Chapter 5

Valerie:

“Mum, you know that I am not a child,” I said through the phone as I put my hand on my swollen stomach.

“Val, I never did say that you are, but wolves shift tonight, and you know how your father feels about any of you being outside when that happens.” She said, and I sighed. It was something that was drilled into my head, and no matter how much I tried to forget about it, my family had the habit of reminding me.

“You know, mama, if the family stopped hunting the wolves down, maybe they wouldn’t be after us.” I suggested as I tended to one of the cats that was laying in her cage. Having been spayed, she was just waking up.

“It runs in the family’s blood, little huntress. Mind you, not everyone inherited my blood like you,” she said, and I laughed. “Just stay safe and inside. For your child’s sake at least,”

I ran my fingers over my stomach for a few seconds before nodding. It has been four months since that night, and my baby was a constant, daily, reminder of it. 

“Don’t worry, mama, I will be staying in the infirmary a little later than normal. Work has been piling up…”

“Or you have been trying to avoid thinking about the baby’s father.” She said, and I looked down at the cage for a second before taking a deep breath. She didn’t know who he was, and I doubted that she would be accepting it if she found out anyway.

“I will call you tomorrow morning, okay, mama?” I asked, and she sighed.

“Alright, sweetheart, just stay safe and be sure to stay inside.” She said, and I hummed in response before she hung up. I put my phone down as I wrapped the lab coat around my body. I had to admit, over the four months, I did hope, for a second at least, that he would pop up at my door to know about his child. I didn’t have it in myself to go back to his hotel, but knowing that he was El Capi dei Capi, I knew that he could easily find me if he wanted to.

“You know, you have been playing with my mind a lot lately.” I said, putting my hand on my stomach as I spoke to my child. “I still have to find us a place to go a few years after you’re born. For your safety, at least, I can’t have them sensing your wolf blood.”

My heart throbbed and I walked toward my desk as the howls of wolves echoed around us. Normal people wouldn’t hear them, but as a huntress born, I did. I just often pretended that I didn’t because I didn’t want to think of harming anyone because of how they were born.

My stomach growled, and I rolled my eyes at it. “Really? This is like the sixth meal that I am going to be having today.”

I shook my head at myself, knowing that I was being ridiculous as I spoke to an unborn child, but then again, we did always learn that a baby could hear his mother talking when inside her.

“Fine,” I muttered as I got up from my chair. “Let’s go and find something to eat so we can feed you…” a loud thump stopped me from completing my sentence, and I couldn’t help but frown in confusion as I knew that the sound came from the front door. 

A heavy feeling settled in my chest, and I knew that the thump came from a wolf. I could sense him outside, and it was an Alpha blood, even worse at this point.

I opened my drawer and pulled my gun out, loading it with a few bullets. The last thing that I was going to allow right now was for a fuss to be happening here. And considering the fact that I knew not to call mom right now, I knew that disabling the cameras would be a better option. Otherwise, the family’s security team could watch, and God forbid that my father finds out that an Alpha has been walking on my grounds.

I walked toward the door and couldn’t help but frown when I saw that the shadow of the wolf was still. The wolf wasn’t moving at all, and no footsteps could be heard, not his at least. 

I looked out the window to see him and couldn’t help but frown at the sight of the black wolf that lay with a pool of blood under him. My heart raced and I couldn’t help but find my breath getting caught in my throat as the footsteps of hunters made my heart drop. 

I opened the door and the wolf, who was leaning against the wall, fell inside almost immediately, taking me off guard as I saw his left shoulder and chest. Both were shot by bullets, and I could tell by the trail of blood that followed him here that he’s been injured for a while now.

“Fuck,” I muttered, pulling the creature, or more specifically, trying to, inside. My heart raced and I couldn’t help but frown at the sparks that coursed through my veins as I touched the wolf, and that was all it took before his body shifted back to human.

I frowned at the sight of the man’s blonde hair. His chest rose and fell with each heavy breath that he took, and his eyes were closed as he lost consciousness, clearly drained from the loss of blood. But that wasn’t what made my heart drop. It was me taking sight of his dirty and injured face, processing who he was as he lay in front of me.

“Alessandro?”