Novels by Nini

Adriana's POV.The black dress clung to my body uncomfortably, as if it didn’t want to be there just as much as I didn’t. It was tight in the wrong places, especially around my stomach. Thankfully, my baby bump wasn’t obvious yet.I stood at the back of the cemetery, away from the main crowd, but it felt like all eyes were on me. Watching, whispering and judging.Maybe I shouldn’t have come. But I had to.I stared at the coffin. The priest’s words were a soft blur in the background. I couldn’t hear anything except the pounding of my heart.Then I saw her.Fred’s mother.She stood by the casket, stiff and broken. Her face was filled with pain, her black veil doing nothing to hide the fury burning in her eyes. Her gaze found mine and in that moment, I knew this was about to get ugly.She pushed past two people and stormed toward me."You have some nerve showing up here!" she shouted, her voice slicing through the quiet ceremony.Heads turned. The priest fell silent while people stared

Adriana's POV.I was seriously starting to regret asking Luca to bring me along. He had disappeared into a meeting, and I was stuck alone in his office, bored out of my mind. At least back at the mansion, I had Paige to keep me company.I spun slowly in Luca’s chair, letting out a sigh, when the door burst open and he walked in, looking a little tense."Can you wait here a little longer? I have official business to take care of," he said.I didn’t need to ask, his eyes said it all. Mafia business."Let’s go," I said, already standing up."No, Adriana. You’ll wait here," he said more firmly this time, like I was a kid being told to stay put.I stared at him, arms folded. “I’m coming.”He muttered something under his breath and gave in, probably realizing I wasn’t going to back down.The car ride was fast and rough. Luca drove like he was chasing someone, and my stomach didn’t take it well. When we finall

Luca's POV. Ever since I got back, I’ve done everything possible to avoid Adriana. If I saw her coming down the hallway, I’d turn and walk the other way. She told me to stay away from her and I meant to respect that but it wasn’t just that. As much as I hate to say it, she’s Vincent's wife and now, she’s carrying his child. I already crossed a line once, I won't do it again. But fate has a cruel sense of humor. No matter how hard I try, we keep running into each other and each time, she offers a soft “hello,” with that smile, the kind that knocks the air out of your lungs. I tell myself not to respond, to keep walking but every damn time, I nod back or say something stupid. Like a fool. With Vincent out of town on some business trip with our father, she’s more alone than ever. Not like his presence makes a difference, he treats her like shit, and she just takes it. I hear it and I see it but I choose to stay out of it, I've already caused enough damage. I was part of the reason

Adriana's POV.I walked into the tiny, run-down café on the edge of the city. The kind of place I'd never step foot in on a normal day. Paint peeling off the walls, the air thick with the smell of burnt coffee and cheap grease. But this was where he wanted to meet—and no one would ever think to look for me here.The door creaked open, and the bell above it gave a tired jingle.There he was, Fred Donovan. Tucked in a shadowed booth at the far end. Same cocky smirk, same calculating eyes.Fred had once been my father’s private investigator. Sharp, loyal… until he wasn’t. They parted ways under terms neither ever spoke about. As for Fred and me? We had a thing, once. Nothing serious. A few nights, a few mistakes.He looked older now. Scruff on his jaw, sleeves rolled halfway up his forearms, revealing a faded tattoo I never asked about. But his eyes, those were still sharp. "Princess Russo," he said, the smirk deepening as I slid i

Adriana's POV. I stood still, watching as my father and Don Moretti exchanged greetings. Not once did my father look my way, not a word, not a nod. Just the usual cold silence I’d grown used to. Still, it stung. We moved to the dining room, the air already heavy with tension. Don Moretti took the seat at the head of the table, his presence alone commanding silence. Vincent sat to his left, Luca to his right. I took the seat next to Vincent, while my father settled beside Luca. The maids began to serve dinner, roasted lamb, rich pasta, and a bottle of vintage wine that only came out during important visits. No one touched their foods yet, just silence. Don Moretti finally broke the silence. “Luca,” he said, his voice deep but calm, “how are things with the Italian docks?” Luca leaned back slightly in his chair, his expression calm. “Smooth so far. I’ve got eyes on every corner, and I'm thinking of closing in on a big deal with the Palermo's. It’ll double our distribution line.” D

Adriana's POV.Paige had gone out to the supermarket to restock the kitchen, and I insisted on going with her. The mansion felt like a cage, too quiet, too empty, and far too suffocating. I needed air, movement, something to distract me from the mess of my life.At first, Paige was hesitant. She gently reminded me that I needed rest and that Vincent wouldn’t like me wandering around but I wasn’t in the mood to listen. I reminded her, calmly but firmly, that I was her boss. After a moment of silence, she gave in.I dressed in something simple, a soft cream-colored sweater, dark jeans, and a pair of flats. My hair was tied into a low bun, and I wore no makeup. I didn’t want to draw attention. I just wanted to feel like myself again, even if it was only for a few hours.At the supermarket, I trailed behind Paige, watching as she moved from aisle to aisle, checking off items on her list. It was peaceful, almost normal. After we finished shopping and loaded the groceries into the car, I re

Chapter 46. Jax. This wasn’t the first time being near Camryn sent jolts through my body but today, it hit different. My wolf stirred the second she touched me in training. It was like the rest of the class disappeared, like it was just her and me in that room. And I know she felt it too. Throughout the rest of the class, she got all jumpy, couldn’t even throw a punch without flinching. The moment class ended, she practically ran out of the class. I tried going after her but she was too fast. Then Heather showed up out of nowhere, looping her arm around mine. “Hey, Jaxie,” she said in that high, sugary voice. I cringed. When we were still together, that was the nickname she used on me and back then it didn't irritate me as much as it did now. Camryn had already vanished down the hallway. I sighed and looked down at the girl holding on to my arm. There was a time I thought Heather and I w

Chapter 45. Camryn. I had just finished brushing my hair when I caught Heather's reflection in the mirror, dancing around in her pajamas, while singing completely off-key and very into her own private concert. She twirled once, then noticed me watching. “What?” she asked with a grin. “Ariana Grande’s in a good mood today,” I said, raising a brow. “Haha, funny,” she shot back, clearly unbothered as she flopped onto her bed. I swear, with Heather, you could set a clock to when she’d start talking. Right on cue… “Jax and I are talking again,” she said casually, like she hadn’t been avoiding him for weeks. “Not dating yet, just talking but I think it’s only a matter of time before we get back together. I can feel it.” “That’s nice,” I said, zipping up my bag. “Are you even listening?” she asked, sitting up. “Yeah. I hope you guys do get back together. Y

Chapter 44.Kian.I stood there, watching her lose it.Principal Parker had pulled us aside earlier, said she was worried about Camryn and told us to check in on her, make sure she was okay. We all nodded like we agreed, like we trusted Elaine’s concern, but deep down, I didn’t buy it. Camryn was right. Elaine knew something. She was lying straight to our faces, and the others? They either believed her or were too afraid to admit they didn’t.But I believed Camryn.Yeah, maybe she was getting too invested, maybe she was letting it take over her life but that didn’t make her wrong. The prophecy is real. The signs are there. And Elaine? She believes in it too. She’s hiding something.And I’m going to find out what it is.***In the meantime… I had no idea what I was doing standing outside Camryn’s window at midnight.The moon was high, the woods behind me were quiet, and yet... I just stood ther

Chapter 43.Camryn.For the past few days, Principal Parker had been calling me to her office, always saying she just wanted to “check in.” It was weird.I told the guys about it, but they didn’t think much of it. In fact, they went on and on about how Principal Parker was the nicest person in the world. How she helped each of them when they needed someone. How she was basically a mother figure here at Lupinemere.But I wasn’t buying it. I could see right through her.I was starting to believe she knew everything, about the book, the prophecy, the She-Wolf... even the truth behind my parents' murder.So I made up my mind. The next time she called me in, I’d confront her.----Mr. Grimpsy’s class was dragging, as usual. I was barely staying awake when a student walked in and called my name."Principal Parker wants to see you," they said.I didn’t even try to hide the excitement. Finally.

Chapter 42.Camryn.The wind howled through the trees, cold and wild, sending shivers down my spine. I stood alone in the woods, the moon high above me. Something was out there, circling the trees. I couldn’t see it, but I felt it. The hair on my arms stood on the edge.“Hello?” I called out, my voice shaky. “Who’s there?”No answer, just silence… and then a whisper carried by the wind.“Camryn… Camryn… Camryn…”My heart pounded in my chest. I spun around, searching through the darkness. And then something lunged at me from the shadows.I screamed, kicking out, hard.A yelp.“Ow! What the hell, Camryn!” Heather’s voice snapped me out of it.I blinked, panting, soaked in sweat. I was in bed. A nightmare. Just a nightmare.“I’m so sorry!” I gasped, sitting up. “What were you doing by my bed?”Heather rubbed the side of her face. “You were crying in your sleep. I was trying to wake you up.”“Oh.” I looked down, suddenly embarrassed. “Bad dream.”She gave me a look, gentle but hesitant. “

Chapter 41.Camryn.I couldn’t sleep.Not because I wasn’t tired but because Camryn’s words wouldn’t stop echoing in my head.“I think I’m the she-wolf.”I mean, what even is that supposed to mean?I turned on my side in bed, staring at the shadows dancing across the ceiling from the moonlight. I had heard about prophecies and old legends, sure. Every werewolf kid grows up with those stories whispered around fires during pack gatherings but no one ever thinks they’ll actually come true. And definitely not with some girl who just stumbled into our lives.But there was something about the way she said it. She meant it, she wasn’t just fishing for attention. Camryn didn’t need that, if anything, she tried to avoid it.I sat up and swung my legs over the bed.When Isaac dragged me to that secret meeting, I was annoyed. Thought it was going to be another one of Camryn’s drama episodes and I’ve had enoug