MasukDante's POVI stood in the empty room that would become the nursery, measuring the wall space for the third time this week. The room was on the second floor of our private wing, close enough that we'd hear the baby if they cried but far enough from the main compound that noise wouldn't disturb their sleep."The crib goes here," I said to Marcus, who'd been dragged along to help with measurements. "Against this wall so we can see them from the doorway.""Dante, the baby isn't due for seven more months.""I know. But I want everything ready." I moved to the opposite wall. "Changing table here. Rocking chair in that corner by the window."Marcus sighed but pulled out his phone to make notes. "What about colors?""Neutral for now. We don't know if it's a boy or girl yet." I'd asked Elena three times already if she could tell, but apparently it was too early. "Soft greens and yellows. Nothing too bright or overwhelming."I'd already contacted five different furniture companies, requesting
Dante's POV I stood on the balcony overlooking my territory, watching the sun set over the compound walls. The training yard below was empty now, warriors having finished their evening drills. Lights were coming on in the residential buildings as pack members settled in for dinner. Six months ago, I'd stood in this same spot and felt nothing but emptiness. My parents had been pushing their agenda, Vivian had been scheming to trap me, and I'd been convinced I would never find my mate. The curse had felt real then. Twenty years of watching every potential mate die or reject me had carved something hollow inside my chest. I'd accepted I would rule alone, that connection and partnership weren't meant for me. Now Vera was my partner in everything. This morning she'd negotiated a treaty with the Baltimore pack while I'd handled a supply chain issue. This afternoon we'd interviewed potential recruits together, her reading people's intentions while I assessed their combat capabilities. S
Vera's POV Three weeks after Viktor's death, I sat in Dante's office reviewing contracts for a shipping operation we'd taken from the Volkov bratva. The numbers didn't make sense. "These revenue figures are wrong," I said, pointing at a line in the spreadsheet. "They're reporting thirty thousand a month but the actual shipments show they should be making at least fifty." Dante looked up from the map he'd been studying. "Someone's skimming." "Either that or they're terrible at math." I circled the discrepancy with red pen. "We should send Marcus to audit them." "Good catch." Dante made a note on his phone. "What else?" I flipped to the next contract. "The gambling den on Fifth Street wants to renegotiate their protection rates. They're claiming business is down since the war." "Business is up everywhere since we eliminated Viktor. They're lying." "I know. But if we push too hard, they might try switching to another family." I tapped my pen against the desk. "I think we counter-
Vera's POVI watched as Dante's claws tightened around Viktor's throat. The Russian's face turned purple, then blue. His eyes bulged until blood vessels burst, turning the whites red. His mouth opened and closed like a fish drowning in air.Dante squeezed harder. I heard bones cracking, the sound wet and terrible. Viktor's windpipe collapsed under the pressure. Blood poured from his nose and mouth.Then Dante twisted his wrist sharply. Viktor's neck snapped with a sound like breaking wood. His body went limp instantly, head hanging at an unnatural angle.Dante held him there for a moment longer, making sure he was dead. Then he opened his hand and Viktor's body fell to the floor, landing in a heap among his dead guards.The war that had threatened the Russo family was over. We had won.Dante stood over Viktor's corpse, his chest heaving, blood dripping from his claws onto the expensive carpet. Slowly, the red faded from his eyes. Gold returned as he forced the hybrid back under contro
Chapter 133: No MercyDante's POVI laughed. The sound came out cold and harsh, echoing off the expensive wood paneling in Viktor's office."You think I'm afraid of the bratva families?" I took a step forward. Viktor's guards raised their weapons higher. "You think the threat of more Russians coming for me will make me spare your life?"Viktor's expression didn't change. "Is smart business to avoid unnecessary war.""You made a fatal mistake attacking the Russo family." Another step. "You should have left us alone.""Shoot him," Viktor said.His guards opened fire. Bullets tore through the air where I'd been standing but I was already moving, my partially shifted form giving me speed they couldn't track.I grabbed the nearest guard and used him as a shield. Bullets thudded into his back and chest. He screamed. I threw his body at the two guards on the left and they went down in a tangle of limbs.Vera moved right, her knife flashing. She opened one guard's throat before he could turn
Dante's POVBlood roared in my ears. My vision was pure red. The hybrid had taken over completely and all I could think about was the soldier who'd stabbed Vera, who'd made her bleed, who'd dared to hurt what was mine.The man was already dead, torn into pieces scattered across the hallway. But it wasn't enough. Nothing would be enough until I'd destroyed everything Viktor Volkov had ever built, everyone he'd ever cared about, every person who'd helped him plan this attack.I grabbed another Volkov soldier who was trying to run and slammed him against the wall. His skull cracked. I did it again. And again. His head came apart like a smashed watermelon.A hand touched my arm. Small. Familiar.Vera's wolf pressed against my side, her uninjured shoulder pushing into my leg. Through our bond came a wave of calm, of reassurance, of her presence anchoring me before I lost myself completely to the rage.She shifted back to human form, not caring that she was naked and vulnerable in the middl







