[Tatiana’s POV]I fight the sob that wants to escape as fear begins to claw at me while Massimo just stares on as if he couldn’t quite believe what I was telling him."I know that what I’m about to ask you is a lot," I continue quietly. "But please help me."There was only so long that I could hide this pregnancy, and I truly feared that if my uncle were to find out, he would force Knight to take responsibility or, worse, kick me out of the pack and the syndicate. If that happened, I would be alone and have to care for a child on my own. All this was my fault for my moment of weakness due to my desperation to be loved and cared for by another. The child was innocent and didn’t deserve any of that."Before anything, try to calm down," Massimo murmurs, reaching out and grabbing my hand. "You look like you’re going to break down at any moment.""I may," I admit.I couldn’t quite understand why I was actually so willing to be vulnerable in front of Massimo. Maybe it was because he was th
[Massimo’s POV]I feel a jolt rush through me as Tatiana slumps forward and doesn’t move."Hey," I gasp, flipping her over so I can take in her pale face. "Little fairy!"Cursing, I jump up and take in the carnage around me, immediately realizing that it must have been too much for her. That was why I didn’t want her to come out until I had taken care of things.I was sure that since she didn’t grow up in the syndicate, she wasn’t exposed to this type of thing, and I had hoped that I could protect her from it, but it looked like someone was up to no good.Frowning, I lift Tatiana into my arms and begin to move, leaving my bike where it is while extending my senses until I find Migel.‘Boss?’ His voice immediately responds. ‘What’s wrong?’‘There was an attack in Onyx River territory,’ I hiss. ‘Send some men to the falls to clean it up and call a meeting immediately. But first, send me a car to the main road off the falls.’I didn’t know who the fuck would try something like this under
[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.