[Tatiana’s POV]I don’t move or open my eyes as I listen to the conversation that is happening around me while my heart threatens to beat out of my chest.There was no hiding it now. My pregnancy was known, and I would have to begin to face the consequences that came with that. I could only hope that everyone would truly believe that Massimo was the father; otherwise…No, I wouldn’t dare think of the alternative. I couldn’t let anything happen to the child."Then I’ll leave you," the medic who had been watching over me announces, ending the conversation between him and Massimo. "If you need anything, don’t hesitate to call me.""Thank you," Massimo responds. "But I’m sure that I can take it from here."I listen until the medic’s footsteps head out of the room and down the hall, so that Massimo and I are alone."You can stop pretending now," Massimo announces. "I know you’re awake."Blushing, I slowly open my eyes to find his golden ones locked on me, and the emotion that I see in them
[Massimo’s POV]Tatiana’s eyes widen as I wait to see just how far she will let me go to put on this act of being fiances and then later spouses. Would she let me kiss her? Would she let me touch her? I didn’t want to push her farther than she was willing to go, but I also couldn’t stop the desperate need to possess her that I felt."If you don’t say anything, I’ll go further," I warn.With each passing second, the desire to feel just how her lips feel against mine becomes stronger and stronger. As does the need to feel how soft her body truly is.Fuck, I wanted her. I wanted to make her mine, but I knew that wouldn’t happen right away and would take time if it ever truly happened."Mass," she begins, but stops as I lift my hand and run it along her cheek until my hand becomes entangled in her wild hair. "Wai-wait."Frowning, I don’t move as everything in me screams to continue, but when I notice the look of fear on Tatiana’s face over my actions, I jerk backwards."Sorry," I huff, ru
Sweat drips down my skin as my breaths come in heavy puffs, but I continue to move in order to keep the demons at bay. Only when I was physically exerting myself did the ghosts of the past and present fade away.Since Tatiana was taken away from Hunters Moon, the nightmares have returned. Each night, I saw her ghastly face, accusing me of what happened to her because I wasn't strong enough to save her back then.Again and again, she would reach out to me, crying and screaming, begging me to help her and save her, but each time I would be unable to move and only able to watch helplessly.By this point, you would think that I would be used to it, but even now it leaves me shaken to my core, and with the dreams coming so frequently, I was having trouble sleeping and found myself running alone before the sun even rose.I didn't know if it was my guilt flaring because, just like I couldn't protect her, I couldn't protect Tatiana either, which was why I sent her away after hurting her so ba
[Tatiana’s POV]The sounds of screams and glass shattering wake me from the darkness that I’m currently trapped in.Gasping, my eyes fly open, and I find that I’m back in my tiny room in Hunters Moon’s maid quarters.Frowning, I try to determine exactly why I’m here and what happened before I arrived here. However, before I can think too long about it, I realize that the room is full of smoke and is much hotter than usual.Feeling a chill race down my spine, I jump up and make my way to the door and grab the handle, only to hiss in pain as the metal burns my skin.With wide eyes, I begin to look around until I can locate something to use to wrap around the knob so that it doesn’t burn me again.Settling on a pillowcase, I try again, this time succeeding in yanking the door open so that a wave of thick smoke begins to plume into the room around me.Coughing, I begin to move while holding the pillowcase against my mouth so that I don’t inhale too much smoke.Outside is pure chaos, with
[Massimo’s POV]"Who are you to tell me what I shouldn’t do?"Knight’s voice is harsh, but there is a hint of disbelief and something more behind it. However, I don’t give a shit whether or not this asshole thing is an act or not, because the look of hurt that crosses Tatiana’s face is very real."Do you know speaking against the luna of a pack like that is insubordination?" He continues. "I could…""Could what?" I growl, pulling Tatiana against me. "Where the fuck do you think you are?"If Tatiana wasn’t here, I would have already attacked him and not thought twice about it. But I knew that seeing what I did back at Onyx Falls had left a mark on her, and I didn’t want her to have to see that side of me again."I don’t care if this is your territory or mine," Knight counters. "She is suggesting that the luna of Hunters Moon is planning something and that…""Again, I don’t give a shit," I snap, tightening my hold on Tatiana. "You touch her, and I will cut you down right here and now."
[Knight’s POV]I storm out of Obsidian River’s packhouse and make my way to the car, where Vince sits waiting with his seat back and his eyes closed.As he senses me, he shoots up and eyes me curiously before a look of concern crosses his face."What’s wrong with you?" He asks as I pull my door open and climb into the car. "What happened?"For a moment, I don’t speak as Tatiana’s words replay themselves in my mind again and again.Beware of my stepmother.Frowning, I try to make sense of why she would even say that. Was she aware of something that I didn’t know, or was she already aware of her treachery?Fuck, it was frustrating, and as much as I wanted to question her further about what she was saying, I couldn’t possibly.‘Your attempt at protecting her was for nothing,’ Bane huffs in frustration."Hello?" Vince continues, waving a hand in front of my face. "Are you going to talk to me or keep staring off into oblivion?"Sighing, I buckle my seatbelt and fix my gaze straight ahead.
[Knight’s POV]"You’re welcome to have a seat wherever," I announce, untangling my arm from Anya’s. "My stepmother should be here any…""Wait," she gasps, reaching out and grabbing my wrist. "Won’t you stay?"Stay? Why in the hell would I stay? I was pretty sure I knew exactly what it was that they were going to talk about, and I didn’t need to be a part of it.If that woman had convinced my father to go along with her plan, then that was that, and I had no room to argue."I’m sure the both of you have a lot of catching up to do."As I speak, I begin to move, making my way toward the room's exit, but before I can reach it, I feel my shirt being snagged.Frowning, I turn and take in Anya, who is standing behind me with a pained look on her face."Did I do something to offend you?" She asks quietly, lifting her large gaze to mine. "If so, I apologize."Biting back my initial response, I try to make sense of what the fuck is going on, but before I can, my stepmother enters with Jackson,
[Tatiana’s POV]I stand on the busy street, clinging to Massimo while trying to stop the anxiety that I’m suddenly feeling due to being surrounded by so many people and noises.Since I had grown up in Hunters Moon, I was never exposed to this type of thing, but since Massimo was willing to help me investigate what was happening behind the scenes in Hunters Moon, I couldn’t possibly deny his request for me to go on a date with him.That was why, two days later, I was out here being overstimulated while trying to make it seem like I was fine."Just continue to hang onto me," Massimo says now, snapping me out of my head so that I find our noses are inches apart.Gasping, I stumble backwards but am stopped by his arm wrapping around me."Careful," he hisses, pulling me against him. "You’re pregnant; you need to take better care of yourself.""I’m so…"I don’t finish as Masimo’s gaze narrows on me and our conversation a few days prior flashes in my mind."So…" Shit, old habits really do di