“This marriage is nothing but a farce. The sooner you know that, the better.” “I despise you, printsessa.” “And I despise you even more.” ********** Anastasya Volkov's life is turned upside down when she has to marry the young don of the Italian cosa nostra, Massimo De Luca, a man she despises with all her heart. Massimo, a man who isn't used to letting women into his heart, also loathes the idea of having a woman so close to him. However, they have to come together to form a strong alliance between their families. In the midst of their mutual dislike for each other, the seeds of attraction starts to bloom. But a series of unexpected events start to occur, will their new found love thrive? Or will they be crushed by the weight of the lies and betrayal that surrounds them?
Voir plusLong before the werewolves formed packs and the dragons split their land into territories. My kind were living peacefully out in the open.
We the Tasmanian devils had a very powerful reputation in every land there was. We were fearsome shifters who stood at 8 ft - 20 ft tall.
Our stocky and muscular built surprisingly gave us speed and endurance greater than the other shifters, we could climb trees no matter how high they were and swim across rivers like it was nothing.
Our black fur made us fit in perfectly with the nightfall, and gave us the complete camouflage of the night when we were up for a quick hunt.
Many shifters knew how we rarely shifted into our human form and how we were carnivorous. And so they decided to keep away in fear.
We also had a very keen sense of smell that allowed us to separate substances such as Poison from Potions, and detect whether an imposter, rogue, assassin, or enemy was approaching. No matter how light their footsteps were and how careful they moved, we easily detected them and planned how to take them down ahead of time.
My kind was mostly happy to have this keen sense of smell because it was the only way that helped us to scent and find our mates when we came of age.
Most Tasmanian devils came of age when they reached the age of 20.
We lived for a very long time because our life span was thrice as the humans.
When the ritual of coming of age was set by the elders, the males were required to fight one another for the female's hand. Despite being mated, any male interested in a specific female had a right to fight the female's mate for her hand.
Those that were already mated stood from afar watching and guarding their partners to prevent female infidelity.
Females were respected way more than the males because they were a few of them. My kind was rarely mated to another kind of shifter, so it was hard to coexist with the other shifters and bond in one environment.
Our culture and traditions were somehow similar to the werewolves but also further apart
To attract mates, both males and females scent-marked the ground, rocks, trees near their caves and houses. The stronger the scent was, the greater the chances of mating more than one female or male became.
As much as the females seemed weak, they got Stronger whenever the mating season began. The females were known to reject small males vocally and physically.
They wanted the best of the best, that's why the males fought each other and the top five winners were given an opportunity to approach any female and dominate her completely.
Once a female accepts the male, the male would bite the scruff of her neck and drag her back to his den, where he would further assert his dominance by pushing and nudging her.
The pair would then mate for a few minutes to over an hour.
Mating usually turned incredibly aggressive, with male and female devils due to the strong pheromones they both released. The male would bite and mark his female forcefully while the female would do the same during and after the act.
In the mating season, after male devils have mated with their females, they spend an extended period either confining the female in a den or closely following her to make sure other males were unable to mate with her.
It was once in a lifetime that a female Tasmanian devil decided to forever mate one male and warn off the other males seriously. Most of them took pride in being worshiped and fucked by the strongest warriors and leaders.
Our females were polyandrous and had multiple mating partners, and their male partners were mostly younger than they were.
As years went on. The number of assassins who had an interest in our kind increased, the more they developed their weaponry, the more danger we encountered. We were hunted down for no specific reason and killed on spot.
We had to lay low and learn how to keep ourselves hidden from the public eyes.
We easily adapted to the new changes, but sadly our customs were disadvantaging us all. The males wouldn't stop fighting for the females who by now were way fewer than then. Most of the males began killing each other as means to fight for what was rightfully theirs.
I knew it was a matter of time before I was to come of age. My instinct would soon kick in and force me to fight anyone who stood in my way just so I could mate a female.
I had to leave before I could end up regretting my whole life. And so I took off with a few clothes and gold bars in a bag. I walked away from my own family and friends without a single word.
My decision was already made and I was going to live by it.
The journey was dangerous and exhausting for I had traveled in search of land that wasn't occupied by any shifters or human beings yet.
I met some rogues and a few assassins who I easily managed to take down. I got their supplies for myself and continued onwards.
It took me a year to find a land that was not owned by anyone. And another five years to build up a mansion that was a few miles away from a cave that I had marked as my home.
Surviving became easy because way down ahead was a river that separated my territory from the human land. And behind my beautiful mansion was a forest where I haunted freely and fed. The only time I shifted to my human form was when I wanted to buy things for my house.
Yes, the beast in me was satisfied to live in a cave and feed from the animals around us. But the human in me wanted to live like a normal human being with a good life.
"Everything was going smoothly."
That's what I had convinced myself, when deep down I knew it was a total lie, because every year when the mating season began. The beast in me became aggressive and in need of his mate. He wanted to find her and breed her the whole year until he was sure that she was carrying our seed. I had to chain us in the cave a few times but it was useless.
He broke free and went out to hunt. The next morning I usually found myself lying next to a naked, female dead body. And it went on for as long as it could every year.
The humans started to warn their kids to never cross the river because that's where the beast that killed and fed on their blood lived.
It was sad. But I knew well because the beast was in me.
Massimo’s POV. "There are certain things you wouldn't understand, Ana," I said, my voice gentle. I stared at her and continued. "And if I don't go out tonight, we'll both be in trouble."Ana's eyes narrowed, her expression skeptical. "Who are you going to meet with, Massimo. I just saw my brother's name?" she asked, her voice firm. I hesitated, unsure of how much to reveal. "Just a close associate," I replied. "You shouldn't bother yourself with the details. You’ve said that before and you know I don’t trust your words,” But Ana wasn't having it. She looked like a storm about to break, her emotions simmering just below the surface. "I spoke with Nikolai a few minutes ago," she said, her voice low. "And he said he wasn't having anything to do with you, I see no reason why my own either would be lying to me concerning something which I’ve already caught him red handed."I raised an eyebrow, taken aback by the coincidence. "Maybe he called me by mistake," I suggested, trying to dow
Ana’s POV. I sat in my room, packing my bags to leave the Cosa Nostra. The weight of my decision settled heavily on my shoulders as I thought about the uncertainty that lay ahead. How would I escape New York? What dangers would I face outside these walls? The questions swirled in my mind, but I knew I had to act. I couldn't stay here any longer, not after what I had discovered about Massimo and my brother, Nikolai.As I folded my clothes and placed them in my suitcase, my thoughts drifted to Nikolai. I needed to talk to him, to understand what was going on. I picked up my phone and dialed his number, my heart racing with anticipation.When he answered, I didn't waste any time. "You're a disappointment, Nikolai," I said, my voice firm. There was a pause on the other end of the line, and I could almost hear the surprise in his silence."Ana, what's going on?" he asked, his voice cautious. I tried to make sense of his tone, to understand what he was thinking. But before I could respond,
Massimo’s POV. I stood, feeling a sense of desperation wash over me. "Ana, please don't say that," I begged, my eyes pleading with her. "Don't threaten to leave me. I'll do anything to make this work." Ana's expression was unyielding, her eyes flashing with determination."I mean it, Massimo," she said, her voice firm. "I'll do more than just leave you. I'll make sure you regret underestimating me." I felt surprised as I realized the depth of her anger.Just then, my phone rang, shrill in the tense silence. I glanced at the screen, seeing Nikolai's name flash up. I didn't answer, letting it go to voicemail. Ana raised an eyebrow. "Why aren't you picking up?" she asked, her curiosity piqued."It's just a close associate," I said, trying to brush it off. But Ana's eyes narrowed. "Who is it?" she pressed, her voice insistent. I shook my head. "There's no point in telling you. It's not important."But Ana wasn't having it. She reached out, trying to grab the phone from my hands. "Let m
Massimo’s POVI stood on the balcony, looking out at the night sky. Marco joined me, and I turned to him with a serious expression. "Tonight, we're going on a private mission, Marco," I said, my voice low.Marco's eyes widened in surprise. "Tonight? What's the mission about, Massimo?" he asked, his voice laced with curiosity. I raised an eyebrow, my expression firm. "Never question my authority again, Marco. You'll know what you need to know when you need to know it."Marco nodded, understanding the tone. "Yes, Massimo. I'll get ready." I nodded, my gaze drifting away from Marco to the figure of Martha walking across the courtyard. She was carrying a string of beads, her movements graceful.As I admired Martha, my phone rang, breaking the silence. I answered, and Nikolai Volkova's voice came through the line. “Boss, are you ready to move?" he asked, his voice crisp.I glanced at my watch, calculating the time. "I'll be with you in less than an hour, Nik," I replied, my voice confid
Ana’s POV. My phone hung up after a call. Martha looked at me with concern. "What's wrong, Ana? You look tense." I sighed, rubbing my temples. "I was just trying to reach Marco. He's supposed to run an errand for me today and deliver a file from you to Massimo's office."Her expression turned thoughtful. "Ah, yes. Marco's been helpful, hasn't he?" I nodded, still feeling a bit frustrated. Isabel, who was sitting with us, chimed in. "I don't know how you trust Marco that much, Ana. He's always causing drama." I smiled wryly. "I know, Isa. But he's been loyal so far."I was surprised to see Rosalia Hazelwood enter the building. It was a shock to me as our eyes collided. We sat down, discussing the recent events and how Rosalia's actions had affected us. "She’s been taking Massimo's attention away from us, ," Isabel said, her voice laced with annoyance. "And making him the topic of the day." Rosalia listened calmly, a hint of amusement in her eyes. "I've just been trying to get what
Massimo’s POV. I sat in the vehicle, sipping on a glass of whisky and smoking a cigarette. Rome drove, his eyes fixed on the road. We were headed to meet one of my close associates, someone who could help us uncover more about the bomb in our secret drug barn.As we drove, I turned to Rome "Do you think this bomb was a warning?" I asked, my voice low. Rome's expression was thoughtful. "It's possible," he said. "But we need to be careful. We don't know who's behind this."Just then, my phone buzzed. I glanced at the screen and saw a text from Isabel. "The bomb might be linked to the Governor. Rosalia has some connection to him." My expression changed, and Rome noticed."What's wrong?" he asked, his eyes narrowing. I took a deep breath before responding. "It's Isabel," I said, showing him the text. Rome's eyes scanned the message, his face grim."I always knew Rosalia had something going on that we don't know about," Rome said, his voice low. I nodded, feeling a sense of unease. Rosa
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