Novels by The Angel's Ink

“Yes, Ombra Nera.”“Shhh!!!” His eyes darted to the door, then the window. “Don’t say that name.”I froze.“They’re dangerous,” he whispered. “Their people could be anywhere. Anyone.”I stepped closer, lowering my voice. “Are you… one of them?” he studied me like he could see through my skin.I shook my head so fast, I almost got a whiplash. “No, I promise. I only heard it from my brother yesterday.”The suspicion in his eyes vanished. He bent over his work again, voice dropping to a rasp. “They’re the shadow people. Deadly. They kill for sport.”.“Please, what are they?My brother….”He shook his head, looking at me in pity. “No one involved leaves the Ombra Nera alive. It’s not a dance club. It’s a mafia, bound by blood, loyal to each othher, ” he added.I recoiled sharply. Outside, the guards’ shadows shifted across the shop window.I swallowed hard.Mafia?——Ombra Nera, Italian for “Black Shadow”, was a criminal underground group, tightly knit and bound by blood, ran both legal

He used to run a small, cluttered shop in the town square near Open Creek. He mended clothes and mostly gossiped with older women. He once told my grandmother that his cousin disappeared, after getting into "trouble" with some "shady people," a group called the Ombra Nera. He'd scoffed at it, saying the name only brought bad luck but it got stuck at the back of my mind. Now I knew where I heard that name before. Mr. Perri might know more. Maybe why they had been attacking our pack.I needed to get to town. Find Mr. Perri and talk to him. He was my only hope, my one shot at unraveling this mystery. I finally thought of a way to do so. It was a foolish idea, but the alternative was complete ignorance and despair. I had to know.I slept with determination burning inside of me. The next day passed fast, it was unusually busy in the large house. I had my lunch and then retreated to my room. I was still brimming with fear of the possibility that Alpha Romano only changed his mind to ac

I wondered if I should speak to someone about the figure in the shadow. Days blurred together in a quiet, uneasy routine , meals in silence, stolen glances at the Alpha who barely noticed me, and too much time on the balcony pretending to enjoy the view.Restless, I left my room for a walk.On my first lap around the house, I heard voices.“The land we acquired from Open Creek is large enough now,” one of them said. Hearing my former pack’s name, I froze, inhaling sharply. I hid behind the wall to listen in.“Are you sure about that? We need all the space we can get. We can't have their pack members looking into Ombra Nera’s operations,” a second voice responded.They spoke of my pack, of the killings, stolen land. My blood ran cold. Ombra Nera… the name sounded familiar, I just couldn't recall where.“Alessia said so. You can confirm again. The alpha is very thorough, we can't afford to make a mistake during this expansion.”My eyes bulged as I held in a gasp. Expansion? All that

Alpha Romano's words sliced through the wide dining room, echoing. "First, you will not leave this property without my permission. You will not speak to anyone outside this pack without direct supervision. My pack, my rules, I do not tolerate risks." He paused, eyes boring into mine like a predator studying its prey. "Third," he continued, his voice dropping slightly. "You're to attend all pack gatherings with me. Isabella will see to it that you look the part. Fourth, you will learn your place. You might be my mate and Luna by decree, but your authority here is equal to none." His lips curled in disdain. “You must be available for me at all times,” he added. My heart stopped for a minute. Did he mean that sexually? The thought of him touching me made me want to throw up. “I do not care about your presence here but my reputation is essential. There are trained guards at every inch of the perimeter. If you attempt to run again, you'd only be putting dear old Open Creek at risk

Those words were the final push I needed. I jumped up to my feet and walked over to Grannie Alba.“I'll go with you, please don't hurt her.”Our goodbyes were rushed and robotic. Grannie Alba avoided my eyes deliberately, and I couldn't blame her. She had just watched a massacre in her living room.My gaze remained trained on the two bodies on the floor until we walked out the door. Just as I expected, a small group of people were outside, watching from a distance. No one dared come close. Our window was wide enough to have seen what happened to the last person who did.Tears blurred my vision as we walked towards the SUVs that were parked outside and I didn’t bother to wipe them off.I glanced back at the house one more time, hoping Grannie Alba was at the door, but she wasn't. She still sat shaking on the couch, staring at the crimson stain that covered the floor.I watched life as I knew it, end right before my eyes.——I cried all through the drive, no one showed any concern.I

A cold feeling washed over me. “Claiming ceremony? What are you talking about? He rejected me as his mate and I've accepted the rejection.” Grannie Alba's hand flew to her mouth. Her eyes darting between the Alpha and me.The man who spoke raised an eyebrow.“That wasn't a request, Miss Blackwood,” Alpha Romano said.“I thought you wanted nothing to do with me? I don't want anything to do with you either,” where my newfound confidence came from, I had no idea, but I had to speak up. “Do you know who I am, Selene?” He asked, cocking his head to the side slightly. “I'm not going anywhere with you. You can find someone else to play house with,” I retorted.Just as the words left my mouth, the door was forced open. My cousin, Freya, whom I hadn’t seen in almost a year was dragged in by a huge man.“Freya!” I exclaimed, making a move to run towards her but the man who spoke before stood in my way.“Please let her go. She hasn't done anything,” I cried out, looking from the alpha to Fr