"You can breathe now." Lorenzo informed them after the restaurant had disappeared from view. Valentina gasped out, coughing sporadically. Antonio was more conserved. "You can't..." Antonio started to say then realized Lorenzo had his nose blocked with an oxygen tube. He relaxed... Or rather tried to. His wolf still was restless and fighting to surface, he was feeling an immeasurable weakness and his sight was fluctuating. He reached for Valentina who was as weak as a feather. Her face was pale and her features interchanged between human and wolf. "Stay alive" He whispered pleadingly, his nose in her hair. What Lorenzo went through to get well was still fresh in his memory. Valentina wasn't an Alpha, she wasn't strong. He feared for her life. He could feel their mate connection weakening. "Valentina..." He called with alarm, pulling her face up. Her eyes were closed. "Open your eyes, look at me... Please." He pleaded. Her eyelids fluttered slightly but never opened. He jammed h
"You've been staring at them for too long. I've prepared dinner." Lorenzo said softly, pulling Raphaela up from her sitted station at the door.She hugged him. He stiffened a bit then relaxed but didn't hug her back."I think we should leave, I think we should leave this life" she murmured, "It just isn't for us. Trouble always finds us and we put the locals in danger.""You're afraid.""I don't want them to die. I'm afraid I'll lose the people I love to unknown enemies that keep hunting us. We don't even know who we're fighting against, why they want us dead, why they are using such brutal methods. We killed a hundred and one wolves today, Lorenzo, a hundred and one. Our hands are too bloody."Lorenzo's body stiffened again at the reminder. His arms moved to hold her of their own accord.Back at the garden, he hadn't even killed up to ten wolves. In that garden, he had felt fear. The only thing he feared before that moment in his entire existence was losing Raphaela. But in that gard
Lorenzo dove with Raphaela into the nearest room as a mighty wave of heat and fire rushed at them. He slammed the door, the instant the sprinklers began working."We have to get them out!" Raphaela shouted, rushing to Antonio and Valentina's side as the fire rapidly ate its way through the door."I knew something like this was going to happen! I just knew it!" She raved, kicking a stool away.They hurriedly unplugged Antonio and Valentina from the machines."The trap door." Raphaela pulled open the trap door just as the door exploded and the fire roared in. Lorenzo sharply lifted Antonio and Valentina into his arms and zoomed down the escape route. Raphaela snatched the bag that contained the rest of the miracle herb and other needed materials and the defibrillators, the fire burning off the ends of her clothe and hair as she ran down the stairs, ensuring to shut the trap door.It led to a small underground garage where Lorenzo waited for her. He had strapped Antonio and Valentina al
Antonio was up two hours later. Raphaela was all over the both of them ensuring they were totally fine before she could set herself at ease."Thank..." Antonio started to say but shut up at the look Raphaela shot him. He switched his gaze to Valentina who stood slightly in front of Lorenzo, like a guard, her eyes trained on him.He smiled at her. Her lips twitched but her face remained stoic. He nodded at Lorenzo."What next?" He asked, looking between Raphaela and Lorenzo."We wanted to ask you both to leave and settle somewhere but...""That isn't possible any longer." He finished, stealing a glance at Valentina.Watching Valentina slowly lose her breath just three days ago, he hadn't been able to bear it. He thought he had experienced all sorts of pain but the pain he felt at that moment had been immeasurable and it had sucked the little strength he had left.Just before he list consciousness, he had asked Lorenzo for a favour even though he knew it had dire consequences. He had as
"Hera?" Antonio called carefully. The witch's name was Hera.Hera cracked a crooked smile at him, gazing at him with interest."Antonio..."Antonio shivered. Her voice washed through him like cold iced water and caged him like spidery webs all round. Valentina rushed at Hera, her face twisted in fury; Lorenzo held her back just as Hera raised a hand. The air sizzled but nothing happened.Hera's head slowly turned on its socket, watching Lorenzo lead Valentina back."A smart one" she spoke, "my Lorenzo.""Kneel her down!" Her voice was suddenly a mighty rushing wind pushing Lorenzo to action before he realized it. Valentina went on her knees before Hera, she struggled to rise but the earth held her in place.Hera's head returned to normal.She raised a hand that was strangely clawed and caressed Lorenzo's stiff face. Lorenzo swallowed. He was finding it hard to reconcile his Raphaela being possessed by the witch, Hera.He
"Julien, Julien Hugo."Julien roused from his sleep, coming face to face with a smiling Raphaela."My God, Raphaela, why do you love making me so worried?" He groaned, pulling her into a bone crushing hug.She let him hug her for as long as he wished, taking comfort in the familiar embrace and the memory of the past she had to let go."Where were you? I got to your house to find it razed to the ground and I went mad. Only when the police reassured me that no one was in the house did I calm down. Raphaela, I've looked for you for good four days. Why? Just why?"She sighed, sitting beside him on his king sized bed."I'm sorry. I wanted to come to you sooner but things weren't so simple.""Are you in trouble?" He placed a hand on her shoulder."Yes" she looked at him, "big trouble.""Then let me...""You can't help" she interrupted quickly, "it's something beyond you. Julien..." She grabbed his face, "why don't you b
They spent the day chatting and having fun with the newly weds while Julien spent his day wondering if he had dreamt the incident that had taken place in the night. In the dead of the night, Raphaela gave Valentina and Antonio final hugs."I'll call once we settle in." Antonio reassured, patting her back."Thank you for everything." Valentina had said, sniffing back tears.They were leaving, going faraway, anywhere they deemed safe enough to stay and make their home. Lorenzo promised to resolve the issue with the pack members so their safety would be ensured."Be safe." Antonio said with a meaningful look at them both before transforming to his wolf form. Valentina followed. They strapped their bags to their back and with a final good bye howl, they sped off into the night.Raphaela sighed, hugging her self. The trees and bushes shook then swayed then fluttered in the midnight cool breeze. They were gone."Don't feel sad." Lorenzo said from behind her."I'm not."They returned back t
His heart skipped, his body shivered as if it had iced water poured over it."You don't have to walk so long to get to me" She whispered, her clawed fingers moving slowly to his face, to his eyes, "I'm right here."A clawed finger plunged itself into his right eye. His shout of pain got stuck in his throat."Shhh, be a man." His mother whispered to six year old him."What's she doing!?" He cried, drawing away from the witch who held a clawed finger above his right eye."Helping you."He was chained to a chair in his mother's room, the window behind him while a strange looking witch did strange things he didn't understand to him."He's strong" The witch muttered, moving away from him, "he'll be a strong Alpha after his father.""I want to have a bit of control over him." Aloha spoke.The witch shook her head, packing up her things laid out on a small wooden table to his right."No, you'll interfere in his destiny.""I'm scared he might go astray, turn against his family." Aloha persist