice, a few distances away, close to the gathering.


    Rather than the fiery red hair Sandro had imagined, the first thing he caught sight of was white waist-length hair billowing in the wind. He was right about her being slim and curvy in the right ces. Her waist was slender, and he couldn¡¯t help but imagine gripping it. Her fair skin and well-shaped backside made quite an impression on him as well.


    Sandro found himself analyzing her in a way he usually didn¡¯t with women. Typically, he only focused on their faces to determine if they were worth his time, except with Arabe. However, this woman was driving him crazy, and he knew he wouldn¡¯t see her again.


    ¡°Who is she?¡± Sandro asked risse but received no response.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    When he turned, he realized risse was no longer with him. Just then, the woman with the sultry voice turned, and his eyes locked with familiar crystal blue eyes.


    ¡°A-Arabe?¡± he stuttered, his eyes widening in disbelief.


    The woman smiled as if she was gazing at him at that instant.


    No, she wasn¡¯t his Arabe. He was sure of that. The Arabe he knew might harbor resentment towards him, but not to this extent.


    Even though he was in the past, Sandro could sense the woman¡¯s anger, saw it in her eyes and smile.


    Fuck, the woman before him was not his Arabe. She was fucking Malevolent.

 Chapter 163

    Arabe had passed the third room, still uncertain about the ghost¡¯s intentions. Despite her confusion, she couldn¡¯t halt her steps.


    Each sessive room she passed seemed even more sorrowful than thest.


    ¡°Where are you taking me?¡± Arabe queried as they entered the fourth room.


    ¡°This is where you were executed. You let him fucked you, and he still killed you,¡± the woman disclosed, causing Arabe to frown.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand. I genuinely think you¡¯ve got the wrong person,¡± Arabe insisted.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s you,¡± said the woman, gripping Arabe¡¯s hand. Before she could pull away, Arabe¡¯s eyes widened, witnessing shes of Allesandro the first, a woman resembling her, lying in a pool of blood, staining Allesandro the first face.


    ¡°Did you see that?¡± the woman inquired, releasing Arabe¡¯s hand.


    ¡°I still don¡¯t understand what¡¯s going on,¡± Arabe murmured, caressing her hand.


    ¡°You will soon,¡± the woman assured.


    As they continued walking, the ghost began recounting their history.


    ¡°We were a peace-loving group, living in harmony with werewolves thanks to a truce by the werewolf goddess Selene and Pyralis, our deity. But after you found a journal by a greedy sorceress, Astralys, who ignited the rivalry, you became possessed.¡±


    ¡°How do you know all this?¡± Arabe interrupted.


    ¡°Because I am Ellen, your maidservant. You confided in me until you started reading that wretched journal,¡± Ellen exined.


    Arabe shook her head, wanting to rify that she wasn¡¯t the one interacting with Ellen, but Ellen seemed resolute.


    ¡°What happened next? After I was possessed?¡± Arabe inquired.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    The woman stared at her, eyes narrowed, and hissed, ¡°You disrupted everything. You killed everyone for your power-hungry self.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t trust ghosts,¡± came risse¡¯s voice behind her.


    ¡°Thank goodness,¡± Arabe sighed, starting toward risse, but Ellen held her back.


    ¡°She¡¯s the real evil,¡± Ellen dered. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t trust anyone who brought you to the past just for their amusement.¡±


    ¡°We wanted to be here,¡± Arabe defended.


    Ellen, despite her almost detached head, continued to narrow her eyes. ¡°You think you wanted to be here?¡± she questioned.


    Before Arabe could respond, risse snapped her fingers, and Ellen evaporated. Arabe jerked backward, gasping. ¡°You said no one could see me, but she did, and we have been talking.¡±


    ¡°I forgot to mention special people can see you with a special connection,¡± risse exined, moving toward the door. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here. Vengeful spirits areing.¡±


    Arabe hurried out with risse, not wanting to linger in the creepy room despite her curiosity about Ellen.


    Rounding a corner, she encountered Allesandro the first, holding a photograph with narrowed eyes. As she approached, she saw the image of a woman resembling her. Allesandro, the first, exuded hatred as if he could snuff out the woman¡¯s life if given the chance.


    ¡°What am I looking at?¡± Arabe asked risse.


    Receiving no answer, she turned and was relieved to find risse still with her. Yet, risse remained silent as a burly man with scars joined them.


    ¡°Alpha,¡± he addressed Alessandro the first.


    ¡°Did youe to stop me, Matt? You¡¯re my Beta; you should know better,¡± Alessandro the first interrupted, not giving Matt a chance to respond.


    His once sea-green eyes turned golden, a snarl forming on his face. ¡°This woman infuriates me. Why does she act so superior over thend of Ascotan? It is mine and the artifact with me-she¡¯s delusional to think I¡¯ll give it to her.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m only here to remind you that she is your destined mate,¡± Matt exined.


    ¡°A destined mate?¡± Alessandro, the first, scoffed. ¡°She¡¯s some kind of evil being with wings. The goddess would never give me such a mate.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s real. The seer confirmed it, and the conflict can be prevented if both of you get mated ande to amon understanding,¡± Matt pointed out.


    ¡°No, Matt, it doesn¡¯t work that way,¡± Alessandro shook his head.


    ¡°How does it then?¡± Matt raised a brow. ¡°You¡¯re being intentionally stubborn.¡±


    ¡°Am I?¡± Alessandro, the first snorted. ¡°I have no intention of mating with her, and you know the reason I got the artifact-the dying pack members. The disease won¡¯t stop if I don¡¯t do what is right.¡±


    ¡°And the right thing is war?¡± Matt questioned. ¡°While growing up, I¡¯ve heard you say many absurd things, but this is the height of it all.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just about war, Matt. It¡¯s about using her as an offering to the goddess to plead for our cause. Have you heard about her attributes? As much as I desire to kill her as soon as I see her, she is very much useful,¡± he said.


    ¡°Then we leave innocent blood out of it,¡± Matt stated.


    ¡°I¡¯ll think about that,¡± Sandro murmured. ¡°And tell Eric it¡¯s time.¡±


    ¡°Surely,¡± Matt nodded before striding out of the room.


    Just like Sandro, Arabe mused, shaking her head. She couldn¡¯t fathom why he harbored such hatred and a desire to kill her if they were meant to be together-unless she had rejected him.


    Rejected or not, Arabe pondered, what did it have to do with Alessandro¡¯s first actions? Couldn¡¯t he have moved on unless he was obsessive and controlling like Sandro appeared to be?


    ¡°We need to be elsewhere,¡± risse dered, and before Arabe could inquire where risse snapped her fingers, the scenery changed.


    ***


    Sandro muttered to himself as he stared at the figure he believed to be Arabe. ¡°Mydy Arabe, it¡¯s almost time,¡± an old but healthy woman approached her.


    Arabe, Sandro mused. It seemed more than a coincidence-she looked like Arabe, and now she had the same name.


    ¡°I need tomunicate with her,¡± Lady Arabe murmured, pointing to a statue nearby.


    ¡°I thought you did earlier?¡± wrinkled Ellen asked.


    ¡°Circe is much more demanding than the other goddesses. Also, I am a descendant of her, so I should revere her all the time,¡± Lady Arabe sighed.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, mydy. I believe it can be done swiftly because we need you to start up the ceremony,¡± Ellen stated.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be with you shortly,¡± Lady Arabe said, a sinister smile on her face.


    Approaching the statue, she knelt. ¡°Great Circe, from the mes of your divine lineage, I call upon the ancient powers.¡±


    Wind epassed her, strong enough to pick up debris but not to destroy the surroundings.


    ¡°Grant me the fiery strength to rise, a Phoenix queen aze, to scorch the foes that stand against my path,¡± her hands alight with me.


    For the first time, Sandro witnessed the me of the Phoenix. The intensity overwhelmed him, and he felt the heat radiating off it. His eyes narrowed as Lady Arabe torched the ground around her-fire and wind now epassing her, and her white hair turned fiery red, mirroring the me.


    ¡°Hear my plea, immortal enchantress, and let your magic flow through my veins as I be the inferno that consumes all opposition,¡± Lady Arabe growled.


    The sound was deafening, and more mes poured out of her for a brief moment until it ceased. Everything fell silent again, and Lady Arabe stood, gently kissing the statue before turning on her heel as if nothing had urred.


    ¡°What a psycho!¡± Sandro grunted. He believed the trait often associated with him wasn¡¯t fair because the true definition of psycho was the woman he had just witnessed.


    ¡°That¡¯s because of your mother¡¯s blood running through your veins. She decided to quell the psychopathic energy,¡± risse exined.


    Sandro turned to re at her, and his eyes widened as he noticed Arabe behind her.


    ¡°Tesoro,¡± Sandro murmured, stalking towards her. Gripping her hand and white hair, he raised it to his nose, sniffing her in, before locking eyes with her.


    ¡°You¡¯re real,¡± he said.


    ¡°Of course I am,¡± Arabe replied, her voice cold, tugging her hand away.


    ¡°Let me go, Sandro,¡± she said as he held on tighter.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I amfortable being in the same ce as you,¡± she added, avoiding eye contact.


    Sandro gently gripped her chin, prompting her to look at him. ¡°Can we at least be civil for the sake of our child?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you developed sudden amnesia and turned a blind eye to all that you did to me? Besides, I never mentioned carrying your child, did I?¡± she retorted.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t,¡± Sandro murmured. ¡°But I feel within me that it is mine.¡±


    ¡°Keep feeling,¡± Arabe rolled her eyes.


    ¡°Love birds,¡± risse remarked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t love him!¡± Arabe snapped, turning to Sandro, who watched with amusement but said nothing to refute risse¡¯s statement.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we get down to the reason we¡¯re here rather than fight over a child that is yet to be born? You can always do a DNA test to know if it¡¯s yours or not,¡± risse suggested.


    ¡°I intend to do that after getting out of here,¡± Sandro asserted.


    ¡°That can only be possible if I let you,¡± Arabe retorted.


    ¡°Come on,¡± risse urged, leading them down the path Sandro had taken earlier, the same path Lady Arabe had taken.


    ¡°Hate me all you want, I don¡¯t care. But stay close to me. I don¡¯t want anything happening to you or the child,¡± Sandro said, his hand snaking around Arabe¡¯s waist, pulling her closer.

 Chapter 164

    Arabe, Sandro, and risse reached the entrance of the Phoenix¡¯s sacred ground. Lady Arabe stood at the center of a pentagram, and close to her was an elevated tform with a golden cup and an open book next to it.


    Turning to address the gathering, Arabe gasped softly. ¡°Is that me?¡± she murmured, looking from Sandro to risse and back at the woman.


    ¡°You go about looking like everyone, Cara. Not that I me you for that,¡± Sandro grunted.


    ¡°You¡¯re one to talk,¡± Arabe red at him, recalling her confusion between Alessandro the first and Sandro earlier. Now, she was faced with her own lookalike.


    ¡°Like I mentioned, the sin began a century ago, stemming from your ancestors. The figures you see here are your forebears,¡± risse exined.


    ¡°What about Alessia, then?¡± Arabe inquired, considering their twin connection. ¡°If there¡¯s a first doppelganger, it would make sense for her to be present too.¡±


    ¡°She was absorbed by the first, but that¡¯s a tale for another time,¡± risse replied.


    Arabe hesitated, sensing dark energy surrounding risse. She refrained from asking about Alessia¡¯s fate, deciding to inquireter as she had said.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Arabe asked, eyeing Sandro¡¯s arm wrapped around her waist. Despite her attempts to break free, he maintained his grip.


    ¡°It¡¯s the rising of the Phoenix ceremony for debutantes,¡± Sandro whispered, leaning in.


    ¡°Feeling cold?¡± he added, noticing her arms wrapped around herself. Shrugging off his leather jacket, he draped it over her.


    ¡°I never said I was cold,¡± Arabe retorted, trying to shrug off Sandro¡¯s jacket, but he held her shoulder firmly.


    ¡°I¡¯m just trying to protect you, Arabe. Why make this so difficult?¡± Sandro¡¯s brows furrowed.


    ¡°I¡¯d be more protected away from you,¡± she replied, adding, ¡°You suddenly realize I need protection now because I¡¯m pregnant?¡±


    ¡°I realized it a long time ago,¡± Sandro insisted, making Arabe snort.


    ¡°You¡¯re absurdly funny. And need I remind you that no amount of groveling will change my perception of you,¡± she dered.


    ¡°I never wanted you to change your perception. I¡¯m not trying to be a good guy, Be; I just want the kid to be safe,¡± Sandro rified.


    ¡°Why do you care about my baby now? You hate the mother, remember? It makes no sense you¡¯re acting all sentimental just because I¡¯m pregnant, and it¡¯s not even yours,¡± Arabe wrinkled her nose.


    Sandro growled. ¡°Stop rubbing your affair with ze in my face.¡±


    Arabe heard Sandro¡¯s warning but didn¡¯t care. If that made him leave her alone, she¡¯d happily goad him again.


    Sandro gripped her hand tightly. ¡°I know what¡¯s running through your mind, Cara, and no, don¡¯t do it. You¡¯ll only make it worse for him.¡±


    ¡°If I can¡¯t take my anger out on you in your current state, I¡¯ll take it out on him. I don¡¯t care if I have to remove his limbs,¡± Sandro growled.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    Arabe shivered, meeting his angry gaze. She bit her lip but refused to cower.


    ¡°Whatever, Sandro. Just stop acting so touchy suddenly. We know how it often ends up,¡± she shrugged.


    ¡°I brought you both here to see what happened in the past life, and you¡¯re squabbling like some old married couple?¡± risse interrupted, ring at them. ¡°I could have separated you longer.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Arabe asked.


    ¡°Well, the ceremony finished,¡± risse rolled her eyes.


    ¡°Oh!¡± Arabe could only mutter, ncing around.


    She didn¡¯t think she and Sandro had been talking for that long. She noticed ashes on the ground and the phoenixes standing, dusting their body off.


    ¡°Except the ceremony is only for a second because we didn¡¯t even use up to a minute,¡± Arabe said.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Let¡¯s return-¡±


    risse was interrupted by a loud voice booming, ¡°Surrender or be killed.¡±


    Arabe¡¯s eyes widened as she saw Alessandro the first step out of the shrub he was hiding behind.


    ¡°This is weird. A copy of you and me. What the hell?¡± Sandro muttered.


    Arabe ignored him, her focus on Alessandro the first approaching her lookalike.


    ¡°Alessandro,¡± she heard her lookalike snarl.


    The hate on their faces indicated their strong dislike for each other. What surprised Arabe was when they stalked toward each other, grabbed each other¡¯s faces, and locked lips in front of everyone.


    ¡°What the hell?¡± Arabe and Sandro muttered together.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, ra, but were they supposed to kiss? I mean, she¡¯s the evil one, right, and-¡± Sandro started.


    ¡°It¡¯s risse,¡± risse corrected.


    ¡°He¡¯s the evil one,¡± Arabe retorted, ring at Sandro.


    ¡°She is. Have you seen her abilities? I doubt it,¡± Sandro stated, his eyes returning to the scene.


    Both had ripped off each other¡¯s clothes, their upper body bare, unashamed of the onlookers.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t how I yed it out in my head,¡± risse muttered, eyes narrowed.


    Alessandro the first dragged Lady Arabe toward the podium, bent her over and ripped off his breech.


    ¡°Fuck Alessandro,¡± Lady Arabe snarled as Alessandro¡¯s the first palm collided with her backside before parting her asscheeks, and he thrust inside of her. ¡°Do you know how long I waited for you to do this?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting all day, my dear,¡± Grunted Allesandro the first, his hand moving to her throat as he pounded into her.


    ¡°Okay, this is disturbing and disgusting. Time out, please,¡± Arabe dered, signaling a timeout.


    The scene before her shattered her vows of not thinking about Sandro inappropriately. Memories of their time together flooded her mind, and she felt the urge to throw up.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to watch, you know,¡± Sandro stated, turning to risse, but she wasn¡¯t with them.


    ¡°Where¡¯s she?¡± Sandro scanned the area, but there was no sign of her.


    ¡°How would I know? She was just here with us,¡± Arabe replied.


    Feeling a shift in the atmosphere, Sandro tugged Arabe into him, ignoring her protest.


    His eyes narrowed as he observed the Phoenixes seated. They were now staring in their direction, snarling, while Lady and Alessandro remained oblivious to what was happening.


    ¡°Stay put, Arabe,¡± Sandro growled.


    Hearing the change in his voice, she turned to stare at him and frowned to see his pupils dted, turning golden, and his canines out. It was the first time she saw him up close since learning what he was, and it didn¡¯t frighten her.


    Instead, he looked dangerously sexy and angry.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± she asked, licking her lower lip, trying to divert her thoughts.


    ¡°I think we¡¯ve been tricked,¡± Sandro muttered.


    ¡°What?¡± Arabe stuttered.


    ¡°Listen to me,¡± Sandro said, making her face him while remaining aware of the creatures in the background. ¡°No matter the hate you feel for me right now, you need to set it aside. Do everything I say, and when I say run, do so without thinking about my safety.¡±


    ¡°O-Okay,¡± Arabe said, now realizing the seriousness of the situation as she nced around.


    The Phoenixes, who had been watching everything unfold, turned their attention to them, their slitted eyes emanating hatred.


    ¡°Arabe¡­¡±


    risse cut off Sandro¡¯s words. ¡°I know you want to say run; unfortunately, she can¡¯t do so.¡±


    ¡°What the¡­¡± Sandro was cut off for the second time, and this time it was Arabe.


    ¡°Sandro!¡± Arabe screamed. One minute, she had been standing next to him, and the next, she was bound to a tree in the middle of where the pentagram had been.


    ¡°Be!¡± Sandro growled, his eyes narrowing at risse. ¡°Let her go, and who the hell are you?¡±


    ¡°I forgive you for not knowing me. I was quite infamous during my time,¡± risse said.


    She continued, ¡°But I don¡¯t mind reintroducing myself again. I am Astralys, the greatest sorceress of all time, and you, my dears, are just what I needed to create the unstoppable Astralys armies!¡± She tilted her head backward, cackling.


    ¡°The fuck!¡± Sandro grunted.


    Arabe found nothing funny about the situation. She should have trusted Ellen. If she had realized it sooner, maybe she wouldn¡¯t be in this predicament. Yet, Astralys, in the form of risse, had nned everything meticulously. There was no way they wouldn¡¯t have met.

 Chapter 165

    Arabe struggled against the chains that bound her, wincing as her skin burned  a sensation reminiscent of when Alessia had bound her.


    Now, facing Sandro, she observed him being restrained, not by Astralys herself, but by skeletal beings emerging from the ground, conjured by Astralys.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± Arabe inquired as Astralys approached a presumed spell book.


    Astralys flipped through its pages, wrinkling her nose, then tossed it toward Sandro, who narrowly dodged the iing book.


    ¡°Stupid witch!¡± Astralys growled, advancing toward Arabe. ¡°I will end her bloodline.¡±


    ¡°What do you want with me?¡± Arabe asked again.


    ¡°Be cautious, or I¡¯ll be forced to eradicate those little demons within you. But I need them; I need you.¡± Astralys loosened Arabe¡¯s restraints, dragging her toward a podium, then turned to Sandro.


    ¡°Bring him.¡±


    The skeletal beings that held Sandro maneuvered him like a ragdoll. Though he struggled to break free, their grip remained firm as they brought him to Astralys.


    Dumped on the ground, Sandro attempted to stand but was thwarted by a vine binding his wrists and ankles  an unusual vine that burned upon contact, causing his skin to sizzle.


    ¡°Just wait until I¡¯m out of this dratted thing. I¡¯ll strangle you!¡± Sandro threatened.


    ¡°Unfortunately, few escape my magic, and they¡¯re all dead. Remember, you¡¯re their replicas. Moreover, youck the power they possessed. Lastly, they took what I needed from the spell book, so both of you will suffer for it.¡± Astralys waved her hand, conjuring a coffin-like structure, her gaze drifting to the sky.


    ¡°It¡¯s the luminous Eclipse,¡± Arabe heard her murmur, a cynical smile painted on her lips.


    ¡°Do you know what happens every luminous eclipse?¡± Astralys asked, and Arabe shook her head.


    Astralys stepped towards her, caressing her cheeks before gripping her chin.


    ¡°Let her go!¡± Sandro growled.


    ¡°Make me,¡± Astralys snarled, scowling at him.


    Sandro grunted as he flew backward when she waved her hands in the air before turning to Arabe.


    ¡°You seem smarter than he is, child,¡± Astralys said. ¡°Do you even know you are carrying the next Phoenix and alpha within you?¡±


    Astralys¡¯ hand trailed downwards from Arabe¡¯s cheeks to her full breasts, then down to her stomach, lingering there.


    Arabe gasped as she felt the baby within her kick.


    ¡°You are having two,¡± Astralys said.


    ¡°T-Two?¡± Arabe stuttered. ¡°How would you know that?¡±


    ¡°You are not smart after all,¡± Astralys giggled. ¡°But I will tell you.¡±


    Arabe said nothing, waiting for Astralys to continue.


    ¡°It has always been two. Seeing you just confirmed my suspicions; the curse shall go on, and I will be unstoppable. I predict you will have two females, just like your mother, and the circle will repeat itself. Boy, am I so happy!¡± Astralys cackled.


    ¡°Do you intend to kill us?¡± Arabe asked, even though Astralys had said she needed her.


    ¡°Kill you?¡± Astralys scoffed. ¡°I need both your blood to do what I need, and guess what? I am going to drain everyst bit of it from both of you and watch you die slowly.¡±


    ¡°And you think I will let that happen?¡± Arabe stated, staring at Astralys steadily.


    An unknown energy swirled around her. She couldn¡¯t tell what it was, but it gave her the feeling of being superior, and that was what she needed at the moment.


    ¡°And whatever do you think you can do to me?¡± Astralys questioned.


    ¡°I might not be smart enough, but I inherited the traits of my ancestors,¡± Arabe said as she yanked the chain holding her off.


    Astralys¡¯ eyes widened, shock evident on her face. No one had been able to loosen themselves from her hold before, except for Lady Arabe, and that was only because she was an enchantress, a powerful one at that.


    Except¡­ ¡°Are you an enchantress as well?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Enchantress? I am the queen of Phoenix, and I shall not let the name be soiled by some psycho,¡± Arabe dered.


    She narrowed her eyes on Astralys, surrounding her with her seven aura beams before letting the wind sweep away the skeletal armies that approached.


    Arabe ran to Sandro, loosening the vine around him.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Sandro grunted, cupping her face, his eyes filled with concern.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s the time for you to ask me that. We need to leave now,¡± Arabe said, even though she had no specific destination in mind.


    ¡°You know, I thought you were cute at first, seeing all that you did. But using those things you called powers to lock me down? That has to be the most amusing thing I¡¯ve ever seen. Child, you can be an enchantress, but remember, I am one too. I lived before you, stronger than you, and so I will obviously enjoy killing you!¡±


    Arabe acted on instinct as soon as Astralys freed herself. She gripped Sandro¡¯s hand, darting towards the forest opening, jumping over several wooden logs.


    ¡°Run, but you can¡¯t hide,¡± Astralys boomed, destruction following her voice.


    ¡°Do you think we are going to survive this?¡± Sandro asked, ncing behind them.


    Everywhere they had passed was now destroyed, and Astralys walked freely amidst the fire.


    Sandro¡¯s eyes widened as he saw an arrow of fire approaching them fast. He gripped Arabe¡¯s hand, stopping her.


    ¡°Duck!¡± he said, wrapping his arms around her and plunging into the forest floor.


    Sandro fell on his back with a thud, and Arabe was on top of him.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± he asked, jumping to his feet and helping her up.


    ¡°I am,¡± Arabe said, ncing around and noticing they were in another ce. It wasn¡¯t the forest anymore, and she couldn¡¯t help but feel nauseous about the scenery changing.


    ¡°I hate this. One second, we were just in the forest, and now here?¡± Sandro said.


    He couldn¡¯t pinpoint their exact location, but he noticed they were on a in of some sort, with the sea surrounding them.


    ¡°I want you to have a taste of my power,¡± Astralys said.


    But she wasn¡¯t anywhere around them, Arabe noticed as she nced around.


    ¡°Show yourself, coward,¡± Arabe egged.


    ¡°Coward?¡± Astralys scoffed.


    Just then, the ground they were on cracked open, and several undead emerged.


    ¡°Kill them,¡± Astralys ordered.


    The undead armies rushed toward Arabe and Sandro.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    Sandro jumped in front of Arabe and growled, his eyes turning golden, and he crouched. ¡°Not today!¡±

 Chapter 166

    ze groaned as he woke up. The ringing in his ears persisted, showing no signs of stopping anytime soon. He remained confined in the dungeon, and it was no surprise. Sandro wouldn¡¯t release him easily, especially after what had transpired.


    Now, Sandro was aware of Arabe¡¯s location, and ze couldn¡¯t help but feel responsible.


    The truth had been extracted from him through torture, yet he believed it was his fault for not resisting.


    But then again, resisting would be tough when your weakness was exploited against you.


    He scowled at the several marks lining his skin and the unyielding chain that kept him restrained. Trying to break free only resulted in difort- burning sensations that sent a jolt of electricity through him as well as a brain freeze.


    ¡°Fucking bastard,¡± ze snarled, kicking a pebble and wincing.


    The chain not only hindered his escape but also suppressed his abilities. Now that Sandro knew his identity, escaping would be an uphill battle.


    ncing at the hay-covered floor, ze¡¯s phone rang. He unlocked it with his toe upon seeing Annalise¡¯s name.


    ¡°ze,¡± Annalise said.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± ze asked, noting the urgency in her voice with just his name mentioned.


    ¡°I spoke with Janice, and there¡¯s an iing danger,¡± Annalise whispered.


    ¡°What is it, Annalise?¡± ze grunted.


    ¡°An infiltration, ze,¡± she revealed before the call abruptly ended.


    ze stared at the phone longer than intended before pulling on the chain. Despite the current discord with Sandro, he couldn¡¯t let the vi be infiltrated without taking action.


    ¡°Let me go!¡± ze growled, panting as he strained against the unyielding chain.


    No response. ¡°Fine,¡± he grimaced. ¡°I understand you¡¯re following the orders of that witch and Sandro, but I¡¯m the only one who can help. If we¡¯re under attack and I¡¯m not guarding, everyone will be at risk!¡±


    ze puffed out a breath. Or maybe he was stupid to put Sandro first after all that he was going through. The creaking door caught his attention, knowing he was alone in the room. Sandro typically dealt with intruders from before, leaving ze curious about the unexpected visitor.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    Closing his eyes, ze inhaled deeply, recognizing the scent of cinnamon before snapping them open.


    ¡°Annalise,¡± he grunted. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be here.¡±


    ¡°Neither should you,¡± she retorted.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know why I¡¯m here,¡± ze insisted.


    ¡°I know, and I don¡¯t think you deserve this. Besides, it serves Sandro right. It¡¯s the reason he makes enemies,¡± Annalise said, snatching a key from a stand near the cage.


    ze hadn¡¯t realized there was a key there until now. If he had, he could have tried his best to reach for it rather than make things difficult for himself.


    ¡°You¡¯ll get in trouble,¡± ze warned, watching as she entered the cage.


    ¡°Not more trouble than you¡¯ll face if the Vi is destroyed under your watch,¡± she reasoned.


    Annalise spoke the truth. Sandro would want him to keep watch, even though he was chained-a twisted mindset.


    After Annalise unlocked the chains he had thought to be magical, ze flexed his bruised wrists, feeling the pain. He wondered if Brianna had added something to the wolfsbane coating since it was barely healing.


    ¡°You should freshen up,¡± Annalise suggested, but ze shook his head.


    ¡°I doubt anyone cares how I smell when I¡¯m fighting for their safety,¡± he said, raising a brow.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so,¡± she agreed.


    ¡°Come on,¡± ze urged, rushing out of the room with Annalise close behind.


    He stood by therge gate at the De Luca¡¯s Vi, straining to detect any signs of attackers. But then, he saw no sights or scents indicating trouble.


    After an hour, seeing no one, ze headed towards where he stationed Annalise, with the intent to be with the children in the vi.


    He stopped as Annalise hurried towards him, her eyes filled with concern.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ze asked.


    ¡°Janice called again¡­¡±


    ¡°And they¡¯re not attacking anymore? Because they¡¯re definitely not heading this way,¡± ze observed.


    ¡°No, they¡¯re not,¡± Annalise replied, biting her lip. ¡°The problem is, their destination is the pack where Arabe is currently staying.¡±


    ¡°The Sapphire Shadows?¡± ze rified.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s it.¡± Annalise nodded. ¡°And from the way Janice sounded, it seems like they¡¯re already there and¡­¡±


    Ignoring Annalise¡¯s voice, ze returned to the room, grabbed his phone from the bedside table, and dialed Arabe¡¯s number to ensure it wasn¡¯t a trap.


    ¡°Come on,¡± he muttered impatiently, but there was no response.


    Trying Thalia¡¯s number, believing she would be close to Arabe, ze received the sameck of response.


    ¡°Thalia!¡± he gritted his teeth.


    Perhaps they were truly under attack. ze discarded his ripped vest, donned another, ran a hand through his hair, and walked back to the gate.


    ¡°They¡¯re an hour away, and¡­¡±


    ze didn¡¯t wait for Annalise to finish. He sprinted towards the nearest car, a white Porsche Panamera.


    ¡°I¡¯lle with you!¡± Annalise yelled.


    ¡°No, stay back. If Sandroes looking for me, tell him where I went,¡± ze instructed. He reversed the car before speeding out of the opened gate.


    Arriving quickly, thanks to exceeding speed limits and encountering no traffic, ze found a safe spot to park the car. He jumped out, turned off the ignition, and rushed toward the silent pack house. It felt deserted, and his narrowed eyes scanned the surroundings.


    ¡°Arabe!¡± he called out, but there was no response.


    Entering the first building he saw, ze navigated through several rooms until he halted near a door. Turning the knob, he entered to find Thalia.


    Arabe, Sandro, and an unfamiliar woman were locked in each other¡¯s arms.


    Thalia stood up as soon as she noticed him. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been trying to reach you,¡± ze murmured, his gaze fixed on Arabe.


    Thalia frowned, reaching for her phone. Her eyes widened as she saw the five unanswered calls. ¡°I am sorry; I must have been too preupied with my thoughts.¡±


    ¡°You look awful, Cole. What happened?¡± Thalia inquired, scrutinizing him.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. You¡¯re safe, and so is she. But what¡¯s going on?¡± ze asked.


    ¡°They¡¯re in some kind of trance or time-traveling? I wouldn¡¯t know, but risse said she¡¯s taking them to the past,¡± Thalia exined.


    ze gripped Arabe¡¯s hand, attempting to shake her, but she remained unresponsive, like trying to move a stone. ¡°How do we snap them out of it? Arabe is in danger.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no use. I¡¯ve tried everything, even dousing them with water, which was an awful idea,¡± Thalia said, pointing to the water on the floor.


    ¡°We just have to wait for them to return to us,¡± she added.


    ¡°That¡¯s if there¡¯s enough time,¡± ze murmured.


    Despite not wanting to dwell on the potential consequences, he was determined to protect Arabe with his life until she snapped out of whatever trance she was in.

 Chapter 167

    Sandro growled loudly, mming into an undead, grabbing it by the neck, and snapping itpletely. He leaped onto another, heading for Arabe, who seemed momentarily stunned, and tore out its heart.


    ¡°Would you stare all day or get down to business?¡± Sandro snapped.


    ¡°Sorry!¡± Arabe squealed, patting the jeans she wore and fumbling for her knife. ze had given her this small knife back at the Phoenix cave, an alternative to using her powers in a fight.


    She had rarely used it since Alessia, as battling Alessia with a knife could have been risky.


    ¡°Astralys!¡± Arabe snarled, deflecting an attack and driving her de into an undead jugr. It sizzled, and he screeched, vibrating nonstop. Arabe eyed the knife; it had never sizzled before. It was strange that it was happening now.


    ¡°That is a silver de coated with wolfsbane,¡± Sandromented, eyeing her.


    ¡°ze gave it to you, I presume,¡± he added dryly.


    ze never exined the knife¡¯s usefulness; he only told her never to lose it. Now, seeing how effective it was against the creatures, she couldn¡¯t help but be grateful.


    ¡°He¡¯s very thoughtful,¡± Arabe grinned as she resumed fighting.


    ¡°Of course he is,¡± Sandro grunted. ¡°Just wait until we aren¡¯t fighting werewolves alone because silver and wolfsbane are a bane to werewolves, and these creatures have werewolf blood running through their veins.¡±


    Arabe shrugged. ¡°I think I can handle anything.¡±


    ¡°I hope you can,¡± Sandro pointed out. He wasn¡¯t exhausted at all, finding the creatures before him easy to handle. The same couldn¡¯t be said for Arabe; she looked pale and exhausted, stumbling every now and then. He wondered how she managed to cut through some of the creatures.


    He couldn¡¯t focus solely on his front and also keep an eye on Arabe. He didn¡¯t know what would happen next or what Astralys was thinking.


    Arabe was relieved she had learned hand-to-handbat, not just relying on her ability. Exhausted, she held off the undead armies with all her strength. Sandro¡¯s assistance was crucial; she couldn¡¯t imagine facing this alone. Surprisingly, he remained in human form, fighting effortlessly.


    ¡°Just one left,¡± Sandro snarled, crushing a skeleton¡¯s neck and tearing it apart.


    He grabbed Arabe¡¯s hand, sensing her daze, and rushed forward. The scenery shifted; Sandro understood they needed to keep moving to reach the desired location in this reality.


    Arabe halted, feeling a sudden tug at her midsection. She groaned, doubling over, hand clutching her stomach. Sandro stopped, turning to her. ¡°Are you alright?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t think so,¡± Arabe muttered, then coughed, spitting out blood.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± This was a first for her, and considering her exhaustion, it seemed linked to it.


    ¡°There is nothing without a consequence,¡± Astralys¡¯ voice echoed. Instead of being invisible, she appeared before them, a darker version of the risse Arabe had seen earlier. It was as if the previous risse was just a vessel for Astralys¡¯ sinister work.


    Astralys¡¯ eyes gleamed wickedly, dark details of spells weaving through the air like serpents. In ce of her once-elegant dress, she wore a tattered ck cloak that billowed around her like a shroud.


    ¡°I am Astralys, the first, and no one has ever been before me!¡± Her voice was a chilling whisper, sending shivers down Arabe¡¯s spine.


    Despite her crooked physique, Astralys moved with an eerie grace.


    ¡°What are you doing to me?¡± Arabe cried, clutching her throat as she suddenly felt choked.


    ¡°Be!¡± Sandro growled, trying to release her hands, but it was useless. Arabe¡¯s grip was strong, and he doubted he could pull her hands from her throat without hurting her.


    His eyes narrowed at Astralys. ¡°What are you doing to her?¡±


    ¡°What should have been done ever since, but your softness got the best of you,¡± Astralys said.


    ¡°Softness?¡± Sandro scoffed. He might have lusted after her body, which he wouldn¡¯t deny, but he certainly wasn¡¯t soft towards her, and he still desired to punish her for her father¡¯s sin.


    ¡°You can¡¯t punish her because you will be punishing yourself,¡± Astralys said. ¡°Have you ever thought of being without a mate and how it would drive you crazy?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about that,¡± Sandro pointed out. ¡°Just stop this foolish thing you¡¯re doing instantly.¡±


    Astralys tsked. ¡°I don¡¯t take orders from anyone, especially not from a creature I detest. I am going to enjoy killing you both.¡±


    ¡°Sandro,¡± Arabe said. She saw him in front of her, then in front of Astralys. She could barely make out their discussion, but all she wanted was for him to take her out of the forest. The air felt poisoned, making her brain muddled and her lungs constricted.


    ¡°Can wee to an understanding?¡± Sandro asked, attempting to reason with Astralys, though he doubted it would work.


    ¡°An understanding? That I would have loved. However, I don¡¯t have more patience for that,¡± she said. ¡°Besides, why try to reason with you when you both would die?¡±


    His eyes returned to Arabe, seeing she was fast losing consciousness. Despite considering her his enemy, he knew he would lose her if he didn¡¯t act. The question lingered: Why should he care?


    ¡°She¡¯s our mate!¡± Lace eximed for the first time since his arrival from Ascotan. ¡°If she dies, you die. Your being alive lies with her.¡±


    ¡°Does that matter, Lace? Her father destroyed all that I had.¡±


    ¡°Yours wasn¡¯t innocent either, even though you barely saw what happened. But then, you will run wild if she dies,¡± Lace replied, firmly on her side.


    Sandro¡¯s teeth gritted, unsurprised.


    His eyes returned to Astralys as she snapped her fingers. ¡°Now, enough going. I think I will go with my initial n. I don¡¯t want any more vows from both of you.¡± Astralys advanced toward them, and the flowers on her path withered immediately. Her eyes were fixed on Arabe.


    ¡°Sandro,¡± Arabe called, and he bent towards her.


    ¡°You should escape. She will kill you,¡± Arabe said.


    ¡°No one can escape from me,¡± Astralys dered. ¡°Both of you shall die.¡±


    ¡°Not now, not ever!¡± Sandro snarled, scooping up Arabe and dashing away from Astralys.


    The scenery changed immediately, and they were back in the previous ce they had arrived, yet Sandro didn¡¯t stop running.


    ¡°Light,¡± whispered Arabe, pointing to the north side. Sandro dashed in that direction without asking questions.


    He heard cackling but couldn¡¯t tell where it wasing from. His best guess was Astralys until he saw it in front of him.


    ¡°Is that a portal?¡± he asked, his voice incredulous.


    At first, it was like a small baseball, but it started expanding. It pulsated with an ethereal glow, its edge dancing with arcane symbols that seemed to shift and rearrange.


    ¡°What am I supposed to do?¡± Sandro asked, feeling the question was stupid and yet wanting to know.


    He turned back to see that Astralys was still behind them, not snapping her fingers to appear before them or close the portal. Perhaps she was relishing the chaos.Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    He nced back at the portal, wisps of energy cascading around its circumference, creating an almost hypnotic aura. The swirling center revealed a mesmerizing convergence of colors-deep blues merging into vibrant purples and ented by streaks of silver luminescence.


    ¡°You jump into it,¡± Arabe said.


    Sandro didn¡¯t ask more questions. Immediately, he reached the portal, and he jumped into it.


    Both gasped as they snapped back to reality and immediately, risse¡¯s body evaporated into thin air as if it was never there.


    ¡°Be!¡± ze grunted, wrapping his arms around her.


    ¡°B-ze?¡± Arabe stuttered, blinking back at the haze at the back of her mind.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± he asked, and just before she could respond, Sandro said, ¡°You left.¡±


    ¡°I had no other options but to,¡± ze pointed out, wrapping his arms around Arabe.


    Sandro watched the movement ze did with Arabe, and what angered him the most was Arabe reciprocating it. He wasn¡¯t petty, but he believed he should have left her there with Astralys.


    ¡°There is going to be an attack,¡± ze said as soon as they stepped out of the room.


    Arabe was next to Thalia as they stepped out, who was tending to the injury she only noticed now on her arm.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see any attack¡­¡± Sandro trailed off, eyeing the attackers that stumbled out of their hiding ces.


    ¡°What the hell?¡± he roared, seeing hundreds of them pouring out.

 Chapter 168

    ¡°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.

 Chapter 169

    Arabe wiped away the tears sliding down her cheeks, hissing as pain shot through her side.


    Her chest tightened, and she gulped in two deep breaths, blinking back tears.


    ¡°ze,¡± she muttered, shaking him in her hands, though he remained stiff. ¡°Please wake up, please.¡±


    Her shoulder trembled, her lips quivering, her head pounding, and her eyes aching. She wanted him to stir, to tease andugh, but nothing happened.


    Now, more than ever, she longed to hear his voice and the reassurance he always provided, promising that everything would be fine.


    ¡®He¡¯s dead, Be. He¡¯s dead,¡¯ The words she didn¡¯t want to say aloud echoed in her head. Arabe shook her head, unwilling to ept the truth. In her mind, he would rise, and they would return to the vi, her tending to his injuries.


    He had to be okay; her tears held healing properties, just like the first time she had saved him. She believed she could do it again.


    Even as more tears fell, he stayed motionless in her arms.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening, Arabe?¡± Thalia¡¯s wide eyes met Arabe¡¯s, who shook her head.


    Amidst everything unfolding, Arabe had forgotten about Thalia and Sandro.


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know, Thalia.¡± Arabe broke into sobs. ¡°He won¡¯t move or say anything. Is that fair? He promised me so much, and now he¡¯s not moving anymore. Please tell him to wake up. He might listen to you.¡±


    ¡°No, Cole, this can¡¯t be true.¡± Thalia knelt beside Arabe, sping ze¡¯s once warm hands.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    She ced two fingers by the side of his neck to feel for his pulse.


    ¡°No,¡± Thalia took a shuddering breath, eyes darting towards Sandro, who approached with his head hung low.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care what happened between you two, Alessandro. My brother is your Beta. Command him to stand up right now!¡± Thalia ordered.


    ¡°Oh, my goodness, Cole.¡± Thalia cried, pulling ze close as Arabe let him go, her face smearing with blood from ze¡¯s shirt.


    Gasping, Thalia walked towards Sandro, pointing at his chest. ¡°Why look sad? Cole isn¡¯t dead. I know that. He¡¯s strong and won¡¯t leave me. He¡¯s not that cruel, even if he tries.¡±


    Pushing at Sandro, she hissed, ¡°Show your authority now, De Luca. Show you¡¯re the Alpha andmand him to wake up!¡±


    ¡°Thalia¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t ¡®Thalia¡¯ me, Sandro. Don¡¯t, please.¡± She blubbered. ¡°Cole needs to wake up. Arabe is carrying his babies, and there¡¯s so much to discuss, especially about his unique wolf side. Plus, he promised me a getaway after all this mess ends!¡±


    Thalia tossed her head back and burst intoughter. ¡°He¡¯s my brother, and I know he can be crazy sometimes. Forgive him; he¡¯s definitely enjoying all that¡¯s happening!¡±


    Her expression was crazed, her teeth gritted, and Sandro knew that if he did nothing, she was going to lose control.


    Approaching her in two steps, Sandro pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her. Thalia quivered, wailing, while Sandro¡¯s gaze shifted to Arabe.


    Shoulders hunched, still holding ze¡¯s body, she hadn¡¯t moved and had spoken only to Thalia.


    He longed to rush to her, to hold her in his arms and offerfort, but he understood she needed to grieve.


    He, too, was mourning. Despite his resentment towards ze for his actions, they had been the best of friends, relying on each other. Sandro was certain that if ze hadn¡¯t taken that bullet, he would have.


    Goodness, he was going to kill Paolo. If only he had waited a while longer, he believed he would have done that.


    Regardless of how he would achieve it, he was determined to make Paolo pay for causing him and Arabe pain.


    After allowing a moment of silence to settle, Sandro spoke, ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here.¡±


    The pack house they currently were in was empty, making Sandro doubt if there was ever a pack, to begin with. risse had deceived them, and he questioned the credibility of her entire story, even though she imed it was all true.


    Thalia moved slowly towards the car while Sandro crouched in front of Arabe.


    ¡°Hey,¡± he said, but she didn¡¯t meet his gaze, her eyes fixed on ze¡¯s shirt.


    ¡°Be,¡± Sandro called.


    ¡°ze,¡± she replied, looking back at him, tear-streaked and red-eyed.


    ¡°I understand, sweetheart, but we need to leave,¡± he urged.


    Arabe was unresponsive, continuing to stare nkly. Sandro gently freed her hands from ze¡¯s shirt and guided her toward the car.


    Returning to ze¡¯s body, he muttered, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, buddy. I failed you. But I¡¯m going to make that bastard pay.¡±


    Sandro ced ze¡¯s body in the car trunk before returning to the driver¡¯s seat.


    ¡°Buckle up, Be,¡± he murmured, receiving no response, so he secured her seatbelt himself.


    The journey back to the vi was somber,sting almost three hours and feeling like the longest in Sandro¡¯s life.


    Not only did the tense atmosphere in the car heightened, but he had narrowly avoided collisions with trees as thoughts of avenging ze consumed him.


    Upon reaching the vi, a gathering of pack members awaited outside, likely informed of the situation. Annalise spoke first as Sandro stepped out.


    ¡°Thank goodness you¡¯re here,¡± she began, but her words faltered as Sandro shook his head.


    Her gaze swept over Arabe and Thalia as they stepped out of the car, both stained with blood like Sandro.


    ¡°Where¡¯s ze?¡± Annalise asked, anticipating him to step out, but he didn¡¯t. Sandro shook his head again.


    ¡°Listen, everyone,¡± Sandro¡¯s voice cut through the murmurs. The air hushed as he spoke. ¡°Prepare for a funeral.¡±


    Annalise grasped the painful truth in his eyes and the firmness of his lips. She covered her mouth, whispering, ¡°Oh, my goodness, ze.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Annalise,¡± Sandro ran a hand through his hair. ¡°Call Brianna. I need to talk to her.¡±


    Annalise nodded, tears in her eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll do that right away.¡±


    Sandro entered the vi, finding Arabe in the hallway. He took her hand, leading her to the room she had upied before.


    Opening the curtains for more light, he returned to her. ¡°If you want to talk, Be, I¡¯m here. Remember that.¡±


    Her silence frustrated him, but he resisted venting his frustration on her. After a lingering gaze, he left the room, hopeful that when he returned, she would open up to him.

 Chapter 170

    ¡°We were attacked after escaping that dratted past I had to delve into with Be,¡± Sandro exined. Currently, in a small room within the meeting hall, he narrated the events to Brianna, who sat listening.


    ¡°I need to verify everything the bitch said; she can¡¯t force me to endure all that and knowing she was lying to me,¡± Sandro grunted, pacing the room.


    He halted, ring at Brianna, who remained silent. She neither agreed nor disagreed with what he said; instead, she stared nkly ahead.


    ¡°Brianna!¡± Sandro growled, moving toward her to grab her attention. However, he stopped as he heard her voice.


    ¡°She spoke the truth, Alpha,¡± Brianna said, turning her gaze to Sandro. ¡°She was the first of her kind, responsible for this cmity. The first doppelganger and your ancestors yed a part, too.¡±


    Brianna continued, ¡°She lured you into the past to manipte you both for her evil agenda. If she had seeded, she would not only have killed you both but all supernatural beings, making the rest her ves.¡±


    ¡°I suspected she had such ns,¡± Sandro said. ¡°Paolo is now attempting the same. I don¡¯t understand why he wanted Be again if he already had Alessia.¡±


    ¡°Be is everything, Alpha.¡± Brianna stood up, stepping away from where she sat. She stood in the center of the room, her eyes narrowing before looking upward.


    Sandro watched her mouth move, but no sound came out. Wondering if she was in a trance with her closed eyes, he waited for her to speak.


    When her eyes opened, Brianna shook her head. ¡°The Luna¡­¡±


    ¡°I never agreed to make her one,¡± Sandro retorted, cutting her off.


    ¡°Eventually, she will be.¡± Brianna shrugged, then continued as if uninterrupted. ¡°The Luna is the missing piece of the puzzle he needs. I am certain Astralys, risse, or whatever identity she assumed spoke about the twin convergence?¡±


    Sandro nodded, ¡°I initially thought it was stupid and didn¡¯t pay much attention.¡±


    ¡°I think you should listen now,¡± Brianna moved closer. ¡°If the Luna is captured, not only will she be forced to fight Alessia, but we all know she¡¯d win due to her superior power. She might try to reason with her, but historically, talking has never worked. They will eventually merge and bring about destruction.¡±


    ¡°So, what does that mean?¡± Sandro frowned, trying to grasp the situation. He had intended to discuss Paolo and ze¡¯s death with Brianna, but she seemed focused on Arabe.


    ¡°Protect her at all costs, Alpha. Your fate is tied to hers because her blood keeps you alive. If she¡¯s captured, it¡¯s the end for everyone.¡±


    ¡°And why is it her blood I need to resist bloodlust? Can¡¯t there be another way?¡±


    ¡°Astralys never showed you how she died-her ancestor. Your ancestor killed her, and in her agony, she ced a curse on your bloodline, leading to rage and bloodlust. The goddess didn¡¯t curse you; she did. The goddess made her your redemption.¡± Brianna exined.


    ¡°That¡¯s confusing,¡± Sandro murmured. ¡°John took the goddess¡¯ crest, making her furious, which in turn made her curse me. Isn¡¯t that the reason?¡±


    Brianna shook her head, her eyes closed briefly, and when they opened, they were whitish, her voice lower. ¡°Before John took the crest, a scheme by the goddess for Arabe toe your way, your ancestormitted that atrocity.¡±Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    Sandro ran a hand through his hair, ¡°This is messed up.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s your true mate, given by the goddess. You can¡¯t reject her, Alpha. Do right by her, and above all, protect her. And she¡¯s carrying your child as well, which is a plus for you.¡± Brianna finished, heading toward the door.


    She gripped the doorknob, then stopped. Her head turned back, ¡°ze understood what was going to happen to him before ignoring the voices in his head. Despite Arabe being his mate, she was also his downfall.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to prepare for the funeral,¡± Brianna said, stepping out of the room.


    Sandro stared at the door for a while when Brinna left. He thought of all the things she had said, most especially about Arabe.


    Then his thoughts wandered to ze and Paolo. He emitted a low growl, ¡°I won¡¯t spare you, Paolo. Even if it means taking you to the grave with me, I won¡¯t spare you!¡±


    When he returned to the roomter, Arabe remained in the same position, staring into nothing. She hadn¡¯t bothered to change her outfit.


    He approached her, crouching and taking her hand. She didn¡¯t react.


    ¡°Cara,¡± he murmured, intertwining their hands, sharing his warmth with her cold ones.


    With no response, he tried again, ¡°Be.¡±


    Arabe turned her head mechanically, gazing at him with unfocused eyes.


    ¡°Can you at least change out of this bloody outfit?¡± he asked.


    After waiting another minute with no response, he sighed and began doing it himself.


    Stripping her out of her clothes, leaving only her pant and bra, he handed her one of his shirts, helping her put it on.


    Sandro went to the bathroom, grabbed a bowl, filled it with water, and took a washcloth. Dampening the cloth, he wiped her face, hands, and any areas touched by blood.


    After finishing, he returned the bowl, now filled with ze¡¯s blood, to the bathroom.


    ¡°Would you like to eat something?¡± he asked.


    Once again, there was no response.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll take that as a yes. I can¡¯t watch you starve those innocent children,¡± he said.


    Sandro left the room and returned with a tray of plentiful food. As he set it before Arabe, she gasped, pping a hand over her mouth and stumbling towards the bathroom just in time to retch into the toilet.


    ¡°Did I do something wrong?¡± Sandro frowned, stepping towards the bathroom to see her still bent over the toilet.


    He lifted her hair out of her face and rubbed her back as she coughed.


    Arabe¡¯s body and stomach spasmed; she gripped the toilet seat.


    Sandro allowed her a moment, never leaving her side, just letting her catch her breath.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± He asked, but as usual, received no response.


    ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll do it my way then.¡± He said.


    After letting her rinse her mouth with the water he provided, he hoisted her over his shoulder, entered the room, and ced her on the bed.


    Arabey facing the wall.


    Maybe she needed time, he mused. He had been this way too when his mother died, given time to grieve by the pack.


    Perhaps that was what Arabe needed, but for how long? He wondered, ring at the steam drifting from the food.

 Chapter 171

    They stood outside in the De Luca¡¯s graveyard. It marked Arabe¡¯s first visit, and she wished it would also be thest.


    Despite the daytime, mournful howls echoed before the funeralmenced. She guessed it was traditions.


    Brianna and her sisters took charge of the ceremony, as Sandro had handed it over to them.


    ¡°Today, wey to rest Nichs Armstrong, a fierce Beta, and guardian of our pack. Let¡¯s remember the beautiful things he did for us. He died a hero, sacrificing his life for his friends. He¡¯ll be forever missed.¡±


    ze was truly gone, Arabe pondered. She had spent the whole previous day waiting for him or someone to reveal that it was all a joke. To assure her he would wake up, hug her, kiss her, and tell her everything would be fine.


    But no one came. She had seen him give up, and not even her tears, which had awakened him the first time, worked this time. Brianna had mentioned something about him running out of luck.


    Tears streamed down her cheeks, and though she vowed never to cry, she couldn¡¯t remain silent while witnessing him beingid to rest on the earth.Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    Through blurry vision, Arabe observed as Sandro guided Thalia toward the casket. Unlike Arabe, Thalia had been crying nonstop since yesterday. Her eyes were bloodshot and swollen, and she hadn¡¯t bothered to run a brush through her hair, though it didn¡¯t look too bad thanks to the cap she wore.


    Thalia sniffled, gasping before copsing on the dug-out sand. ¡°Why did you do this to me, Cole?¡± she cried. ¡°If you were going to die, why didn¡¯t you do so sooner? Why make me believe you were going to stay with me forever?¡±


    Arabe shared the same questions swirling through her mind, but she had no one to provide any answers.


    ¡°I hate you for this, Cole. I won¡¯t forgive you for making me go through so much pain!¡± Thalia dered.


    ¡°Be,¡± Arabe¡¯s head whipped to her side, finding Sandro standing there, one hand in the pocket of the tuxedo pants he donned. She couldn¡¯t see his eyes as he wore a dark sunshade, a curious choice given the absence of sunlight. His lips twisted in a smile devoid of amusement, and he extended his hand to her.


    ¡°Are you ready to pay yourst respects to him?¡± Sandro asked.


    Arabe shook her head. ¡°I am not doing that.¡± She wasn¡¯t ready to let ze go, not while there was a chance he could still be alive. She wouldn¡¯t say goodbye unless she believed he was truly gone. Gripping the locket around her neck, she bit her lower lip.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to say anything to him because I believe he lives,¡± she murmured as Sandro crouched before her.


    ¡°Be,¡± Sandro murmured.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me he is dead, Sandro. I am a Phoenix, and you should know our tears have healing properties. I made sure there were enough tears on ze. He is going to live, believe me. He is going toe awake now,¡± Arabe said.


    ¡°Look at me, Arabe,¡± Sandro said, pulling off the sunsses he was wearing.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to,¡± she muttered, ncing away.


    He gripped her chin, forcing her to stare into his eyes. ¡°Look at me,¡± he repeated.


    She had no choice but to do so.


    ¡°ze isn¡¯ting back,¡± Sandro said. ¡°You need to face reality, Arabe. He¡¯s truly gone.¡±


    ¡°He isn¡¯t,¡± she replied, forcing her chin out of his grasp. ¡°Just because you say so doesn¡¯t mean he is gone, Sandro!¡±


    ¡°Hey, hey,¡± Sandro murmured. He stood up, pulling her with him. Ignoring her protest, he wrapped his arms around her.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay to cry, Arabe. That doesn¡¯t make you weak. It¡¯s okay to cry,¡± he whispered.


    Her body trembled, and she bit her lip, forcing back the tears.


    ¡°I am sorry I didn¡¯t do my best to shield him. I was too mad at him for so long, and now that he is gone, I wish I could turn back the hands of time. I wish I could mend the rtionship between us,¡± Sandro said.


    ¡°Why are you telling me this?¡± Arabe whispered.


    When Sandro let her go, he looked into her eyes. ¡°As much as I hate all that your father did, we need to work together to put an end to all this.¡±


    Arabe opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted by Thalia¡¯s scream.


    ¡°Cole!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a reminder that we still have a funeral to finish,¡± Sandro pointed out.


    Arabe nodded. She had wanted to avoid it, to believe she was dreaming, but she knew it was real. She was in her reality, and in it, ze was no more.


    ¡°Come on,¡± Sandro said, leading her to where his bodyy.


    Arabe shut her eyes tightly, cing the red rose next to the casket. She couldn¡¯t bring herself to look inside; she might get nightmares. Partly, she knew it was her fault. If she hadn¡¯t been there, ze wouldn¡¯t have jumped in front of her, trying to save her.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Arabe mumbled. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, ze.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault,¡± Sandro whispered. ¡°It¡¯s Paolo¡¯s fault.¡± And Alessia and Janice. She was never going to forgive them and the part they had yed.


    After it was over, Arabe stayed by his gravestone for a long time. Everyone had left symbolic items, ranging from moonflowers to silver pendants, representing the friendships they had with ze.


    Arabe didn¡¯t know exactly what she was waiting for, but it brought her a sense of peace. She gazed at the inscribed words, shaking her head.


    ¡°In Loving Memory of Nichs ¡®ze¡¯ Armstrong


    The beta of the MoonStone pack(De Luca Household)


    [August 7, 1995] ¨C [November 21, 2022]


    A Fearless and Loyal Beta


    ¡®ze¡¯- Forever in our heart.¡±


    ¡°He was only twenty-six,¡± she murmured. He had barely celebrated his birthday three months ago, which she never knew about.


    ¡°I never told you this, ze. Even though you said it was not necessary,¡± she whispered, rocking her body back and forth. ¡°I am carrying Sandro¡¯s children. They are his, and I can do anything right now for them to be yours, ze.¡±


    Her head was bowed as she continued speaking. ¡°I had the perfect life nned out. We get to live on the beachside, watching the waves while raising the children. We would have many more afterward, a mini you and me. I really wanted a little boy who looks like you, brown toffee eyes, dark brown hair and all.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you fulfill your wish for me, ze? You made me fall into the hands of my enemy. I am under Sandro¡¯s watch. I am here yet again to endure all the torturous things I endured before you rescued me. How can I escape this?¡±


    Arabe curled up on the grass, close to the stone, her fingers tracing the outline of the smooth wall.


    ¡°I wish I did better with the powers I had.¡± Tears poured out of her eyes more.


    She thought she was done crying, but she doubted she could ever stop. She stayed there for a while before returning to the vi on Sandro¡¯s order.

 Chapter 172

    THREE DAYS LATER


    Grief


    Arabe wondered if this was what she was feeling.


    The intensity surpassed even the sorrow she felt when her father passed away.


    Although it had been three days since ze¡¯s death and funeral, it seemed as if everything urred just today. It felt like a part of her, irretrievable, had been taken away.


    And she believed so. Each time her thoughts wandered back to ze, she listed all the things she could have done to save him.


    She failed him.


    Sitting cross-legged, she focused on the wall, absentmindedly tracing the outline of the knife in her hand.


    She was going to end it all, and she had given it enough thought.


    She had attempted to use a rope, but Sandro¡¯s vignt presence prevented her. He had been watching her like a hawk.


    Sandro hadn¡¯t spoken much since the funeral, giving her the space she appreciated.


    Arabe eyed the knife she had quietly brought from the kitchen, choosing a new and sharp one, thinking it might be the best option if she decided to end it. She set the knife on the table, walked to the door, locked it, and entered the bathroom for a long bath, paying more attention to her body.


    She couldn¡¯t remember thest time she had a nice bath.


    Returning to the room, she put on a maxi white dress from the collection Sandro had bought for her, examining herself in the mirror. The dress was elegant, with a scoop neckline andce embroidery-a fitting attire to join ze in the afterlife.


    Or wherever he had gone to. Yet, he was good; she didn¡¯t think he was in hell.


    That ce was only reserved for someone like Sandro.


    Seated at the vanity, Arabe brushed and curled her hair for the first time. After applying subtle makeup, she picked up the knife once more. ¡°I know you will want this for me, ze. The pain of not seeing you here is too much for me to bear.¡±


    Lying on the bed, she closed her eyes. ¡°I love you, ze. Wait for me on the other side,¡± she whispered, bringing the knife to her stomach with a smile.


    However, her attempt was interrupted as a hand gripped hers, pulling her off the bed and forcefully against the wall.


    The knife ttered to the ground, and Arabe¡¯s eyes snapped open and met with the furious gaze of Sandro.


    ¡°Are you nuts?!¡± he growled, his grip firm as she struggled against it.


    ¡°Let me go,¡± she demanded, but his hand tightened.


    ¡°Let me go, bastard!¡±


    ¡°So you can do all that you desire? Where is your heart, Be? How selfish can you be? And you¡¯ve been starving yourself on purpose!¡±


    Sandro was angry. Two days ago, he had carefully chosen food, assuming her nausea was due to the babies and she was suffering from morning sickness like other pregnant women did. He didn¡¯t know she was intentionally purging and avoiding food. She looked sickly, pale, and fragile.


    She looked as though she was going to cave in if a strong wind blew, and the fact that she had kept him from eating- made him even more furious.


    ¡°You don¡¯t even know what you are talking about. And why call me selfish when you are the most selfish in both of us?¡± Arabe retorted.


    She narrowed her eyes on him.


    ¡°Well, I am not the one trying to end my life because my lover died. I am not selfish, thinking only of myself and not the babies who might suffer.¡±


    ¡°Your best friend died, Sandro,¡± Arabe muttered, her voice low but audible. Her gaze shifted to his, and her trembling lower lip revealed vulnerability. ¡°Your friend died, and you did nothing. I saw no tears in your eyes. You didn¡¯t act like you cared about ze. Why should I be surprised?!¡±


    ¡°Lower your voice, Be,¡± Sandro warned, but she was beyond caring.


    Arabe sniffled, defiantly locking eyes with him. ¡°Or else you¡¯ll hit me? I don¡¯t care how long you lock me in here, Sandro. I will never like you. You can¡¯t ever be ze!¡±


    Sandro growled, nudging her against the wall. ¡°And I don¡¯t want to be because I am Alessandro De Luca, the alpha of this pack, and not some nameless idiot.¡±


    He snorted, his green eyes burning with a golden intensity as they narrowed on her. ¡°You have no right to tell me how to grieve about him. Yes, he messed up with you, but that didn¡¯t make me hate him. I went to his funeral. I took care of his sister and his fucking lover. Who would do that after being betrayed by the person they trusted the most?¡±


    Arabe tried to respond, but no words came out as she listened to Sandro continue.


    ¡°The room isn¡¯t locked, neither is the entrance gate or the main one. You can leave if you desire,¡± he said, releasing her. As he turned away, she noticed the pain he was trying to conceal and angry marks on his skin. Had he fought with someone? She frowned.


    ¡°I¡¯m going out to bring in some food. I don¡¯t care where your appetite went, Arabe; bring it back. Otherwise, I¡¯ll make sure you eat, and I intend to shove the food down your throat if you refuse,¡± Sandro dered, leaving the room without a nce.


    ¡°He acts as if he owns me!¡± Arabe hissed, slumping into the swivel chair nearest to her. Her gaze returned to the knife on the floor.


    She had wanted to end her life, and if Sandro hadn¡¯t intervened, she might have done so.


    Grimacing, she felt her stomach churn at the thought of lying on the bed surrounded by blood. Would ze have wanted that? She questioned herself, cing a hand on her stomach.


    She had contemted taking her life without considering the other lives within her. Sick to her stomach, she fought back the surge of vomit, whispering, ¡°I am not a murderer. I am not a murderer.¡±Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    She wasn¡¯t, but she had wanted to do what her sick mind was telling her. She might loathe Sandro, but she was d he had intervened.


    Arabe let out a deep breath, going to sit on the bed while waiting for Sandro¡¯s arrival.

 Chapter 173

    That witch!


    How ungrateful could she be? Despite all the warnings about their lives being connected, she still wanted to end hers-not just hers, but the lives of their children within her.


    Of course, Sandro understood her pain, feeling a simr, if not greater, agony.


    He and ze had shared a deep bond; ze was more than a friend and Beta; he was a brother and a relied-upon family.


    ze was everything to him, and his death was still surreal. He didn¡¯t want to believe he had died, but he had seen him lifeless, cold, and not smiling.


    If Arabe were to die, how could he seek the revenge he so much desired? As their life was intertwined, he was going to fuking die as well.


    Sandro¡¯s fists pounded the punching bag even harder, growls escaping him as he noticed blood on his hands. Yet, he didn¡¯t relent. Since leaving the room, he relentlessly struck the bag, channeling his frustration away from Arabe.


    He didn¡¯t want to get mad at her, but with the way she was acting, he doubted he could be patient.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    After a few minutes, he finally stopped, pushing his bloodied hand into his hair before wiping the sweat from his face.


    Moving towards the room¡¯s far-end bathroom, he cleaned his hands and the blood, sshing water on his face. Staring at the mirror, hands tightly gripping the sink, he muttered, ¡°Am I being irrational, ze?¡±


    Earlier, he had discussed his n to confront Paolo with Brianna, though hecked a clear strategy. His request to Brianna was simple: assist him as his witch without involving the pack members. He aimed to keep the battle personal, shielding his pack from harm, having already lost one member  a tragedy he didn¡¯t want to repeat.


    ¡°Stupid,¡± Brianna retorted, her anger evident. She not only called him stupid but insisted he wasn¡¯t thinking straight. Was she right? Perhaps.


    Acknowledging that he couldn¡¯t sneak up on Paolo like a ghost as he wasn¡¯t a witch or some seer that could cast spells, Sandro knew he¡¯d face injuries.


    It was a risk, but then, was he willing to take it just to get revenge for ze? Yes.


    Sandro¡¯s hands tightened on the sink as he contemted, staring at himself, his mind drifting to various thoughts.


    When tired of studying himself in the mirror, he left the bathroom and returned to the room where he found Arabe lying on the bed; the duvet pulled up to her chin.


    His gaze shifted to the untouched food on the table  Annalise must have left it there as per his request to bring food for Arabe.


    Yet, she never touched it.


    Approaching the bed, Sandro ced a hand on her forehead, noticing the warmth. ¡°Are you alright?¡± he inquired, sitting beside her.


    With no response, he let the duvet fall to her midriff, his palm gently caressing her neck. She still felt warm, and he wondered if she was sick, appearing pale and thin.


    Sickly thin after only three days since ze¡¯s departure, Sandro attributed it to her reluctance to eat. He sighed, feeling helpless.


    Arabe muttered, ¡°ze,¡± turning as her hand met his chest, gripping his shirt and fiddling with the buttons.


    Her mouth moved, repeatedly mentioning ¡®ze,¡¯ the name escaping her lips three times. Under normal circumstances, Sandro might have reacted with fury, demanding an exnation. However, all he could do was watch her.


    Sitting there, he mulled over her situation, unsure how to help her ovee grief. After a moment of indecision, he stood and began walking toward the door. Arabe¡¯s sudden shriek stopped him in his tracks.


    ¡°No, ze!¡±


    Turning back, Sandro narrowed his eyes at Arabe, who panted, clutching her chest.


    ¡°He¡¯s gone, Sandro,¡± she mumbled, stumbling out of bed into his arms.


    ¡°I searched everywhere for him, but I couldn¡¯t find him. ze is gone,¡± Arabe admitted, tears streaming down her cheeks.


    Sandro puffed out a breath, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Be. I wish I could have helped, but I was too slow and weak.¡±


    Arabe clung to him, her arms tightening. ¡°He was trying to save me,¡± she sobbed. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have wanted him to. He got himself killed because of me,¡± she shuddered.


    ¡°Cry, Be, cry,¡± Sandro murmured, refraining from further speech. He gently caressed her back as her silent sobs escted into a full-blown wail.


    ¡°Oh, my goodness, ze is gone. How am I going to survive in this world without him?¡± she cried.


    ¡®I am not that bad,¡¯ was the retort on the tip of his tongue, but he held back, realizing he was the one who had portrayed himself in that manner. If he hadn¡¯t been so consumed by revenge, she wouldn¡¯t have suffered so much at his hands.


    ¡°I can¡¯t bear to live here. ze helped me with everything in the past, and now that he¡¯s gone, I do not even know my fate any longer.¡±


    ¡°I am a monster,¡± he confessed. Arabe looked up at him with blurry eyes, shaking her head.


    ¡°You should me me. I caused everything, not you,¡± Sandro replied.


    ¡°He was trying to save me, Sandro. I should be the one in his shoes right now. I should be the one six feet under.¡±


    ¡°Over my dead body would I have watched that happen,¡± Sandro rasped, his arms wound tightly around her, whispering into her hair.


    ¡°ze saved us all. He saved Thalia, you, and me. If he hadn¡¯t jumped in front of the bullet, one or all of us might have been dead, as we weren¡¯t even in a position to take them on,¡± he exined.


    ¡°And I wouldn¡¯t say he did the best thing; he helped us stay alive.¡±


    Arabe acknowledged Sandro was right, but she couldn¡¯t simply ept that he had been the target. The reality that he had died instead was hard to bear. It should have been anyone else but him. Yet, she pondered who else would have been willing to sacrifice themselves for the others if it hadn¡¯t been for ze.

 Chapter 174

    After Arabe¡¯s tears subsided, Sandro guided her to the sofa, offering a cup of water. He watched as she drank slowly, only finishing half the ss instead of the whole cup he expected.


    cing her hands in front of her, she sighed and looked up at him. ¡°Will you stand watching me all day?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I need to know you¡¯re not nning anything drastic. I don¡¯t know if you have a knife on you,¡± he exined, scanning the room and spotting a knife on the vanity table. He took it, slipping it into his pocket.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know your next move. Perhaps you want to hang yourself, which would be easier for you since I am barely in this room.¡±


    ¡°I tried that, but I couldn¡¯t go through with it,¡± Arabe replied.


    Sandro scowled, a vein ticking in his jaw. ¡°Why do you make this hard for me?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I am trying my best to help you, Arabe, but all I can see right now is¡­¡±


    ¡°I never asked for your help in the first ce!¡± she snapped, jumping to her feet.


    ¡°Would you prefer I watch you kill yourself slowly? Do you think ze would have wanted that if he were alive?¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t change the fact that I can never be receptive toward you, Sandro. You are my enemy, my worst nightmare, and I don¡¯t think anything would ever make use together.¡±


    ¡°We have two children on the way, Be,¡± Sandro said. ¡°Setting our differences aside will go a long way for both of us, for their sake, as we need each other more than ever.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t agreed the children are yours,¡± Arabe replied, folding her arms.


    She was going to make it difficult for him, much as he had done the same to her.


    ¡°I know they are mine. I was with you the longest; you should know that. We can do a DNA test for you to confirm that, and I am willing to forgive all that your father did to me to start over again with you.¡± He stepped towards her, and she took a step backward.


    ¡°I am not willing to forgive you for all the pain you caused me, Sandro. It¡¯s not something that can easily be forgotten, and I don¡¯t intend to,¡± Arabe asserted.


    Sandro nodded. ¡°I¡¯m not surprised.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Arabe said.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    Sandro strode to the door, halting by it and touching the doorknob. ¡°You should get ready; a doctor ising to check you.¡±


    ¡°Why, Sandro? It¡¯s my body, and I decide if I am going to get checked or not. You shouldn¡¯t force me to do what you desire!¡±


    ¡°You are carrying my child and going to be my Luna soon!¡± he growled. ¡°I don¡¯t like this, just like you don¡¯t, but I don¡¯t have a choice, Be. You don¡¯t have a choice.¡±


    Sandro continued, ¡°I am going to step out of the door and return with the doctor. It¡¯s best you decide if you are killing yourself now or not because after his check is run on you and I get the result of what I desire, you are stuck with me for life.¡±


    He stepped out of the room, not allowing her to respond.


    ¡°Who does he think he is?¡± she snorted.


    She didn¡¯t know how the conversation about ze had transitioned into him wanting to make her his Luna. She sat on the chair, groaning as she felt a pang in her stomach.


    Opening the lid of the tray, she gasped, pinching her nose as the aroma from the food drifted into it.


    ¡°Why doesn¡¯t he know what I like?¡± she red at the food. Two times now, he had brought the same grilled pork along with some toast and pancakes. But the sight and smell of the pork often made her nauseous, and he didn¡¯t learn from the first time.


    Perhaps if she had told him, he would have known her preference. Yet again, she believed it was something that should be easy.


    She rubbed her hand on her stomach, her head resting on the headrest of the couch. She shot up after a few seconds of attempting to will the hunger away. She needed to eat and fast.


    Walking out of the room, she bumped into Annalise. Arabe raised a brow. ¡°Do you need something?¡±


    ¡°The alpha said I should ask what your preference is. He feels you might not like the food I brought earlier as you never touched it,¡± Annalise said, stepping into the room as Arabe led the way.


    Sandro wasn¡¯t as thoughtless as she thought him to be. He was going through the same thing as her, yet he kept thinking about her well-being. She wondered if it were all a scheme for her to agree with him, but she wasn¡¯t going to sumb. She might be under his custody and unable to leave, but she wasn¡¯t going to give in to him.


    Arabe found something better to eat after listing all that she preferred and craved for Annalise, who got them ready in no time.


    Just as she was having thest bite of the strawberry in her hand, Sandro stepped into the room with Mrs. Mabel! Arabe¡¯s eyes widened.


    She had assumed the only people who returned to Cooan were the ones who resided here before getting transported to Ascotan. But then again, Orga and the other Phoenixes had returned with her, so it was only reasonable that Mrs. Mabel did as well since she was the doctor in Sandro¡¯s pack.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you again, Miss,¡± Mrs. Mabel said, shing her a wide smile.


    ¡°Please call me Arabe. How have you been?¡± Arabe asked.


    ¡°Great, Arabe. I am happy to work with the alpha again,¡± she said, then turned to Sandro, who was watching the exchange.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get what I came to do over with,¡± Mrs. Mabel set the box with her on the nightstand.


    ¡°And what exactly is that?¡± Arabe questioned, her eyes traveling from the sheepish smile on Mrs. Mabel¡¯s face to Sandro, whose expression held no amusement.


    ¡°Just a general checkup and some blood tests, which I will be needing for DNA, which I don¡¯t think is necessary. Is it?¡± She tilted a brow.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t,¡± I nodded, agreeing with her.


    ¡°It is,¡± Sandro said.


    ¡°She¡¯s carrying your children, Alpha,¡± Mrs. Mabel said.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t trust everything thates out of her mouth if I were you,¡± Sandro replied, leaving the doorpost to sit on the bed.


    Arabe snorted, ¡°Now I am the liar.¡±


    Sandro shrugged, ¡°You never told me the paternity of the kids, and even though I have my guesses, which I believe are right, I don¡¯t want to take a chance of fathering some demons.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a jerk,¡± Arabe let out.


    ¡°I am not denying not to be.¡± Sandro nced at Mrs. Mabel. ¡°Kindly go on.¡±


    Silence ensued as Mrs. Mabel ran her check on Arabe, and when she was done, a frown formed on her face.


    ¡°Is it something terrible?¡± Arabe asked.


    ¡°Not exactly if you act on it. You are anemic; this can cause severeplications, and¡­¡±


    ¡°What does she need to do?¡± Sandro cut her off.


    ¡°By taking an iron-rich diet, iron supplements, some vitamin supplements as well. I believe these are the essential ones she needed,¡± Mrs. Mabel said, then added, ¡°I believe you can take care of that, Alpha.¡±


    Sandro gazed pointedly at Arabe. ¡°I¡¯ll take it from here.¡±


    When Mrs. Mabel was done, she left, and Sandro turned to Arabe.


    ¡°Do I need to shove food down your throat now, or would you stop starving yourself?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t doing that on purpose. I was nauseous,¡± she said.


    ¡°Of course, you are nauseous. I know that. But you refused to eat some food on purpose. There¡¯s nothing wrong if you pick out what makes you nauseated or request another food. What is wrong is you eating nothing, and I am not fine with that.¡±


    Arabe rolled her eyes, standing from the bed. She pointed to the tray with crumbs on the table. ¡°I just had a decent meal. You don¡¯t need to worry.¡±


    ¡°You need more,¡± Sandro stepped towards the door.


    ¡°What?¡± Arabe scowled, but Sandro already left before she could protest.

 Chapter 175

    Arabe left the room a whileter after taking a few bites from the food Sandro brought to her again. He had wanted to stuff her with it, but Annalise hade to her rescue, testifying to bringing her food.


    Now, in Thalia¡¯s room, thetter wasn¡¯t present, but her scent lingered. Arabe sat for a few minutes, and when Thalia didn¡¯t surface, she stepped outside, heading towards the garden at the back of the vi.


    It was arge space dedicated specifically to gardening, situated near the infirmary. Since Arabe¡¯s arrival at the vi, it was her first time exploring the garden. Sandro had often confined her, not allowing her freedom, but she guessed Mrs. Mabel¡¯s words earlier had influenced him.


    However, Arabe doubted that strolling along the garden could restore the iron in her blood. She rubbed her stomach, sighing. Her ears perked up, and she halted, ncing around as she heard sobbing. Tracing the sound, she arrived at a small pond filled with ducks, and Thalia was huddled nearby.


    Arabe stepped towards her, frowning. From Thalia¡¯s movements-the trembling of her body and the sniffles-Arabe knew she was crying. She didn¡¯t need to ask if she was.


    ¡°Thalia,¡± she whispered, crouching. Thalia turned, her red-rimmed eyes locking on Arabe, and she shook her head.


    ¡°I am sorry, but I can¡¯t help it,¡± she murmured, wiping her cheeks. Arabe saw a white nnel in her hand, scrunched up, but she recognized it. It was ze¡¯s, and it still smelled like him. A rush of emotion flooded through her.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be sorry, Thalia. I understand how you feel.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re suffering the same way as me,¡± Thalia said. She stood to her feet, her gaze casting upward.


    ¡°It¡¯s not easy to let go. I tried my best, but his memory keepsing into my thoughts.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s your brother, Thalia. You shouldn¡¯t let him go if you don¡¯t want to. You are allowed to keep him as long as you desire in you. No one is going to judge you for that.¡± Arabe stood to her feet as well.


    Thalia regarded her silently before nodding. She stepped towards a bench, sitting on it, and asked, ¡°How have you been?¡±


    ¡°Better now that I see you. I went by your room earlier to see you, and I thought you left,¡± Arabe said.


    ¡°I felt suffocated; I had to leave toe here,¡± Thalia muttered. There was a brief silence between them before Arabe spoke again, ¡°ze would have wanted us not to dwell too much on his thoughts.¡±


    ¡°You think so?¡± Thalia asked.


    ¡°I know so. I know he wouldn¡¯t want to see us hurt,¡± Arabe said.


    ¡°But he left me. He didn¡¯t care about my feelings and how he was leaving me in this cruel world. Or maybe if I had been a better sister to him, he would be alive. I had not made any effort to be better and always nagged him to death, and now he¡¯s gone,¡± Thalia bent her head, her shoulders moving.


    She was crying again, Arabe mused.


    Gripping Thalia¡¯s hands, she wrapped her arms around her. ¡°It¡¯s okay to cry.¡± Gripping Arabe tightly, Thalia sobbed, coughed, and sobbed.


    ¡°I can¡¯t forgive myself,¡± she said.


    ¡°I can¡¯t as well since I am partly to be med.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t fault you, Arabe,¡± Thalia shook her head. ¡°I am sure it could have been anyone. It could have been Sandro or me. And I don¡¯t think ze did wrong in protecting you. I¡¯m just sad that it turned out the way it is.¡±


    ¡°Likewise,¡± Arabe breathed out. Then she added, ¡°Can we go back in?¡± The sky had darkened, hinting at an impending rain.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Thalia nodded, standing. Immediately, the wind turned violent, bellowing, swaying trees, picking up debris in its wake.


    Arabe and Thalia dashed indoors just in time before the rain poured down.Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    ¡°Whew, we are lucky,¡± Thalia said, a hint of a smile on her face.


    ¡°We are,¡± Arabe said, listening to the pitter-patter of rain on the ceiling.


    ¡°I feel relieved somewhat,¡± Thalia stepped towards her room, with Arabe following closely behind.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know; with this rain, I feel ze is trying to say something to me. He has always loved the rain,¡± Thalia smiled wistfully.


    Arabe never knew that. It was a surprise she was finding out some little details about him now that he was gone. Even though he had been with her, loved her, and told her things that she believed he only wanted her to know, she never knew about his love for rain.


    She smiled, looking at Thalia, ¡°I believe he¡¯s happy now. He¡¯s suffered enough, and he deserves that rest.¡±


    Thalia nodded her head in agreement, ¡°He surely did need all the rest. No one truly deserved him.¡±


    Thalia was right. Even she, Arabe, doubted she deserved ze. He was too good for her, too selfless, but he had been made to make several decisions that never favored him in the end.


    Arabe and Thalia discussed for more minutes, focusing mainly on ze. It was the best discussion she ever had, and it relieved her pain somewhat. Also, she knew it relieved Thalia as well, as she saw her smiling more naturally.


    Arabe returned to her room a whileter, where she met Sandro sitting on therge mahogany desk near the bed.


    ¡°How is Thalia?¡± Sandro asked, lifting himself off the desk and walking towards the window. His back turned to her. Thest person Arabe believed Sandro could ask her about was Thalia, but he seemed genuinely concerned.


    ¡°She¡¯s holding up quite well,¡± Arabe said, sitting on the bed and slipping out of the ballet t she wore. When she reached for the second leg, Sandro was immediately in front of her, holding her hand.


    ¡°Let me,¡± he said, making her raise a brow. Even as she shot him a questioning gaze, he didn¡¯t stop. He slipped her leg off, caressed it for a few seconds before letting go, and stood.


    ¡°I can¡¯t meet her,¡± Sandro admitted.


    ¡°Why?¡± Arabe folded her arms, waiting for his reply.


    ¡°Because I feel stupid,¡± Sandro said.


    ¡°Why?¡± She asked again. She didn¡¯t understand, and he wasn¡¯t saying much.


    Sandro¡¯s shoulders moved as he breathed out, and he turned to her, ¡°Firstly, I never knew about her rtionship with ze. I mean, they smelled alike, but I guess I was too blinded by lust to have known. I shouldn¡¯t have gotten involved with her in the first ce, and secondly, I failed to protect her brother.¡±


    It was strange. Sandro was actually sorry. Also, she heard the disgust in his voice when he mentioned being with Thalia. He must hold the bro code dearly.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t lock ze up or wish to punish him just for your sake; he lied to me. We were meant to share everything, but he lied to my face. Lied about wanting you, about his rare werewolf gene, and about his rtionship with Thalia,¡± he grimaced, shaking his head.


    ¡°He did it for a reason. For ze to hide things, you should know there¡¯s a reason. He perhaps didn¡¯t want you to see him in another light like the others,¡± Arabe said.


    Sandro had seen him in more ways-a tainted soul and a traitor. Perhaps, if he wasn¡¯t judgmental, ze would havee clean. He wouldn¡¯t stop ming himself for all that had happened.

 Chapter 176

    THREE MONTHS LATER


    Arabe gasped, rolling on therge bed, hands sped over her stomach and her eyes wide with tears.


    Staggering out of bed, panting, she wiped the sweat from her forehead.


    It wasn¡¯t a nightmare that woke her; those had somewhat stopped since she epted ze wouldn¡¯t return.


    Plus, she was grateful they had stopped, as it wasn¡¯t fun waking up each day seeing ze¡¯s helpless, lifeless form while she wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything about it.


    Now, she had been rudely awaken by her children. They seemed to think it was a good idea to kick her.


    This wasn¡¯t the first kick, though, but it was the most intense. Rubbing her hands over her protruding stomach, only five months gone, she felt the pressure as they continued to kick.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Sandro¡¯s voice came from the door. He stood there in in pajama bottoms.


    His hair was tousled as though he had brushed his hands into it several times to give it that messy look, and his eyes were tired, trying to stay awake. He stepped closer, a few feet away from Arabe.


    A rule had been established between them, and he was the one who had made it, as he didn¡¯t want to make her feel as ufortable as she was.


    ¡°Arabe,¡± he said again, noticing herck of response. ¡°I heard you gasp.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± she shook her head, forgetting he was just in the next room and he could catch every sound due to his super hearing.


    ¡°Are you sure? That doesn¡¯t sound like a gasp from someone who¡¯s fine,¡± he murmured, closing the distance between them.


    He gripped her hand that had been on her stomach, staring into her eyes. She noticed the seriousness in his expression.


    ¡°I know I can¡¯t be like him. You should tell me if something is wrong, and I¡¯ll do my best to help you,¡± he said.


    It was no longer a surprise that Sandro was trying to do right by her. She understood it was for the children, as he didn¡¯t want his legacy to be born a bastard. Despite the idea that they were destined for each other, Arabe didn¡¯t share the sentiment.


    Sandro didn¡¯t love her, and she didn¡¯t expect him to. She didn¡¯t want to stay with a man out of obligation. However, given her current situation, she had little choice in all that was happening.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t want to say. I was just worried, thinking something might have happened to the babies,¡± he said.


    ¡°It¡¯s because of them,¡± Arabe muttered.


    Sandro frowned, his eyes shifting from her face to her stomach and back to her face. ¡°What happened?¡±


    Arabe shook her head, then gripped his hands, cing them on her stomach.


    She noticed a brief confusion on his face before it turned to awe as the babies responded to his touch.


    ¡°They decided to kick me out of my sleep,¡± she smiled briefly.Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    ¡°They do that a lot, but today is the most intense,¡± Arabe added.


    ¡°That¡¯s amazing,¡± Sandro whispered, experiencing a strange sensation he had never felt before. Warmth spread through him, making him acutely aware of what was happening. Feeling his children kick for the first time thrilled him.


    And he believed it was a moment he would love to relive over again.


    ¡°Arabe, this is¡­¡±


    ¡°I know, amazing,¡± Arabe finished, but Sandro shook his head. It was more than amazing.


    He pulled Arabe close, one hand sliding down her back, the other resting at the back of her neck. His lips covered hers before he could stop himself. It was a gentle kiss, something he rarely did, and Arabe didn¡¯t push him away. Instead, she tangled her hands in his hair, deepening the kiss.


    He nibbled and sucked on her lower lip. Arabe gasped, opening her mouth, encouraging him to slip his tongue inside. Their tongues collided, fighting for dominance, and Sandro let Arabe take the lead.


    After a few seconds, he broke the kiss, and she panted, touching her lips.


    She winced, her face turning red. Kissing him back wasn¡¯t her intention, and she didn¡¯t know what hade over her. Turning her back to him, she mumbled, ¡°That shouldn¡¯t have happened.¡±


    ¡°I agree,¡± Sandro replied, adding, ¡°However, I¡¯m not sorry it did. You don¡¯t expect me to stay in the same room as you and keep my hands to myself.¡±


    ¡°What does that even mean?¡± Arabe rolled her eyes, turning back to him. ¡°I thought we were supposed to keep our distance. Even if we¡¯re meant to get together because of ancestral curses, you agreed to stay away, keeping six feet between us. But you crossed the line. You broke the rule first.¡±


    ¡°I broke it because it was necessary. You were obviously in pain, and I needed to know you weren¡¯t doing anything careless. As for the kiss, I did it because I wanted to,¡± he repeated, unapologetic.


    Arabe walked a few steps away from Sandro, who took two steps towards her.


    ¡°Please, Sandro, abide by the rules youid down. I¡¯m not ready to jump into bed with you,¡± she said.


    ¡°I¡¯m not asking you to do so,¡± Sandro pointed out, returning to his cocky self. ¡°But I know you eventually will. No one can resist me for that long.¡±


    ¡°Whatever, Sandro. I just want us to stick to the rules,¡± she said.


    ¡°Have it your way. I won¡¯t force you to do anything you don¡¯t want to,¡± he replied, turning on his heel.


    Pausing by the door and swirling around, he said, ¡°If you need me, I¡¯m a room away. You can scream my name, not like I will object to it,¡± he smirked, winking.


    When he left, Arabe breathed out, stepping towards the mirror and peering at herself. Her lips were swollen. It was only a light kiss, yet she never wanted it to stop. She was d Sandro had broken it off because she didn¡¯t know what she might have done next.

 Chapter 177

    ¡°Watch out!¡± Thalia yelled.


    Arabe swirled just in time to deflect therge boulder hurled towards her. She narrowed her eyes, ring at Sandro, who smirked and shrugged before turning to Thalia, her sparring partner.


    They had received yet another letter hinting at the impending war from Paolo, and they were preparing by training. Although Arabe believed training alone wasn¡¯t sufficient, it was better than nothing.


    Sandro was also training, aggressively beating anyone who dared spar with him. Arabe knew he was stronger, and those who sparred with him were foolish. Yet, she wished he could be kinder. However, she doubted he cared.


    Approaching her with hands in his pockets, Sandro brushed his longer hair, now reaching almost to his shoulder into a ponytail.


    ¡°What, Sandro?¡± Thalia asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not here for you,¡± Sandro replied.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to speak to you,¡± Arabe mumbled, but Sandro wasn¡¯t taking no for an answer. He stood between her and Thalia, disrupting their activities.


    ¡°How long will you ignore me?¡± he frowned at her.


    ¡°For as long as I desire,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ve made it clear before, and I¡¯m making it clear now-I don¡¯t want anything to do with you.¡±


    ¡°I know that,¡± he said gruffly. ¡°That¡¯s different from what I¡¯m asking.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Thalia gasped before Arabe could reply. ¡°The big bad Alpha doesn¡¯t know how to take rejection? That¡¯s the most hrious thing I¡¯ve ever seen.¡± She burst into a peal ofughter while Sandro gripped Arabe¡¯s hand, pulling her away from Thalia.


    If it were the old Sandro, he would have done something nasty, maybe make a crude remark while hinting at a punishment. However, he didn¡¯t seem very interested in it that day. Arabe observed all he did. Even while keeping his distance, he immersed himself more in his work, and she knew he was more invested in avenging ze. She had heard him making phone calls more than once.


    Again, he didn¡¯t act as though he cared about the training, but he put in extra effort. She wondered why he was keeping a much different facade away from view.


    ¡°You think a lot, don¡¯t you?¡± Sandro¡¯s voice cut through her thoughts.


    Arabe gazed at him. ¡°I don¡¯t think a lot, and where are we going?¡± For the first time since he dragged her away from her training, she realized they were heading into the main building.


    ¡°Inside,¡± he said simply.


    Arabe halted abruptly, her ballet t digging into the soil, and she attempted to pull her hands off his, but he didn¡¯t let go.


    ¡°Why?¡± Sandro chuckled, eyeing the red face she was desperately trying to keep away from him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t trust you, Sandro. We agreed not to be alone in the same room because you tend to go overboard. You promised to keep your hands to yourself and¡­¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t even done anything wrong,¡± he said. ¡°I am only taking you indoors, but you¡¯re making it seem as though I¡¯m about to-¡±


    Arabe winced, shaking her head. Then she peered at him through hershes as they arrived at the door. ¡°It¡¯s weird.¡±


    ¡°What is?¡± he questioned, frowning as he twisted the doorknob.


    ¡°You acting nice and all.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s sad you judge me before knowing who I am. I¡¯m not nice to you because I wish to be. You have what I need, and I learned from someone that being nicer to you makes you a lot more easy and approachable.¡±


    Opening the door, he gently guided her into the dark room.


    ¡°I can¡¯t see,¡± Arabe mumbled, using her hands to feel for the wall.


    ¡°It¡¯s dark, obviously,¡± Sandro replied, casually flicking the light switch on the wall.


    Arabe¡¯s eyes widened as she surveyed her surroundings. It was Sandro¡¯s room, the same one she had been using, but it looked different now.


    She had left it with a dark brown wallpaper, brown curtains, and simple furnishings. Yet, it felt like an entirely new space.


    The curtains were now pristine white, and the walls were adorned with pink and blue wallpapers, some featuring naked women.


    Wrinkling her nose, she turned to him. ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°You can change the wallpaper if you want,¡± he shrugged.


    Arabe continued studying the room. Overall, she preferred this new look, but she couldn¡¯t fathom why he had made the changes. He hadn¡¯t mentioned anything about it when he encouraged her to leave for training. In retrospect, that should have raised suspicion.


    ¡°Why am I here?¡± she asked him.


    ¡°Well,¡± he scratched the back of his neck before pointing to arge box. ¡°I got you something.¡±C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    ¡°And that is?¡± She narrowed her eyes at the box as if it contained dynamite.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to kill you, Be,¡± he chuckled softly, guiding her towards the box. ¡°You should open it,¡± he urged.


    Arabe shook her head. ¡°I can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t trust you, Sandro. Being nice to me doesn¡¯t mean you don¡¯t intend to harm me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve put our past aside. If I wanted to harm you, I wouldn¡¯t wait. I¡¯d make sure you paid for your father¡¯s deeds and what happened with ze. But I¡¯m trying to be patient now,¡± he exined.


    ¡°You sound convincing,¡± she eyed the box, cautiously stepping towards it.


    Crouching down, she reached for it and began undoing the ribbon. When she finished thest one, she opened the lid and shrieked, falling back.


    ¡°What the hell?!¡± Her eyes widened.


    A furry creature jumped out of the box, yelping and wagging its tail. To her surprise, it was a Bichon Frise puppy.


    Out of all the things she had imagined in the box, a puppy was thest she wanted to see. The little dog jumped into her arms, licking and yelping excitedly.


    When Arabe¡¯s surprise wore off, she turned to Sandro, who was watching her expectantly.


    ¡°Why did you get it?¡±


    ¡°I got it because it looks like you. It¡¯s as cute as you are,¡± Sandro grinned, noticing the flush on her face.


    Being likened to a puppy might not have been the bestparison, but Sandro¡¯s innocent expression as he exined the reason behind the gift warmed her heart. She hadn¡¯t received anything like this before except from ze.


    ¡°I take it that you liked it,¡± he said.


    Arabe didn¡¯t say anything for a while.


    ¡°I am only trying to be nice and seeing Lisa looking helpless¡­¡±


    ¡°Lisa is the name?¡± she mumbled.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he confirmed.


    ¡°I like it.¡± She nced up at him, standing with the puppy in her arms.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°Anything to make you happy,¡± Sandro said. He stepped out of the room a few secondster after telling her she needed to bond with Lisa.

 Chapter 178

    Arabe swatted at a twig curling towards her, grimacing as she blocked another branch from arge tree. Going hunting with Sandro was a terrible idea, but he insisted, iming he needed her there. Despite reminding him that she was a Phoenix, not a werewolf, it seemed like he wasn¡¯t really listening.


    The moon was out, not yet full, and they were waiting for it to reach its peak. Sandro exined that the full moon enhanced werewolves¡¯ abilities, making it the only sensible time for hunting. Arabe just wanted to curl up in bed with a duvet, enjoying a peaceful sleep.


    ¡°Want to take a break?¡± Sandro turned, raising his brows.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice of you to remember I¡¯m part of this journey. I¡¯m five months pregnant, Sandro. You shouldn¡¯t have dragged me into the woods at this hour. Anything can go wrong, and it¡¯s strenuous walking with arge bump and swollen-¡±


    Arabe trailed off as Sandro knelt in front of her, his back turned. ¡°Get on.¡±


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± she asked, frowning.


    ¡°Get on, Be. This might be the only chance I have to piggyback you, and I don¡¯t want anything to happen to you. I brought you here for a reason,¡± he said, patting his back.


    ¡°You could¡¯ve told me why. You¡¯ve been mute,¡± she grumbled, reluctantly walking toward him. Weighing her options, tired legs, and the risk of copsing versus the uncertainty of the journey, she considered getting on.


    Climbing onto Sandro¡¯s back, he stood up with her, his strong arms supporting her legs. Walking further, he carried her as if she were a stuffed toy, not a 110. 23-pound woman with arge bump.


    ¡°You weigh nothing,¡± Sandro muttered.


    ¡°Did I say that out loud?¡± Arabe grimaced.


    ¡°No,¡± Sandro chuckled. ¡°But I know that¡¯s what you¡¯re thinking because you¡¯re tense. It would be best if you rxed, carina. Even if you weighed tons, I don¡¯t think you¡¯re something I wouldn¡¯t be able to handle.¡±


    Arabe nodded, breathing out slowly, and rxed into him, wrapping her arms around his upper body. The journey continued until Sandro abruptly stopped by arge oak tree.


    Tilting his head upward, Arabe followed suit, thinking he was gazing at the not-yet-full moon, which was predicted to be full today.


    ¡°Can you stand?¡± Sandro questioned.


    Arabe nodded, ¡°I can.¡±


    He let her down, guiding her to therge tree and helping her sit. Sandro stood, his eyes narrowed, sniffing the air. For a moment, she wondered what he was doing as he emitted a low growl and turned to gaze at her.


    ¡°Can you use any of your powers? I know the children have been sucking some of it, but I¡¯m sure it¡¯s not all,¡± he said in a rush, pulling her upward.


    ¡°What? Why?¡± Arabe¡¯s brows creased. ¡°Is something going on?¡±


    Sandro¡¯s face was tight, and she saw his eyes sh briefly. He stepped towards her, cupping her face. ¡°You should do as I say.¡±


    Arabe nodded, though she couldn¡¯t understand why he was agitated. If he wanted her to obey him, she would.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look back, Be. Not even if I scream your name,¡± Sandro continued.


    ¡°Are we getting attacked?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I smell some rogues,¡± Sandro¡¯s eyes darted around.


    ¡°I can fight,¡± Arabe insisted.


    ¡°No, hell no,¡± Sandro shook his head. ¡°I can¡¯t let you risk your life.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you pretend you still hate me and let me fight, Sandro? I hate it when you treat me like some invalid.¡± She stretched forth her palm, and beams swirled around in the air. Closing her palm, she waved it, and a gust of wind glided out of it. ¡°Stop treating me as if I am sick. Also, I am not leaving here.¡±


    ¡°Be,¡± Sandro¡¯s voice took a dangerous undertone. She heard the warning but was beyond caring.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    ¡°I am staying, Sandro, and I will take responsibility for whatever is going to happen¡­¡± Arabe gasped as Sandro wrapped his arms around her, diving into the forest floor with her.


    Caught by surprise, she protected her fall bynding on Sandro, or maybe he protected her. From the corner of her eyes, she saw something swoosh past them.


    ¡°What the hell is that?¡±


    ¡°Rogues!¡± Sandro hissed. ¡°And you can¡¯t leave now, Be, but don¡¯t do anything stupid.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t intend to,¡± she said, attempting to stand, but he held her down.


    ¡°Just crawl to the tree. It¡¯s easier than standing. Thest thing I want is for you to get bitten.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Arabe replied, doing as Sandro said.


    Sandro groaned as she wiggled her backside as though she were a dog, but he said nothing about it. He needed to concentrate on the matter before him rather than on Arabe, who was unknowingly seducing him.


    He stood up, his eyes scanning the area for the avable rogues. He saw ten in total. They weren¡¯t anything he couldn¡¯t take down, but Arabe was with him. He wondered if they were going toe directly for her.


    ¡°Come at me, idiots,¡± he said.


    ¡°You know you shouldn¡¯t egg them on that way,¡± Arabe warned.


    Sandro nced at her briefly, luckily deflecting a blow.


    He gripped the rogue by the wrist, breaking it, before clutching the neck and hurling him towards the tree closest to Arabe.


    The rogue jumped to his feet, heading for Arabe, who yanked a knife from the ankle boot she wore and flung it at him. The rogue shrieked as the knife collided with his eye, falling to the ground with a thud, desating.


    ¡°It¡¯s good you¡¯re great inbat. ze taught you well,¡± Sandromented.


    ¡°He surely did,¡± Arabe smiled, reminiscing about her training days with ze, cautious of the remaining rogues.


    ¡°Now, will you allow me to fight?¡± She asked Sandro.


    ¡°Only if you promise you won¡¯t put yourself in unwarranted danger,¡± he said, his eyes moving to her bumps as she touched them.


    ¡°I promise not to ce the children in danger,¡± Arabe assured. She knew that was the only reason he kept asking her to stand down.


    ¡°Good,¡± Sandro affirmed with a nod.


    All the rogues soon emerged from their hiding ces. It took less than thirty minutes to defeat them, with Sandro frequently jumping in front of Arabe to protect her, even when unnecessary.


    Sandro grunted, his heart racing as he looked at the rogues on the forest floor. ¡°What do we do? We don¡¯t even know why they are here.¡±


    Arabe cleaned her knife on a rogue¡¯s shirt. ¡°Paolo sent them,¡± Sandro said. ¡°We need to get out of here.¡±


    Arabe grimaced, nodding her head. Paolo¡¯s name wasn¡¯t something she liked hearing. Each time she heard it, the urge to march wherever he was to end his life, causing him as much pain as he had done to her, filled her. But she knew Sandro would never approve. He wouldn¡¯t even let her discuss it.


    Sandro bent again, and she climbed on his back.


    ¡°Ready?¡± He asked as he stood.


    ¡°Ready,¡± she murmured.


    Sandro sped out of the forest and towards the pack house.

 Chapter 179

    No sooner had Sandro reached the pack house and his room, then he staggered. Fortunately, Arabe wasn¡¯t on his back anymore.


    ¡°I thought I weighed nothing,¡± Arabe remarked dryly.


    ¡°Yeah, you weighed nothing,¡± he said, clutching his side. Straightening, he started forward but stumbled again.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Arabe frowned, stepping towards him.


    ¡°I think I took a hit from one of the rogues,¡± Sandro lifted his hand, eyes widening as he saw the blood that coated it.


    ¡°What the hell?¡± Arabe eximed, catching Sandro just in time as he stumbled for the third time. She dragged him towards the bed, setting him down, only to find he was unconscious.


    Removing his hand that was still gripping his side, she grimaced. ¡°This looks awful.¡± The injury wasn¡¯t that deep, and it wasn¡¯t something he wouldn¡¯t be able to heal from, but it stunk.


    Arabe wondered if it was normal for an injury that wasn¡¯t even up to an hour old to stink. Walking to the bathroom, she filled a bowl with water, grasped a towel, then returned to the room.


    She cleaned Sandro¡¯s injury, applying some disinfectant before returning the bowl filled with his blood and water to the bathroom.


    She returned a whileter to find he was now sitting up. His face was pale, and he brushed a hand through his hair.


    ¡°Water,¡± he murmured.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Arabe asked.


    ¡°I feel like shit,¡± Sandro said, his eyes moving to his side. He noticed the injury there and how Arabe had done her best to make it even better than it was before. He let his gaze wander to her; his brows raised as he assessed her from head to toe. ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°I am not the one with an injury that deep at my side. I look well,¡± she stepped towards him, cing a hand on his forehead. ¡°You¡¯re pale and running a fever. Are the rogues diseased?¡±


    ¡°Not that I know of,¡± Sandro grunted. ¡°Except the goddess is trying to punish me.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Arabe muttered. As far as she knew, Sandro had been doing right by the goddess, and he had not done anything to warrant punishment from her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. She enjoys toying with me,¡± he said, then added, ¡°I need water, Be.¡±


    Arabe walked to the tabletop fridge situated at the corner of the room, brought out a bottled of water, uncapped it, and handed it to Sandro. He gulped directly from the stic bottle, emptying the contents before scrunching it up and tossing it across the room.


    ¡°That tastes like shit too,¡± he groaned, falling back on the bed.


    Arabe sighed, ¡°You should rest. I¡¯ll find a solution to what is going on. It might not be that serious.¡±


    ¡°I am burning up, Be. How can you say it¡¯s not that serious? Would you have said the same if ze was in a simr position?¡± Sandro asked.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t about ze,¡± scowled Arabe.


    ¡°Of course, it isn¡¯t. It¡¯s about me,¡± he pointed out.


    ¡°Can you be less insensitive now? You¡¯ve mentioned ze¡¯s name a lot this week, and I don¡¯t think it¡¯s fair for you to do so.¡±


    Sandro snorted, sitting up straight. ¡°Why? Is it because he¡¯s dead?¡±


    Arabe shook her head. ¡°Yes. And he should be respected.¡±


    ¡°Would you respect me in the same manner? Also, would you even have a second thought about me, considering I am the father of your unborn children?¡±


    ¡°Sandro¡­¡±


    ¡°No, Be. I am done pretending as though I was fine with all that happened between you and ze. He was my friend, but he still messed with you. He still has a hold over your mind, even in death. I owned you, Be.¡±


    Arabe¡¯s hands clenched by her side. ¡°You don¡¯t own me, Sandro. I am not a possession.¡±


    ¡°But I do,¡± Sandro said. ¡°You might try convincing yourself otherwise, but at the end of the day, you are mine.¡±


    ¡°You know what? I am done with this conversation,¡± Arabe said, stalking out of the room.


    Perhaps she shouldn¡¯t get mad, considering how Sandro¡¯s behavior had always been, but she couldn¡¯t help it. She had thought he had changed.


    Was he only pretending to get her to like him? Definitely, he was. He had told her he was trying to be nicer to her, but it wasn¡¯t genuine. He wanted to see if she would ever soften towards him.


    Arabe felt stupid for believing he had changed. ¡°Goodness, I hate him so much.¡± She groaned as she felt a kick after her deration and nced at her stomach, caressing it. ¡°You little demons. Are you supporting your father now?¡±


    ¡°If I could turn back the hands of time, I would have preferred he died.¡± She felt another kick. ¡°Okay, fine. Support him!¡± she shouted, storming towards Thalia¡¯s room. Anywhere was better than where Sandro was.


    ¡°My stupid big mouth,¡± Sandro muttered. He hadn¡¯t meant to say that. He would me his jealous heart.


    He was envious that Arabe didn¡¯t soften towards him despite all he was doing. Was he doing it all wrong? He wondered. He had gotten her a puppy and saved her life several times, yet all he got from her was some coolness rather than the warmth he desperately craved.


    Sandro nced at the dent that formed in his pants, his lips twisting in disgust. He was aroused despite his condition. He wanted her, but there was no way he could have her if she didn¡¯te willingly to him. He didn¡¯t want to force it.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    Also, the fact that the injury wasn¡¯t as severe as he was making it out to be, just to see her reaction, made him feel even more stupid. He knew what she would have done if it was ze in the same position. She would have gone all out for him.


    Perhaps, it wasn¡¯t fair that he had mentioned ze¡¯s name out of frustration, but what Arabe was currently doing to him wasn¡¯t fair either.


    Sandro grimaced as the water he drank surged up his throat, and the urge to hurl filled him. He tried to push it down, but it was futile. He dashed into the bathroom, emptying his stomach in the toilet. Weakened, he stayed there for a while, eventually lying on the floor and drifting off to sleep.

 Chapter 180

    Entering Thalia¡¯s room, Arabe made her way to the couch where Thalia sat.


    ¡°Trouble in Paradise?¡± Thalia raised a brow, sniffing. ¡°I can smell blood on you. Did something happen?¡±Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°In short, we were attacked by rogues, and Sandro decided to fight them off.¡±


    ¡°Typical Sandro,¡± Thalia smiled. ¡°But why the blood? Did you both engage in some kind of blood y?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Arabe scoffed, ¡°Never. Just because ze is no more doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯ll forget our moments easily. Besides, Sandro got injured during the fight, and I¡¯m here because he said some really insensitive things.¡±


    ¡°About you not being receptive to him as you were to ze?¡± Thalia questioned.


    ¡°How do you know? Did you eavesdrop on us?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a werewolf, remember? I can hear things miles away. Plus, your attitude towards him says it all. I¡¯ve been watching,¡± she said.


    Arabe shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯d want me to rte with him either. He¡¯s been cruel to me, tried to kill me, and took me against my wish.¡±


    ¡°I know he did awful things, but I need to remind you he did all that to avenge what your father did. His mother and mate Ariel were killed brutally. That turned him into a monster, along with other tragic events.¡±


    Arabe frowned. No one had told her the exact details of what happened between Sandro and her father. It was only when risse started discussing it that she learned some things. Now, she was discovering another reason why Sandro harbored hatred from the beginning.


    ¡°I¡¯m not saying you should love him, but I don¡¯t think you should me him too much for being cruel. Also, he¡¯s the father of your children. Do you think they would be happy when you start acting coldly towards their father?¡±


    ¡°They are supporting him,¡± Arabe muttered with a scowl on her face.


    ¡°You both are already joined by the goddess, and I don¡¯t think any amount of hatred can keep you apart. Plus, ze wouldn¡¯t have wanted that. I know he was ready to give you up if it ensured your safety.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean give me up? ze and I nned a lot of things about our future, and that never included him giving me up.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Thalia mumbled. ¡°He loved you to death.¡±


    A brief frown formed on her face before Arabe stood to her feet. Walking towards the wardrobe, she opened it and brought out two envelopes, extending one to Arabe.


    ¡°This is ze¡¯s room. I never meant to ransack the room, but then I couldn¡¯t help it. I saw these envelopes addressed to us, and I don¡¯t want Sandro to find out. That¡¯s why I haven¡¯t spoken to you about them,¡± Thalia said.


    Arabe clutched the envelope Thalia extended towards her. She frowned, gazing at it. She couldn¡¯t tell what could be in it, but she felt it wouldn¡¯t be something that would bring her joy.


    ¡°You can read it here if you want or wait until you return to the room,¡± Thalia said.


    ¡°I¡¯d rather do so here,¡± Arabe muttered, tearing the envelope open.


    She smiled, gazing at ze¡¯s neatly written words and the first sentence on the paper.


    ¡°My dearest Be,¡± Arabe giggled as she imagined ze saying that to her.


    Her eyes watered as she skimmed through the letter.


    ¡°You might get this letter before or after my death. I do not know when, but I am certain I won¡¯t be living that long despite not wanting to believe so.¡±


    Arabe paused, ncing at Thalia, who was also reading her letter. Returning her focus to the paper, she continued reading.


    ¡°You should know I stalked you for a long time. Sometimes, I got annoyed while going on missions for Sandro, but I was always happy to stalk you. Weird, right? I guess so.¡± Arabe imagined ze scratching the back of his neck while muttering thest sentence. Then she continued.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t quite ce a finger on what made you different, Be, and then I decided to speak to you to see if I wasn¡¯t just imagining your peculiarity. After our first discussion, I couldn¡¯t seem to stay away from you despite all the warnings. You are not just beautiful, Be; you are intelligent, caring, and always stand for what is right.¡±


    ¡°The bravest I had ever seen; you were standing up to Sandro even while on the brink of death, and that made you the most attractive woman I had ever seen.¡± Arabe¡¯s giggling turned into full-blownughter, and she tried her best to suppress it as Thalia shot her a nce.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she muttered, sniffling back the tears that were beginning to cloud her vision.


    ¡°No matter what people said about us, I have never for once thought you were never for me. I mean, the goddess made you for me, or so I wish to believe.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Arabe asked herself as she turned the paper over.


    ¡°As much as I loved you, Be, you were always meant to be with Sandro. I never knew that until I realized your blood was what made him feel better. I smelled Sandro whenever I was around you, and likewise him. You were the one keeping him sane.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a jerk,¡± Arabe said.


    ¡°Sandro might exude the appearance of a jerk, but he wasn¡¯t always that way. I won¡¯t give excuses for all that he did to you, which was really horrible, but he¡¯s been through worse himself. His loved ones were snatched from him at a young age, and he was forced to take on the reins of things. There are a lot of responsibilities thate with being an Alpha, and I wouldmend Sandro for doing things perfectly even though he wasn¡¯t the most patient man.¡±


    ¡°Thalia,¡± Arabe mumbled.


    Thalia nced up from the paper she had been staring at for some minutes, her brows raised.


    ¡°Did ze write this? I am expecting to read something about him and not about Sandro.¡± Arabe¡¯s confusion was evident as she continued gazing at the paper with her.


    ¡°It was addressed to you, and I never touched it. Perhaps he wanted to say some things to you. By the way, he spoke to me about Sandro as well. Maybe not in the way it was written in yours.¡±


    ¡°What did he say?¡± Arabe asked.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t want to know.¡± Thalia shook her head.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind knowing,¡± Arabe insisted.


    ¡°Told me to let Sandro go and that he wasn¡¯t for me. Also, Sandro saw me as only a slut to vent his frustration on. How can my brother say that to me?¡± Thalia grimaced, scowling.


    Arabe stifled a giggle. Well, that was typical ze, hating on the rtionship Thalia had with Sandro. He never approved of both of them from the beginning.


    ¡°I am sorry, Thalia, but your brother knew Sandro and you best. He understood what he was seeing,¡± Arabe said.


    ¡°Yeah, whatever,¡± Thalia waved her off.


    Arabe continued with the letter again.


    ¡°I denied the fact that everyone said you were my downfall and never listened. I never intended to listen, Be, because I am my own person and I do things my way. But I understood it all after dying at the hands of Alessia. I am not sorry for knowing you or loving you, Be, but I would definitely be sorry if somethinges between us, like death, since that is the only thing that can part us.¡±


    PS: There was a point where I wanted Sandro to see what he was missing by being cruel to you, but I doubted he could. He is too oblivious, anyway. You should give him a chance if hees to his senses and knows he can¡¯t do without you. You might want to be patient with him as he can be repulsive sometimes. I don¡¯t know when you will get this, but just know I love you, Be. I do love you from the bottom of my heart, and I don¡¯t regret knowing you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, ze,¡± Arabe sighed. The tears she had been trying to push back poured down her cheeks, and she sniffled between giggles.


    ¡°I am sorry I couldn¡¯t protect you even with my awesome powers,¡± Arabe started but was cut off by Thalia.


    ¡°I thought we agreed that me wouldn¡¯t be ced on anyone about what happened?¡±


    Arabe nodded. ¡°That doesn¡¯t stop me from saying the truth, Thalia. If I wasn¡¯t so shocked, he would be here with us.¡±


    ¡°Living a torturous life,¡± Thaliapleted. ¡°A part of me is happy about all that happened because there¡¯s no way he could have been at peace. And I don¡¯t really want to think of what Sandro had in store for him. He might have died in his hands either way.¡±


    ¡°I doubt that,¡± Arabe murmured.


    Sandro¡¯s cruelty was only reserved for her and anyone who offended him. Although he might have meted out some punishment to ze, it wasn¡¯t something that would definitely lead to his death.


    As much as she hated to admit it, both of them loved each other. ze had spoken highly of Sandro and had even defended him many times. Sandro had done the same.


    ze had mentioned Sandro losing many people in his life; he had lost ze as well, and she wondered how great the pain he was feeling was.

 Chapter 181

    Sandro¡¯s condition hadn¡¯t improved; if anything, it had worsened. Arabe doubted it was due to the injury, which had already closed up two days since it happened. She had returned only yesterday to the room and found him sprawled on the bathroom floor.


    Initially, she thought he had stopped breathing, given hisck of movement, until she checked his pulse. Though she wouldn¡¯t admit it, she felt relieved. As much as she detested his behavior towards her, she was relieved he wasn¡¯t dead.


    ¡°I hate this,¡± Sandro groaned, snapping Arabe from her thoughts. Hisshes fluttered against his cheeks, and he opened his eyes slowly.


    Frowning, he murmured, ¡°Be?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Arabe said, cing her palm on his forehead to check his temperature. ¡°How do you feel today?¡±


    ¡°Worse,¡± Sandro mumbled, attempting to sit up. His eyes stayed on hers for a long time, making Arabe conscious of what she was wearing. She had opted for one of Sandro¡¯s T-shirts as she hadn¡¯t had time to doundry. Now, she wondered if it was the wrong choice.


    ¡°You¡¯re wearing my shirt now but wouldn¡¯t have anything to do with me,¡± he said, eyeing her up and down.


    Arabe rolled her eyes. ¡°Are we going to talk about my choice of outfit now rather than your health?¡±


    ¡°Must have been the injury I got from the fight,¡± Sandro groaned, lifting his shirt, but there was no injury there anymore.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. I believe you came down with the flu,¡± she said.


    ¡°Flu?¡± Sandro snorted. ¡°I¡¯ve never been sick with the flu.¡±


    ¡°Well, now that you are, I want you to stay in bed until I know you¡¯re not going to die on me.¡± She stood to her feet but halted as Sandro gripped her hand.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that make you feel better? You wanted me dead after all.¡±


    ¡°Can we not talk about this?¡±


    ¡°I want to talk about it,¡± Sandro insisted. ¡°You¡¯re a Phoenix, Be. Shouldn¡¯t you have at least found a solution to my problems? I heard your tears are effective against any disease¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re suffering from the flu, Sandro, and I don¡¯t cry unnecessarily. With a bit of rest and some medications, you¡¯ll be fine,¡± she said, attempting to free her hands from his grip, which only tightened.


    Groaning and ring at him, Arabe asked, ¡°Fine, what do you want from me, Sandro?¡±


    He tugged on her hand, and she fell back to the bed. He pulled her into his arms, locking her in there.


    ¡°Sandro,¡± Arabe tried to free herself, but it was futile. The fact that he was sick didn¡¯t make him weak.


    Sandro leaned in, his hot breath fanning her neck. ¡°Why, Be? Do my hands disgust you?¡±


    ¡°Please stop, Sandro,¡± she whispered as his hands moved around her waist, stopping on her stomach. He caressed it for a while, her eyes shut, and she leaned into him. ¡°Sandro¡­¡±


    ¡°How long do you want me to beg for?¡± Arabe¡¯s eyes snapped open, and she twisted in his arms, her eyes locking onto his. ¡°You never gave me a formal apology, Sandro, and getting me things, which I really appreciate, doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m going to forget all that you did to me. Also, it doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m going to start liking you.¡±


    ¡°Because you¡¯re still hung up on him?¡± Sandro glowered.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t and has never been because of that. It¡¯s because of you, Sandro, and I don¡¯t want to go into this discussion with you just yet,¡± she said, sessfully releasing herself from his grasp.


    ¡°But I want us to discuss it. What if I am dying now? Would you rather want the kids to be fatherless or agree to all that I am offering?¡±


    Arabe shrugged, ¡°ze did die once. It¡¯s nothing new if you did too.¡± She started towards the door, not sparing him a second nce.


    ¡°That witch!¡± Sandro grunted before gripping his pounding head. ¡°Why the hell is she mean to me?¡± He snatched a pillow, tossing it across the room. Almost immediately, Arabe stepped into the room, narrowly dodging the pillow. She nced at the pillow, then at Sandro, her brows lifted. ¡°Now you¡¯re going to act like a pouty child?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not pouting,¡± he retorted.


    ¡°But you are,¡± Arabe said, stepping towards him. ¡°What¡¯s in that?¡± He asked, peering at the tray.


    ¡°Soup and medication for you,¡± she said.


    ¡°I¡¯m not interested in that,¡± he said, pushing it away.


    ¡°Well, why don¡¯t you use your superhuman ability to make yourself feel better? Well, I guess you can¡¯t. So take the soup and medication,¡± Arabe pushed it back towards him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to,¡± Sandro wrinkled his nose as Arabe scooped the soup in a spoon, moving it to his lips.


    ¡°Stop acting like a child,¡± she said.


    ¡°I¡¯m not acting like one,¡± he muttered.


    ¡°You are,¡± she replied. ¡°This is to make you feel better. Also, you barely ate anything in the past two days.¡±


    ¡°I never knew you cared,¡± he said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t; I just don¡¯t want my children fatherless,¡± Arabe replied.


    ¡°That¡¯s something, too,¡± Sandro shrugged before groaning as the movement he made caused his body to ache.


    ¡°Now, can you take this?¡± she asked, extending the spoon to his mouth again.


    ¡°Now that I know your feelings for me, I can,¡± he grinned.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have feelings for you,¡± Arabe rolled her eyes. But she doubted Sandro was ready to listen. He continued grinning while nodding his head as if saying he knew she liked him and was lying.


    Nevertheless, she was happy. At least he was eating. Also, his fever seemed to have lessened, and he was speaking more. A few minutester, Sandro was done eating, and Arabe handed him the medication. Sandro shook his head in refusal, ¡°I don¡¯t need that, Be.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll make you feel better,¡± she asserted.All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Your presence makes me feel better,¡± he said.


    ¡°Stop flirting with me, Sandro, and take your damned medicine,¡± she narrowed her eyes at him, gripping his hand. Sandro wrapped his hand around hers, pulling her back to the bed.


    ¡°If anything, I want you beside me, Cara. I believe that will make me better in no time.¡±


    Sandro fell back on the bed, pulling her with him as well. His arms wrapped around her, locking her in his embrace, while his legs mped over hers, preventing any means of escape.


    ¡°Let me go,¡± she struggled in his arms.


    ¡°Why?¡± Sandro retorted.


    ¡°I am notfortable.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll make you feelfortable,¡± Sandro whispered. His arms didn¡¯t release her, and eventually, Arabe stopped struggling and justy there until she heard him snoring.

 Chapter 182

    Sandro awoke the next morning, groaning and turning to his side. ¡°Arabe,¡± he murmured, breathing in her scent before slowly opening his eyes. Using the pad of his thumb, he gently rubbed her cheek to confirm she was really in bed with him. He wondered why she hadn¡¯t left after he fell asleep, maybe because she had dozed off too.


    Gripping a lock of her white hair, he swirled it in his fingers. His free hand moved down to her stomach, caressing it. Sandro grinned as he felt a kick as soon as he touched, retracting his hand as Arabe groaned and turned.


    ¡°Sandro,¡± she murmured, gripping his shirt.


    Raising his brow, Sandro watched as she began to unbutton his shirt slowly. Her hands slipped into his shirt as soon as she finished unbuttoning.


    ¡°Arabe,¡± Sandro groaned as her hands moved further downwards.


    He didn¡¯t know what she was doing, and the thought of stopping her crossed his mind, but he didn¡¯t want to startle her. She seemed deeply asleep, and he hoped she would stop on her own. However, he wondered how to make her do so.


    When she reached the waistband of his pants, he finally clutched her hand, halting her. As soon as his hands sped around hers, her eyes snapped open.


    Arabe gasped, yanking her hand off Sandro¡¯s, and she pushed herself off the bed. Her cheeks were red, and she fanned her hands across her face, turning away from him.


    ¡°What happened?¡± she stuttered.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Sandro replied. Arabe turned briefly to see him gazing back at her with a smirk. ¡°It¡¯s just you trying to have your way with me as usual.¡±


    ¡°What, no!¡± she eximed with a re.


    ¡°You were screaming my name in your sleep. Not that I minded; I enjoyed hearing my name, although I would prefer it in a different context.¡±


    Arabe¡¯s cheeks reddened even more. She didn¡¯t want to dwell on what Sandro was saying.


    Yes, she had been groping him, but the reason wasn¡¯t entirely her fault. She had been having a naughty dream about him.


    She grimaced, shaking her head. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± She desperately attempted to change the subject.


    ¡°Better. I told you sleeping beside me was the remedy to the situation,¡± Sandro said.


    ¡°I never knew,¡± Arabe muttered. ¡°Now I am going to¡­¡±


    Her voice trailed off as a knock sounded on the door. ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± Arabe asked, stepping to the door. She opened it, peering out.


    ¡°It¡¯s your Beta, Leo,¡± Arabe nced at Sandro, then back at Leo, who stood by the door.


    ¡°If it¡¯s not the right time, I can leave,¡± Leo said, brushing a hand through his hair. ¡°I just feel it¡¯s urgent.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Sandro asked from behind Arabe, making her swirl. She hadn¡¯t realized he was strong enough to climb down from the bed, and seeing him beside her made her aware of all that had happened earlier. She flushed, ncing down as he pulled her into his arms.


    ¡°What is it, Leo?¡± Sandro asked.


    ¡°There¡¯s a woman and a man here asking to see you. Although the woman seems familiar with the pack members, no one wants to let her in,¡± Leo said.


    ¡°What do you mean she seems familiar?¡± Sandro asked.


    ¡°She said she¡¯s Janice and brought a word from her father,¡± Leo murmured.


    ¡°That¡¯s frustrating!¡± Sandro growled, immediately letting go of Arabe. He turned to her. ¡°Stay in, okay?¡±


    ¡°Why? Janice is barely a threat,¡± Arabe said.


    ¡°Fucking listen to me when I say so!¡± Sandro growled at her, silencing her. Arabe red but said nothing. When Sandro was done changing into a cleaner outfit, he stepped out of the room with Leo trailing behind him.


    ¡°It¡¯s absurd; he¡¯s just making me seem like some invalid!¡± Arabe paced to the window.


    Arabe wondered why Janice hade to see him. Another warning, perhaps? Her head reeled with thoughts and questions, but she doubted she would get any answers if she remained cooped up in the room. Despite not wanting to disobey Sandro, she felt the need for answers.


    ***


    Janice mused on what they thought of her as she stared at the members who hade out to watch her. She didn¡¯t need much thinking as she saw the scorns on their faces. Perhaps she deserved it for all that she did.


    If it weren¡¯t for her, if she hadn¡¯t spied on Sandro, ze wouldn¡¯t be dead. ze. Janice¡¯s lips trembled, and she pushed back the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes. She was beyond traumatized. The moment her father had shot at him, she knew it was finished because the bullets in the gun were meant to kill even the strongest supernatural creature. No amount of cure would have made the victim survive.


    Janice sighed, her fingers interlocking. She was sorry, regretting all that she did, but she wondered if it was enough to feel remorse despite all the pain she had caused. Yet, she knew it would be her end and Annalise¡¯s if she hadn¡¯t acted.


    Since she was standing outside, she hadn¡¯t seen Annalise, making her wonder if she was in the pack. Maybe Annalise had been locked up to make her pay for what she did. It was Sandro, anyway. He had done the same to Alessia, punishing her in ce of Arabe.


    ¡°Where¡¯s that little bitch?¡± Janice heard Sandro growl. Her eyes widened as she saw him stepping towards her. She staggered backward when he neared. ¡°No, please,¡± she shook her head.


    ¡°Did your father ask you to check up on me if I was dead or not?¡± Sandro said a dark smile on his face. ¡°Unfortunately for him, I killed the rogues he sent!¡±


    ¡°I have no idea about that,¡± she muttered, shaking her head. ¡°I¡¯m not surprised; you im amnesia for everything!¡± Sandro gripped her by the neck, flinging her towards the gate.


    Janice gasped, her bones breaking as she mmed into the gate. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she cried, her lips quivering. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry!¡±


    ¡°Can that bring my brother back?¡± Thalia asked sharply. Janice¡¯s head snapped up.


    ¡°I swear, Thalia, I never knew that would happen. I told ze all about the attack; I assumed he was going to leave before we got there.¡± Janice sobbed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you, bitch!¡± Thalia hissed, slipping a gun out of her pocket. ¡°Why don¡¯t I send you to where my brother is? I doubt you will ever get there. Hell is more befitting for you, and I will be happy to send you there.¡±


    ¡°Thalia,¡± Sandro said, but that didn¡¯t stop her from approaching Janice. Annalise, watching from a safe distance, eyes widened. She dashed towards them jumped in front of Janice, blocking Thalia¡¯s path.


    ¡°She did nothing wrong,¡± Annalise said.


    ¡°Get out of my way, bitch,¡± Thalia snapped.


    ¡°I can¡¯t let you kill my sister,¡± Annalise said.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll be happy to kill both of you,¡± Thalia grunted, cocking the gun.


    ¡°Thalia, stop!¡± Arabe yelled from where she stood. She was d she hade out to see all that was unfolding. From the moment Sandro had picked up Janice and flung her towards the gate, she had seen everything. She knew everyone was currently furious and looking for someone to vent their frustration on, but she didn¡¯t think it was the right way to go about it.


    As much as she was mad at Janice, she believed her being here was meaningful. Arabe stepped towards Thalia, yanked the gun from her, and removed the bullets.


    ¡°Why?¡± Thalia growled. ¡°What did you do that for?!¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t bring back ze. Killing her won¡¯t bring him back. You need to calm down!¡± Arabe shouted.


    ¡°And I choose not to. This bitch is a traitor,¡± Thalia said.


    ¡°But she didn¡¯t do it herself. Her father killed ze.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe this ising from you,¡± Thalia said, an incredulous look on her face.


    ¡°I know you might hate me right now, Thalia, but I think giving Janice a chance to say what she came for would be better.¡±


    ¡°She has nothing to say!¡± Thalia yelled. Arabe ignored her, turning to Sandro, who stood watching all that was unfolding. He had been the one attacking Janice first and hadn¡¯t said anything when Thalia continued.


    ¡°Are you certain she has something to say?¡± Sandro asked.


    ¡°I am certain, Sandro. Janice won¡¯t be here if she has nothing to say. She knows where she¡¯sing from,¡± Arabe replied.


    ¡°Fine, let her say whatever she has to,¡± Sandro muttered.


    ¡°Impossible!¡± Thalia gritted her teeth. Arabe stepped towards Janice. ¡°What do you have to say?¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    ¡°I am here to apologize for all that happened. I didn¡¯t want to. If I disobeyed him, he will kill me and Annalise,¡± Janice said.


    ¡°I will be happy when you die,¡± Thalia said.


    ¡°Ignore her,¡± Arabe murmured. ¡°Is that the only reason you are here?¡±


    ¡°I brought information. I overheard my father and Alessia nning to attack in two days,¡± Janice said.


    ¡°How do we believe you?¡± Arabe asked.


    ¡°You¡¯ve spied on Sandro done a lot of atrocities while acting pitiful. Why should you be believed?¡±


    Janice slipped out her phone, tapping on it before lifting it in the air. ¡°Hey, bitch!¡±


    ¡°Hi, Daddy.¡±


    Arabe¡¯s ears twitched as she heard the voices ying on the phone. It was Paolo¡¯s and Alessia¡¯s. She could recognize Alessia¡¯s voice anywhere. Her brows furrowed as she heard grunting and moaning.


    ¡°W-what are they doing?¡± Arabe stuttered. ¡°Are they fucking?¡±


    Janice nodded, wincing. She never wanted toe to the De Luca Vi to rat her father and Alessia out. Of course, she had yed along with all that was happening and wanted to do so until everything ended. But she had caught them in apromising position.


    Alessia was naked on her father¡¯s bed with her ass tilted in the air while her father¡¯s dick was lodged inside her pussy.


    It was a horrific sight, one Janice never thought she would see. Her anger red, assuming she and Alessia were mates. It made her wonder if the mate bond she had felt was fake. Perhaps, at her lowest, she had assumed Alessia was hers.


    ¡°That¡¯s disgusting,¡± Thalia gagged, her nose wrinkling.


    ¡°What has them fucking got to do with the war?¡± Sandro asked.


    ¡°Listen,¡± Janice said, making Sandro narrow his eyes on her. Arabe and the rest suffered through the session Alessia and Paolo were having until they started speaking.


    ¡°We should attack them in two days. We need to take over the world,¡± Alessia said.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, darling,¡± Paolo affirmed. There was a pause before he added, ¡°I need that woman before anything happens.¡±


    ¡°My twin, Arabe?¡± Alessia questioned.


    ¡°Yes, without her, nothing can happen,¡± Paolo said.


    Sandro stalked towards Janice, yanked the phone from her hand, and mmed it into the wall. ¡°Your father needs to get to me to get to her,¡± Sandro seethed.


    ¡°I guess this is the wrong time for me to be in here,¡± a voice said, interrupting them. Through the damaged gate, a guy about Sandro¡¯s age stepped inside, his hands tilted in the air and a smile on his face.


    ¡°Elisha?¡± Thalia asked, her eyes widening.


    ¡°The one and only, baby,¡± he smirked. Thalia ran into his arms, wrapping her arms around him. ¡°Oh, Elisha.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, baby, you¡¯ll be fine,¡± he said, caressing her back. Even though they had only spoken once, when she went to the Rosette Empire to get a cure for Sandro, she feltfortable with him. His hug was reassuring.


    ¡°And who are you?¡± Sandro asked.


    ¡°I am Elisha, one of the guards at the Rosette Empire,¡± he said, his eyes trailing towards Arabe. ¡°Is that the Rose?¡±


    ¡°She is,¡± Thalia said.


    ¡°She looks even better in person,¡± Elisha murmured, enthralled by Arabe, who stood next to Sandro.


    ¡°That isn¡¯t the question you are asked,¡± Sandro said.


    ¡°Ah, yes,¡± Elisha nodded. ¡°That isn¡¯t the question. I am like a brother to ze, and we¡¯ve known each other for a while. I learned about all that happened to him, and I am here to avenge his death. I don¡¯t mindying my life down to bring him vengeance; I am ready to do anything.¡±


    ¡°Is that not amazing, ze? You¡¯ve got a bunch of people wanting to stand up for you,¡± Sandro grinned. ¡°Again, why should I trust you?¡± He turned to Elisha.


    ¡°During one of your crises, I was the one who extended a helping hand to Thalia,¡± Elisha said.


    Nodding, Sandro mused. Come to think of it, he had barely had any other crises since he met Arabe again. It was as if all had vanished, and all he could ever think of was a way forward for himself, her, and the children as well.


    ¡°Do you believe me?¡± Elisha asked.


    ¡°I do,¡± Sandro said, then added, ¡°I believe the woman too. But for spying on me, she needs to face the punishment before she can be part of the pack again.¡±


    ¡°I will do anything to pay for all that I did,¡± Janice said.


    ¡°Janice¡­¡± Annalise murmured.


    Janice shook her head, shing her a small smile. ¡°That¡¯s settled. Now, can we go indoors to n how this is going to be?¡± Sandro asked.


    ¡°Certainly,¡± Arabe said, and they headed indoors while Janice stepped towards where the dungeon was along with two etas and Annalise.

 Chapter 183

    TWO DAYS LATER


    Thinking all ns woulde easily as they were all gathered together, however, the reverse was the case. It was even more difficult to agree with all that was said, especially since it was thest day.


    Still, there was no attacker in sight, and it didn¡¯t seem like anything was going to happen. It was almost noon, and Arabe, Thalia, Elisha, Janice, and Annalise were in the meeting room.


    Some members were on guard, watching for any activity to report to those inside. However, Sandro, Arabe didn¡¯t know where he had gone. He said nothing to her and left the house.


    ¡°He should be here; at least, he¡¯s the alpha, and many of these people can listen to him,¡± Elisha said, eyeing the other members in the room, acting as if they were bothered by the current situation.


    ¡°They listen to Be, too,¡± Thalia said. ¡°She should say something to them.¡±


    Say something? Arabe didn¡¯t know exactly what she was going to say. They weren¡¯t the phoenixes, and even though Orga and the rest were present, they weren¡¯t them. She hadn¡¯t addressed a pack filled with werewolves before, and she wondered if they were going to listen to her.


    ¡°They will,¡± Thalia said, gripping her hand and squeezing lightly. ¡°They will surely listen to you.¡±


    Arabe breathed out, ncing around before her gaze settled on Thalia. ¡°What do I say?¡±


    ¡°Anything. You¡¯re the queen here, Arabe. I believe you should know a lot of things to say.¡±


    ¡°Queens don¡¯t know everything. They get stuck too sometimes and require help,¡± she mumbled.


    ¡°Unfortunately, Sandro isn¡¯t here,¡± Thalia pointed out.


    He wasn¡¯t, and Arabe nodded to herself.


    Arabe stood to her feet, breathing out for the second time, letting her gaze wander around the room before speaking. ¡°I know everyone is curious about what¡¯s happening right now, and I am certain the alpha is bringing good news to us. However, we need to be cooperative; we need to help one another to win what ising. I know it isn¡¯t an easy feat, but we will scale through.¡±


    There was silence in the hall, making Arabe wonder if they were really listening to her or not. But that didn¡¯t stop her from speaking further.


    As she continued, discussing the positions to be held, the ringing of her phone interrupted her. She frowned, staring at the name that shed on the screen-an unknown number.


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± she said, picking up the phone.


    ¡°Can you take over?¡± she asked Thalia, who nodded.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Thalia stood to her feet while Arabe excused herself. Stepping towards the corner, she swiped at the phone. ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Leave the pack house ande directly to the address I am going to send to you, or I shall kill him without thinking twice.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to him, Be!¡±


    Arabe stilled, cold sweat breaking out on her skin. The first voice was Paolo, and the second was definitely Sandro.


    ¡°Sandro?¡± she asked to be sure.


    ¡°He won¡¯t be saying much to you, and if I were you, I would leave where I am currently without saying a word to anyone. I can hear everything that is being said and can see everyone¡¯s movement,¡± Paolo said.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    Arabe wanted to call his bluff, but he continued.


    ¡°You are by the corner, child. You recently excused yourself to speak, and the dead boy¡¯s sister is the one speaking now.¡±


    The dead boy¡¯s sister? Anger swirled within Arabe, and her grip tightened on her phone. ¡°What do you want from me, Paolo?¡±


    ¡°I want everything you can offer, Arabe Collins. You have an hour to get to the location I am going to send to you. Otherwise, you¡¯ll not just lose the whole of the members you are seeing right now; you¡¯ll be losing your babies father.¡± Paolo hung up, and Arabe stared at the nk screen for the longest time.


    She shuddered, letting out a staggering breath. Sandro was in trouble. Was that the reason he hadn¡¯t called? Maybe. Paolo holding him hostage would prevent him from doing that.


    Arabe stepped towards the table again, and Thalia paused in all that she had been saying to gaze at her. ¡°Who was that?¡± she asked.


    ¡°No one you should bother about,¡± Arabe mumbled.


    Thalia frowned, watching as she sat back down and stood up again. ¡°You look pale, Be. Are you certain there¡¯s nothing going on?¡±


    ¡°Nothing is going on,¡± Arabe repeated, this time firm. She hoped Thalia would stop questioning her.


    She stood to her feet again, pulling her hair into a high ponytail. ¡°Take over until either I or Sandro return.¡±


    ¡°Now, you are acting really strange,¡± Thalia muttered, but Arabe said nothing.


    Arabe wanted to tell Thalia all that was going on. She wanted to confide in her and ask for her help with Sandro. She wanted Thalia to wrap her arms around her,


    reassuring her that nothing would happen.


    However, she had been warned. Paolo had told her not to say anything, and she was being watched. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine,¡± Arabe said before stepping out of the meeting hall.


    She entered the nearest car she saw- a Ford-driving out of the De Luca¡¯s Vi. Dialing Sandro¡¯s number repeatedly as she drove, but she received no response. She had never had a reason to call him until now.


    Her heart thumped, and her hands clenched the steering wheel tightly until her knuckles turned white. Her mind wandered as she imagined Sandro ending up like ze.


    ¡°No, he would not,¡± she whispered, shaking her head. The first person she had cared about had died in her arms, and now the second person was being held hostage.


    What exactly would she tell her children? She wondered. They would definitely see her as useless despite all her cool powers.


    Arabe stepped on the elerator. The time was ticking faster. She had been driving for thirty minutes and was barely close to where she was heading.


    ¡°Please fight as much as you can, Sandro,¡± she said.


    She wished she had said the same for ze. Perhaps it would have kept him alive. Or maybe not, as he was destined to die.


    Now, she was in a position to help Sandro. She only hoped he wouldn¡¯t be dead before she got there.

 Chapter 184

    No sooner had Arabe left than a loud boom echoed through the air. Though Thalia wasn¡¯t sure if it was an actual cannon, it sure sounded like one.


    ¡°Ah, darn!¡± she eximed, gasping and huddling against the wall. The cannon seemed to have targeted the building, affecting all the rooms. The meeting structure teetered on the verge of copsing, with the pirs bending sideways.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Elisha asked, pulling her towards a corner.


    ¡°I am. How about you?¡± Thalia replied, scanning the area to see if others were in the same predicament.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening? And where is Be?¡± she inquired.


    ¡°The attackers are here,¡± Janice exined. ¡°I overheard their conversation earlier, and I think my father spoke to her. It¡¯s why she left.¡±


    ¡°Why would she do that? That¡¯s so foolish!¡± Thalia hissed.


    ¡°My father is sly, Thalia. I don¡¯t know what he must have said to Arabe, but he can kill anyone he wants if she disobeys. She probably left for everyone¡¯s safety,¡± Janice reasoned.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t excuse what she¡¯s done,¡± Thalia murmured, pulling out her phone and dialing Sandro¡¯s number, which was answered on the first ring.


    ¡°What?¡± Sandro¡¯s gruff voice came through.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know where you are or who you¡¯re with, but Arabe is on a reckless mission,¡± Thalia said, ducking as shots rang out.All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Idiot!¡± she muttered under her breath.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening, and where¡¯s Be?¡± Sandro asked.


    ¡°We¡¯re under attack, Sandro. They¡¯re here, and as for Be, my guess is she went to meet Paolo. She didn¡¯t tell anyone,¡± Thalia exined.


    She winced as she heard a string of curses from the other end before Sandro abruptly ended the call. It seemed he was about to take action.


    She turned to Elisha, Janice, and Annalise, who had joined them. ¡°Why don¡¯t we show these attackers that we¡¯re not the weaklings they think we are?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Janice affirmed with a nod. ¡°I¡¯m ready to fight.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do anything to avenge ze,¡± Elisha dered.


    ¡°Listen, everyone, we fight now!¡± Thalia yelled. Everyone stood up, ignoring the shots ringing out, and dashed towards the entrance, pushing back the attackers.


    ¡°Fight until death,¡± Thalia urged. Since ze¡¯s death, she had nned the perfect revenge. While she might not personally confront Paolo-leaving that to Sandro-she was determined to vent her anger on his henchmen.


    ***


    Arabe arrived just in time, her eyes scanning the description she had scribbled on paper.


    ¡°The Salvatore house,¡± she murmured, gazing at the mansion in front of her.


    ¡°Okay,¡± she whispered, confirming that it matched the description.


    As she approached, the door flung open, revealing a man in a steel grey suit. He was burly, his face chiseled, and his eyes hidden behind aviator sses.


    ¡°Come with me, ma¡¯am,¡± he said, his voice deep.


    ¡°Where is Sandro?¡± she asked. She wasn¡¯t going indoors without knowing if he was safe or not.


    ¡°Come with me, ma¡¯am,¡± he repeated.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to,¡± Arabe insisted, her chin lifted defiantly. ¡°I need to know if he¡¯s fine before going indoors with you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m taking you in now,¡± the guard snarled, gripping her hand and pulling her towards the mansion¡¯s door.


    Arabe scratched at his hand, summoning wind to fling him sideways.


    She gasped, panting as her stomach constricted. Brianna had warned her against using her powers, but there was no way she could defend herself without them now.


    When her breathing calmed, she dashed towards the entrance, yelling, ¡°Sandro!¡±


    Opening the door, she let herself in. Her eyes widened as she locked eyes with Paolo and Alessia in the middle of the room, d in red robes and surrounded by candles. What she thought was the living room seemed more like a ritual room,cking basic furniture.


    Arabe turned towards the door but mmed into an invisible wall. ¡°Wee, darling,¡± Paolo said behind her, his hand on her shoulder.


    She swirled around, swallowing hard. ¡°Where is Sandro?¡±


    Paolo grinned. ¡°I never thought using him would work. I thought you loathed him. So, it was all just a pretense?¡±


    ¡°Where the heck is Sandro?¡± Arabe snarled, her head snapping back as Paolo¡¯s hand collided with her cheek.


    ¡°You should not snarl at me ever again,¡± he warned.


    Arabe gripped her stinging cheeks, ring. ¡°Why did you bring me here?¡± she asked, realizing all that had been said was to deceive her.


    If she had known, she shouldn¡¯t have obeyed. Now Sandro wasn¡¯t even here, and she was facing danger without him knowing.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she whispered, stomach fluttering. ¡°I thought I was doing the right thing.¡±


    ¡°Of course you are. Your father will be proud of you, Love. Now I just need the idiot to be here as well,¡± Paolo said, dragging Be toward where Alessia sat inside a pentagram. She tried to resist his pull, but his grip was too strong, and for some reason, she couldn¡¯t use her powers anymore.


    It felt like there were power inhibitors in the room. When Arabe reached the circle Alessia was in, she opened her eyes, a wicked grin on her face.


    ¡°We meet again, dear sister,¡± Alessia said.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to kill you, Alessia. Snap out of the daze you¡¯re in!¡± Arabe eximed.


    Alessia produced a knife, shaking her head. ¡°I should be the one saying that to you, considering how powerless you are now.¡± She swung the knife in the air.


    ¡°Sandro won¡¯t spare you if you harm me, Alessia,¡± Arabe warned.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care for his pity. All I want is you dead. And I¡¯m going to have my way right now because today marks us merging and you vanishing as if you never existed,¡± Instantly, she gripped Arabe¡¯s palm, stabbing the knife into it. Alessia had the advantage since Arabe couldn¡¯t use her powers.


    Arabe howled, teeth clenched, eyes widened as blood oozed out from the stab. Alessia bent her hand over a chalice, grinning as the blood dropped into it. When she was done, she released Arabe.


    ¡°Now I need that gemstone,¡± Alessia dered, standing to her feet. ¡°It shall be your end today, sister, and I won¡¯t hold back.¡±

 Chapter 185

    Goodness!


    Sandro pressed the gas pedal, driving over the speed limit. Relieved that the road was empty, he was aware that if someone had been there, a collision was inevitable, and he wouldn¡¯t have cared.


    His sole focus was reaching Arabe.


    ¡°Is she foolish enough to go to that guy without telling me?¡± Gritting his teeth, he tightened his grip on the steering wheel.


    He had only left to settle some business deal with another pack that he had an alliance with, and it was to get them to fight in the war with him.


    Of course, he had done all he needed to do, albeit toote.


    Arabe, that he was trying his best to protect, wasn¡¯t even in the vi anymore.


    His phone rang, and ncing at the screen, he swiped to answer. ¡°If you harm her, Paolo, I¡¯ll make sure you regret it. I won¡¯t hesitate to take you down with me!¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s still alive, De Luca. Why note see her condition for yourself?¡± Paolo replied.


    Just then, a scream erupted from Arabe, further unsettling Sandro. ¡°Let her go,¡± he hissed. ¡°You need me. Release Arabe.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve got 30 minutes, De Luca. I¡¯m done being nice,¡± Paolo dered, ending the call abruptly.


    Sandro mmed on the brakes, bringing the car to a brief stop. His head rested on the steering wheel, body trembling, heart constricted, and sweat breaking out on his face.


    ¡°Is she going to die?¡± he wondered, realizing he had only 30 minutes to reach Paolo, assuming he exceeded the speed limit. Flying was impossible.


    ¡°Shit!¡± he grunted, pressing on the horn. Sandro spent five more minutes contemting his options until Arabe¡¯s scream cut through his thoughts, prompting him to resume the journey.


    ***


    ¡°He isn¡¯t here yet,¡± Paolo said, crouching in front of the sprawled Arabe. ¡°How about we y a game, sweetheart?¡± Gripping her by the hair, he dragged her toward a chair, releasing her when they reached it.


    ¡°Sit,¡± he ordered.


    Arabe gasped. Since Alessia had taken her blood, she didn¡¯t know what her sister had done. Some kind of spell, perhaps, as she had never felt so weak before, not even when using her powers against Brianna¡¯s warning.


    ¡°Sit, bitch!¡± Paolo kicked Arabe¡¯s back, prompting a cry from her.


    Arabe groped for the chair, clutching its arms to pull herself up. When she settled into the seat, she blinked away the haze clouding her vision.


    As her sight cleared, Paolo stood in front of her, a camera in hand, and he tore the strap of her dress off before she could react. Arabe instinctively wrapped her arms around herself, revealing her bra.


    ¡°You have beautiful skin, dear. Sandro is lucky to have you. Will you entertain me like you do for Sandro?¡± Paolo wore a sick grin.


    Arabe¡¯s stomach churned, lips twisted in disgust, seeing the lust in his eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯ll never agree to your sick thoughts. It¡¯s better you kill me than for me to stoop so low!¡± she spat.


    Her head whipped back as Paolo pped her for the second time.


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk back,¡± Paolo growled, grabbing a fistful of her hair and forcing her face toward his.


    ¡°Go to hell,¡± Arabe yelled, spitting in his face, earning a chuckle from him.


    ¡°I¡¯m enjoying this feisty side of yours. I would¡¯ve been disappointed if you were too easy,¡± he said. Paolo stopped the recording, adding, ¡°Now, let¡¯s see if it triggers him to arrive on time.¡±


    ***


    ¡°No, Be,¡± Sandro murmured, witnessing Paolo humiliate her. It was his fault. Why hadn¡¯t he gone with her? Despite her disdain for him, at least he could have monitored her activities. When Paolo forced her into a chair, and his hand struck her cheek, Sandro lost control.


    ¡°I told you never to touch her!¡± he roared. Sandro¡¯s eyes widened as Paolo went further, tearing a part of her blouse and exposing her breasts. Regardless of the video¡¯s intent to provoke him, he was determined to kill Paolo for his actions, but he needed to reach his residence in time.


    ***


    Thalia panted, surveying the scene. Many pack members stood, fortunate to have pushed through the attackers with the help of Brianna and the other witches. Only a few of the attackers remained, and a little more strength would secure victory, but everyone seemed exhausted.


    Simrly, Thalia¡¯s body bore the brunt of the fight. She bled from her side, and her head had repeatedly mmed into the floor, raising concerns about a possible concussion. Her voice had turned hoarse from her continuous efforts to boost morale, which seemed to wane with each passing moment.


    The root cause? Sandro and Arabe¡¯s absence. Whenever a member realized they were missing, whispers spread through the pack, momentarily forgetting they were in the midst of a battle. Elisha gripped Thalia¡¯s hand, offering support.


    ¡°You can do it, Thalia,¡± he said. She shook her head, surprised at theplexity of leadership. It was harder than she had anticipated, stepping into Sandro¡¯s shoes for a few hours and feeling the immense pressure he constantly faced. She felt as though she had been in there forever.


    She doubted it was even half of what Sandro endured, yet the weight felt overwhelming. ¡°You can do it, Thalia,¡± Elisha repeated.


    ¡°I can?¡± she murmured.


    ¡°You can,¡± he affirmed. ¡°You¡¯ve brought us this far into the battle; you can¡¯t stop now until it¡¯s over.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m exhausted,¡± Thalia whispered, stumbling slightly. Elisha steadied her, pulling her close for support.


    ¡°I know, and that¡¯s why I¡¯m sharing my strength with you,¡± he said.


    Thalia nodded, epting his words and the support he offered. She briefly closed her eyes, reopening them with determination.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    ¡°Listen, everyone!¡± she growled, pushing through the pain in her throat. ¡°We are going to be victorious, but this isn¡¯t a job for one werewolf. Let¡¯s give our best and fight harder because the alpha is on his way to rescue the Luna,¡± Thalia dered.


    Surprise registered on the faces around her. No one knew about Arabe leaving and being in trouble. Now that Thalia had revealed it, determination crossed their expressions.


    ¡°We need to guard the vi because it¡¯s the only home many of us know. Let¡¯s protect it with our lives and win this battle. Let¡¯s fight against evil!¡± she roared.


    ¡°Let¡¯s fight against evil!¡± echoed the response from the pack members, and once again, everyone¡¯s morale soared as the battle continued.

 Chapter 186

    Paolo paced nervously, his gaze repeatedly drawn to Arabe, securely bound to the chair. At first nce, she seemed unconscious, her head hanging limply, but a closer look revealed that she was simply staring down.


    ¡°How much longer do we have to wait?¡± he inquired of Alessia, who had resumed her position inside the pentagram.


    ¡°A few more minutes or the ritual will be iplete,¡± Alessia replied.


    Despite the requirement for a special full moon, she had assured them of conjuring the moon to ensure the ritual¡¯s sess. However, the actual full moon was still two weeks away, and Paolo couldn¡¯t afford to wait.


    ¡°Should I resort to force to speed things up?¡± Paolo clenched his teeth and advanced toward Arabe.


    ¡°I¡¯ll break ten fingers and ten toes if youy a hand on her,¡± Sandro dered, suddenly appearing in the doorway.


    ¡°Sandro,¡± Arabe smiled, relief washing over her at the sight of him. Although she had never been particrly thrilled to see him before, his presence now offered a wee reprieve.


    Sandro¡¯s eyes scanned Arabe, still tied to the chair. He moved towards her, but Paolo intercepted him.


    ¡°How did you get here without alerting anyone?¡± Paolo questioned, scrutinizing Sandro.


    ¡°I may act impulsively, but I¡¯m not foolish,¡± Sandro exined.


    He had avoided entering the house immediately upon arrival at the mansion, aware that doing so would risk catching him off-guard. Instead, he focused on disabling the guards and destroying CCTV cameras around the mansion.


    ¡°I see,¡± Paolo chuckled.


    Sandro sidestepped Paolo, heading toward Arabe with urgency.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Sandro asked.


    ¡°I am,¡± she replied, then added, ¡°However, I need to get out of this.¡±


    ¡°Why the heck did you leave without telling anyone?¡± Sandro¡¯s tone was furious, catching Arabe off guard. She wasn¡¯t expecting anything less.


    ¡°Why would you risk your life to be here? You didn¡¯t even tell me anything,¡± Sandro¡¯s eyes narrowed as he observed Paolo¡¯s movements toward them, conversing with Alessia.


    ¡°He threatened to kill everyone in the Vi; he threatened to kill you,¡± Arabe whispered thest sentence, but he heard her.


    He never thought Arabe was that stupid to have left anyway; he knew Paolo had cunningly made her leave.


    ¡°He said he had you, and I thought he truly did. Perhaps I should have tried harder to reach you, but I couldn¡¯t,¡± she nced at him.


    Arabe cared about him, and he felt the same way about her, even though both of them were too stubborn to admit it.


    For the first time, he studied her face and noticed the red lines marking it. ¡°How many times did he hit you?¡± he asked.


    Arabe bit her lower lip, shaking her head. ¡°Be,¡± Sandro whispered harshly. ¡°How many times did he hit your face?¡±


    ¡°Twice, Sandro,¡± Arabe sniffled as tears clouded her vision. She didn¡¯t hold them back, letting them pour down her cheeks.


    ¡°He pulled my hair, pped me twice, kicked me, as well as ripped my top. He said he wanted to fuck and make me look like a whore,¡± she finished, sobbing.


    She didn¡¯t care if she was being petty, listing all that Paolo had said to her; she wanted him to feel as much pain as he had inflicted on her.


    Sandro swiftly retrieved a pocket knife from his pants, cing it in her hand. He then removed his jacket, wrapping it around her protectively before advancing towards Paolo, who was still engrossed in conversation with Alessia.


    ¡°For touching you, he deserves a few punches, and I¡¯ll make sure he regrets even thinking of you like that,¡± Sandro cracked his knuckles.


    ¡°Are you done chatting with your girl?¡± Paolo asked, closing the distance between them.


    ¡°I¡¯m lenient, De Luca. I don¡¯t kill without letting someone say goodbye to their loved ones,¡± Sandro replied, discarding his jacket.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    He then turned to Alessia, instructing, ¡°Don¡¯t let her do anything stupid. If she does, kill her!¡±


    ¡°Over my dead body, will I let that happen!¡± Sandro lunged forward, colliding with Paolo.


    Paolo grunted, gripping Sandro¡¯s torso and throwing him across the room. Sandro collided with a pir, groaning.


    ¡°Sandro!¡± Arabe yelled as Paolo advanced.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, I¡¯m fine,¡± he reassured but grunted as Paolo¡¯s fist connected with his cheek.


    ¡°Always pay attention when I speak,¡± Paolo admonished.


    ¡°Bastard!¡± Sandro spat out blood.


    Paolo aimed another blow, but Sandro deftly redirected it, their confrontation intensifying. Meanwhile, Alessia lingered near Arabe, her hand in her hair.


    Sandro believed Arabe could handle Alessia, but he wondered why she allowed herself to be beaten. Perhaps she had a reason.


    Dodging Paolo¡¯s iing fist, Sandro swung in the air,nding a kick on Paolo¡¯s chest, causing him to stagger backward.


    ¡°Let¡¯s y, sister,¡± Alessia suggested, twirling Arabe¡¯s hair.


    ¡°I¡¯d rather eat cow dung than y with you,¡± Arabe hissed, her hand on the knife as she attempted to free herself.


    It was fortunate that Alessia hadn¡¯t enchanted the rope, and she remained unaware of Arabe¡¯s actions beneath Sandro¡¯s jacket.


    ¡°I can make you eat cow dung,¡± Alessia threatened.


    ¡°I made you eat it twice,¡± Arabe retorted with sass.


    Alessia snarled, tightening her grip on Arabe¡¯s hair. ¡°That¡¯s because I wasn¡¯t giving my all!¡± she red.


    ¡°Then you should know, as always, I won¡¯t be holding back!¡± Arabe shoved Alessia backward, letting Sandro¡¯s jacket fall to her feet.


    She tossed the loosened rope aside, surprising Alessia, whose eyes widened as she gazed at Arabe. The cunning witch hadn¡¯t realized she was freeing herself; she assumed it was due to being cold, hence the jacket draped over her.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to kill you, Arabe. I trained well with Paolo,¡± Alessia threatened.


    ¡°You mean him riding you from behind? He¡¯s old enough to be your grandfather!¡± Arabe pped Alessia¡¯s clenched fist, countering her approach. She kicked Alessia¡¯s knee, causing thetter to stumble and grip her injured knee.


    ¡°You¡¯re one to talk? You slept with two best friends. How confused can you be about your feelings?¡± Alessia scowled.


    ¡°I¡¯m not confused about my feelings,¡± Arabe mumbled. She had always felt something for Sandro, but he had been mean, and she never wanted him to treat her as if he owned her.


    Alessia stepped backward, hands spread out. ¡°I might not win in hand-to-handbat, but I¡¯ll use my powers to annihte you, Be!¡±


    Sandro intervened, ramming into Alessia from behind, rendering her unconscious. ¡°Always watch your back. You might end up getting killed instead,¡± he advised.


    Arabe stifled augh as Alessia fell to the ground. It wasn¡¯t funny, but at the same time, it was.


    She moved towards Alessia but halted as various members of the Salvatore mansion emerged from their hiding spots.


    ¡°What the hell?¡± Sandro panted, his gaze shifting to Arabe.


    ¡°Attack and kill both of them!¡± Paolo ordered, sprinting towards the exit.


    ¡°Can you handle all?¡± Sandro asked, his eyes fixed on Paolo as he ran.


    ¡°What? No!¡± Arabe eximed. She couldn¡¯t even use her powers. How was she going to defeat the hundreds of werewolves currently before her?


    ¡°I¡¯ll be right back,¡± Sandro stated, running off as well.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that great?¡± Arabe gritted her teeth. She had hoped he would stay behind to assist her, but now she was left with no choice but to face them alone. It was either fight or get killed. That was the situation she was in, and she would rather fight until she couldn¡¯t anymore.

 Chapter 187

    Arabe wasn¡¯t as tired as she expected. She continued battling, and almost half of the members of the Salvatore house were already down. Although she couldn¡¯t unleash her powers to the fullest, she had imbued her knife with magic, enhancing its effectiveness even more.


    The enchanted de caused immediate falls to anyone it touched, adding up to a high body count. Despite her victories, the number of foes she faced showed no signs of diminishing.


    Sandro, absent since his departure, left her uncertain about his fate. Paolo¡¯s absence suggested he wasn¡¯t defeated, as Paolo would have returned if he had been. Alessia was also nowhere to be found; Arabe wondered if Paolo had taken her with him.


    Yet, she was d the merge hadn¡¯t happened.


    ***


    Running after Paolo led Sandro to an unfamiliar location. Uncertain of his whereabouts, he felt a rush of anxiety as his gaze fixed on what appeared to be a full moon at the room¡¯s far end, shining brightly. Sandro, feeling a tingling sensation, shook his head, realizing it wasn¡¯t the real moon.


    However, the strange sensation persisted, hinting at an imminent transformation.


    Sandro demanded, ¡°Show yourself!¡± but received only grunts and scratching, with no response.


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe running away suits an alpha werewolf. You should face even your fiercest adversary,¡± Sandro¡¯s voice echoed in the room, but he received no response.


    ¡°This is just a waste of time,¡± he murmured, realizing he was speaking only to himself. Turning towards the doorway, he paused at a growl from behind.


    As he turned, he locked eyes with the ckest wolf he had ever seen-ck fur, ck eyes, and ck teeth dripping with blood. Whose blood had it feasted on? He pondered, hoping it hadn¡¯t been Alessia, whom he had seen Paolo drag away.


    The werewolf, presumably Paolo, advanced menacingly. It leapt, ws out, and Sandro narrowly dodged in the nick of time. Had he not, his left side might have suffered the wicked ws¡¯ impact.


    Cornered in the room, Sandro wanted to escape, but there seemed to be no exit in sight. Reluctantly, he realized he had no choice but to shift. Crouching, muscles popping, bones breaking and morphing, he transformed.


    His eyes turned golden with red flecks, his dark fur resembling Paolo¡¯s, and his gleaming white teeth bared as Paolo approached.


    In his thoughts, Sandro mused, ¡°You crave power; well, now I¡¯m about to give it to you.¡± Both he and Paolo leapt simultaneously, colliding and thudding as they hit the ground.


    Quickly recovering, Sandro unleashed his ws, shing at Paolo¡¯s fur, who countered with the same ferocity. They pounced, exchanging shes, bites, and ws.


    Sandro took the brunt of the hits, blood gushing from Paolo¡¯s bite on his belly. Despite the injuries, Paolo appeared exhausted.


    Paolo bolted out of the room, and Sandro, wounded but determined, pursued him.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    On the way, he encountered Arabe, who eximed, ¡°What the hell?¡± Unable to convey his identity in wolf form, Sandro realized Paolo had outsmarted him.


    Paolo, now armed with a gun, had chosen the battlegrounds strategically, turning the situation to his advantage. Sandro felt trapped; even reverting from his wolf form, he doubted he could help Arabe now.


    ***


    Thalia was beyond exhausted as more attackers continued pouring out of hiding ces.


    She wished they had struck during the full moon, making it easier for some to shift. Even if they had, the sun wouldn¡¯t empower them; werewolves drew power only from the moon.


    ¡°The alpha needs to be beaten for this to stop. They¡¯re tied to him,¡± Brianna¡¯s words snapped Thalia out of her thoughts. She hoped Sandro was currently battling Paolo, putting an end to the influx of attackers, as she felt drained andcked the willpower to continue the fight.


    ***


    Arabe panted, keeping her eyes on Sandro, who whimpered while attempting to shift back. She also sensed a gun aimed at her from the corner of her eyes. ¡°Sandro,¡± she muttered, her heart aching at his pain.


    Desiring to help, she found herself unable to summon even the most basic of her powers.


    ¡°Please help Sandro,¡± Arabe whispered, ncing briefly skyward, though she knew her prayers wouldn¡¯t be answered until the full moon.


    ¡°It¡¯s enjoyable seeing you in pain,¡± Paolo remarked. Arabe observed his bruised cheeks, broken nose, and blood streaming down his head to his beard. Despite his injuries, he made no effort to clean up, using only his unharmed arm.


    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing I am ambidextrous, huh?¡± he chuckled.


    Unamused, Arabe breathed out and shook her head. ¡°What do you want?¡± she asked.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been asking that since you came here, and I never thought you would be this dumb,¡± Paolo replied.


    ¡°Also, I know I am going to die, so I don¡¯t mind killing you. But be aware that I am not the only threat. Your children, too, will be a wonderful meal for bigger predators out there, and I won¡¯t be able to contain myughter wherever I go after this,¡± Paolo tossed his head back, chuckling.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be going to hell after this!¡± Arabe dered, yanking on Paolo¡¯s injured hand. He cried out in pain, allowing Arabe to run toward Sandro, who was still in wolf form. When she reached him, he began shifting back.


    ¡°Thank goodness,¡± she murmured, brushing a hand through his fur. ¡°Now, you¡¯ve gotten the big bad alpha angry!¡± Paolo yelled, aiming the gun at her and pulling the trigger.


    ¡°Duck, Be!¡±


    Time seemed to slow down. Arabe found herself back in risse¡¯s pack, ze running towards her in slow motion. Everything shed before her eyes, and she heard several shots ringing out. For a moment, the world went silent.


    Arabe wondered if it was the end, but then again, she was a Phoenix. Phoenixes often came back to life, but she had been cautioned not to get herself killed, doubting that the rule applied to her.


    Closing her eyes briefly, she snapped them open as she felt a tug on her shoulder.


    ¡°Wake up, Be!¡± Sandro growled, shaking her more.


    ¡°Sandro,¡± Arabe said, her hand cupping his face. She could feel him, and life didn¡¯t seem to be slipping away from her. ¡°Am I going to die?¡± she asked.


    ¡°No,¡± Sandro shook his head, tears streaming down his cheeks.


    ¡°Then why are you crying?¡± she inquired, seeing the emotions on his face. ¡°It¡¯s because we won, Be. Paolo is dead, and ze is avenged sessfully,¡± Sandro muttered. Arabe nced at herself, finding no blood, and saw Paolo on the floor surrounded by blood.


    ***


    Thalia used the gun¡¯s butt to strike an attacker in the head, having switched to using a gun since many attackers were armed. ¡°Watch out, Elisha!¡± she warned as an assant approached him.


    ¡°What?¡± Elisha asked, frowning. Noticing what Thalia was pointing at, he narrowly dodged, swiftly dispatching the attacker by ripping out his heart.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Thalia frowned as the attackers began falling one by one without being hit.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s over,¡± Elisha whispered, approaching her.


    ¡°He¡¯s dead,¡± Janice added, her gaze turning to Annalise. ¡°He¡¯s gone, Annalise.¡±


    ¡°Oh my goodness, Janice!¡± Annalise¡¯s eyes welled up, and she rushed into her sister¡¯s arms. ¡°We are safe.¡±


    ¡°Yes, baby. We are definitely surviving this,¡± Janice affirmed, sporting a wide smile despite the tears streaming down her face.


    ***


    Arabe sat upright, bewildered. ¡°How?¡± she stuttered.


    ¡°I was able to shift back in time, help you duck, and shoot at him,¡± Sandro exined, wincing.


    Arabe¡¯s eyes widened as she noticed Sandro¡¯s bleeding shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re bleeding!¡± she eximed, gingerly touching the injury. ¡°I am so sorry, Sandro. I am sorry.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Sandro groaned as Arabe applied pressure to the wound. ¡°I am going to live.¡±


    Arabe nodded, tears brimming in her eyes, a mix of emotions overwhelming her. She didn¡¯t want Sandro to end up like ze. Two people had taken bullets for her, and she had witnessed one of them die.


    Cupping his face, ignoring her bloodied hands, she locked lips with him, catching him off guard. Sandro didn¡¯t initially kiss her back, but Arabe persisted. She didn¡¯t care if he responded; she wanted to express her gratitude.


    ¡°Dolcezza,¡± Sandro groaned, wrapping his arms around her and reciprocating the kiss. Arabe had never been happier hearing Sandro call her the sweet name. At this moment, she just wanted to hear him say more of it.


    It was over, or maybe not, as Paolo had suggested. But for now, it was.

 Chapter 188

    EPILOGUE


    FOUR MONTHS LATER


    Sandro stretched his legs, shielding his eyes from the sun with sunsses. He sighed, running a hand through his hair. Arabe had suggested a vacation by the beach, and they had been here for four months now. He still wanted to fulfill all her wishes, agreeing to everything she desired.


    Lately, it had been peaceful. Since the altercation with Paolo, there was no imminent threat to Arabe, though he couldn¡¯t say the same for himself, which he didn¡¯t mind. He didn¡¯t believe his enemies would ever cease, as wherever he went, he seemed to attract more.


    He didn¡¯t want to involve Arabe in his dangerous lifestyle, but he also doubted his ability to shield herpletely.


    Alessia had disappeared. When Paolo had died, Sandro had taken the time to scour the building for her before leaving for the Vi, but he hadn¡¯t seen any trace of her.


    ¡°Why are you staring at her?¡±


    Sandro snapped his head at the sound of Arabe¡¯s voice. She stood above him, arms folded. Her bump wasrger now, and he found her the most beautiful woman, even though she oftenpared herself to a cow.


    ¡°Who?¡± Sandro asked as she removed his sses.


    ¡°The red-haired bimbo,¡± Arabe murmured, frowning.


    ¡°What bimbo?¡± Sandro¡¯s eyes scanned the beach before turning back to her. ¡°All I see is an angel with white hair in front of me.¡±


    ¡°Do you mean a cow?¡± Arabe asked. ¡°You were clearly staring at her.¡±


    ¡°Now, Tesoro,¡± Sandro gripped her hand, pulling her onto the lounge chair. As she settled, he wrapped his arms around her. ¡°Are you jealous that I am ogling another woman?¡±


    ¡°If we¡¯re going to make this work between us, it¡¯s off-limits for you to do that,¡± she scowled, pushing at his chest.


    Sandro chuckled, ¡°You¡¯re cute when you¡¯re angry, but you should know you¡¯re the only one I have my eyes on.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you,¡± Arabe said.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t even notice the red-haired girl until you pointed her out, and for the past month since I met you, I¡¯m more into whitish blonde than any other color.¡± He kissed the corner of her lips, then her nose, before locking his lips on hers.


    Arabe wrapped her arms around him, pulling him closer. Sandro groaned, pulling apart as he felt a kick in his stomach. He ced a hand on her bump, ¡°They¡¯re more activetely.¡±


    Arabe nodded, ¡°They have been.¡±


    Giving him a cheeky smile, she added, ¡°Do you know which other side the doctor wants us to be active?¡±


    Sandro raised a brow, ¡°Where?¡±


    ¡°You know where,¡± Arabe replied, her gaze cast down as she suddenly felt shy.


    Sandro tucked a strand of her hair behind her ears, ¡°Tell me where Principessa.¡±


    His eyes darkened, and she could see the lust in them. She knew he understood exactly what she was saying, but he wanted her to say it.


    ¡°The bedroom, Sandro,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°And?¡± he urged.


    ¡°The doctor rmended we fuck each other¡¯s brain¡¯s out,¡± Arabe said, wincing at how blunt it sounded.


    But she didn¡¯t mind. For the past month since they had gotten together, she had waited for a time like this. She and Sandro had worked on their differences, and she had made him grovel, even though she hadn¡¯t told him she had forgiven him yet; it didn¡¯t mean she couldn¡¯t enjoy this moment.


    After all, they were going to be together for a long time, and she couldn¡¯t resist touching him anymore. The worst part was the women who kept eyeing him as though he were some kind of meat, which he kind of was.


    ¡°Now, that¡¯s exciting,¡± Sandro growled.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    He stood to his feet, pulling her up, and just then, the red-haired woman she had been speaking about stepped towards them.


    ¡°Hi,¡± she waved at him.


    ¡°Hi,¡± Sandro replied, but Arabe said nothing.


    ¡°I was wondering if you could help me with this sunscreen and¡­¡±


    Before she could finish her statement, Arabe cupped Sandro¡¯s face, pulling him towards her, and shetched her lips onto his. Sandro¡¯s hands snaked around her waist, pulling her closer as they kissed in front of the red-haired woman, whose eyes widened.


    Arabe let go a few secondster, needing to breathe, and beamed at Sandro, who returned it with a chuckle. He swooped Arabe into his arms, gazing back at the red-haired woman.


    ¡°I am sorry¡­¡±


    ¡°Sophia,¡± she offered.


    ¡°I am sorry, Sophia, but my wife needs me in the bedroom,¡± Sandro said.


    ¡°Oh, I am s¡­ sorry. I never knew you were married,¡± she stuttered, turning red just like her hair.


    Arabe wanted to reply that they weren¡¯t married, and he was only saying so to chase her away since he was taken, but she only grinned. Secretly, she was pleased that he had called her his wife.


    ¡°One of the single guys will be willing to help you,¡± Arabe said.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Sophia scowled at her, but Arabe wasn¡¯t bothered. She could re at her for all she cared; in the end, she was the one going to bed with Sandro.


    ***


    It was barely midnight when Arabe was awakened by a pain at her side. She rolled to her side, caressing her stomach, but that didn¡¯t stop. Climbing down from the bed, she clutched at the headboard as intense pain red through her. She cried out in anguish, waking Sandro from his slumber.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± he asked groggily.


    ¡°No, no, no,¡± she panted. ¡°I think the babies areing.¡±


    Letting out a heavy breath, she gasped as liquid gushed down her thighs.


    ¡°Sandro!¡± Arabe screeched, snapping him out of his daze.


    In seconds, he was beside her.


    ¡°We need to get to the hospital now,¡± Arabe said.


    Sandro didn¡¯t speak any further. He changed her into a clean outfit, carried her out of the room, and into his car, speeding towards the nearest hospital they had used for the antenatal service since their arrival.


    ¡°My wife is inbor,¡± Sandro said when he reached the entrance.


    ¡°Hand her over, sir; we will take it from here,¡± one of the nurses said as they provided a gurney, cing Arabe on it.


    ¡°What part of ¡®she is my wife,¡¯ don¡¯t you understand?¡± He narrowed his eyes at her.


    ¡°We don¡¯t allow¡­¡±


    ¡°I want him to stay,¡± Arabe gripped his hand.


    ¡°You heard her,¡± Sandro retorted.


    ¡°Please, ma¡¯am, it¡¯s not¡­¡±


    ¡°Let him stay,¡± Dr. Lawrence said as he approached them.


    Sandro breathed out, ring at the two nurses who had tried to deter him. Dr. Lawrence ushered Sandro into the delivery room, where Arabe clutched his hand tightly.


    The sterile scent of the hospital surrounded them as the medical team prepared for the arrival of their twins.


    ¡°Fuck it, Sandro,¡± Arabe winced as another contraction hit, beads of perspiration forming on her forehead.


    ¡°You can do it. You¡¯re doing great,¡± Sandro whispered reassuringly into her ear. His hand caressed her hair, and he kissed the top of her forehead.


    ¡°It hurts,¡± Arabe cried.


    ¡°I know, darling, I know,¡± Sandro affirmed, not letting her go even though her grip was strong and she had almost broken his fingers.


    ¡°You are almost ready, ma¡¯am. It seems you were already inbor before you knew it,¡± the nurse who had checked her degree of dtion said.


    Arabe believed it was during sex she had gone intobor. She had felt it and had assumed it was due to Sandro¡¯s dick size. So, she brushed it off.


    ¡°Now, you are going to push when I ask you to,¡± Dr. Lawrence instructed.


    Arabe nodded.


    ¡°Hold on to me, Cara; you¡¯ll be fine,¡± Sandro said as she nced at him.


    Arabe nodded again. For a few seconds, she closed her eyes, focusing on controlling her breathing.


    ¡°Now, push,¡± Dr. Lawrence said.


    Arabe¡¯s teeth gritted her hand that wasn¡¯t in Sandro¡¯s, gripping the edge of the bed.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± She cried out in pain, shuddering.


    As the intensity of the contractions increased, Arabe found sce in the presence of Sandro. She wondered what she would have done in this moment without him.


    ¡°You are doing amazing, Arabe,¡± Dr. Lawrence said.


    ¡°She will be fine,¡± he said to Sandro, whose eyes widened each minute.


    He didn¡¯t know if it was due to Arabe gripping his hand or what was happening, but he looked as though he would pass out any moment from now.


    ¡°One powerful push, and they¡¯ll be out,¡± Dr. Lawrence said.


    And Arabe did just that. She screamed her lungs out. She doubted she would be able to speak for a long time, and it was worth it. The cries of their newborns filled the room.


    ¡°Thank goodness,¡± Arabe sobbed, exhausted.


    ¡°Thanks to the goddess,¡± Sandro added, blinking back the tears in his eyes.


    ¡°Congrattions, Mr. and Mrs. De Luca. You just had healthy twins, a boy, and a beautiful girl.¡±


    Arabe and Sandro exchanged nces. A boy wasn¡¯t predicted for her. It had always been two, and they had always been female. Now, having a boy, she wondered what was going to happen. She pondered if she had disrupted some sort of bnce.


    When the babies were clean, they were given to Sandro and Arabe. Sandro held onto their baby girl while Arabe held the boy.


    ¡°He¡¯s perfect,¡± she said, counting his toes and fingers.


    ¡°She¡¯s more than perfect, just like her mother,¡± Sandro whispered, his voice choked up with emotion.


    ¡°He¡¯s Nichs, from ze¡¯s name,¡± Arabe said, looking at Sandro for affirmation about the name.


    She had thought of it since ze died. Even before then, she had wanted one of her children to have his name, even if she was a girl. At least she would have the feminine version.


    Sandro nodded, showing no problem with it.


    ¡°And she is?¡± she asked, nodding towards her daughter.


    ¡°She¡¯s Sandara, coined from both our names,¡± Sandro grinned.


    ¡°Beautiful,¡± Arabe said.


    ¡°They are,¡± Sandro affirmed, leaning into Arabe closing his lips around hers.


    Sandara Isabe De Luca And Nichs Ro De Luca were born on May 7th, 2023.


    PS: Watch out for bonus chapters featuring Allesandro and Arabe¡¯s budding romance. For now, thanks for sticking by.


    Also, there¡¯s a Book Two.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!