Chapter Four

Alexia opened her eyes. Her vision swam for a second before the ornate ceiling finally settled into focus.

"You're finally awake," a voice murmured.

It was deep, the kind of low rumble that precedes a storm. Alexia turned her head, her breath hitching. The man from the road was sitting in a velvet armchair by the window, legs crossed. He’d ditched his suit jacket, and his white shirt sleeves were rolled up to reveal thick, muscular forearms covered in dark tattoos. He looked like a predator in a tailored suit, dangerous and honestly, far too beautiful.

"Where am I?" she whispered, her throat raw. "How do you know my name?"

The man stood up, his presence instantly making the room feel smaller. He walked toward the bed with a predatory grace that sent her heart slamming against her ribs.

"I know a lot of things, Alexia. I know you were discarded like trash by a man who isn't fit to breathe," he said, stopping at the very edge of the bed.

Alexia squinted at him, her mind still hazy from the fever. His face was familiar. Those sharp cheekbones and the piercing eyes that seemed to strip her soul bare. Then, it clicked. Her eyes went wide. She let out a sharp gasp, dragging the silk sheet up to cover her chest.

"You're... you're Gerbrano," she breathed, her voice shaking. "Gerbrano Moretti."

He gave a slow, arrogant nod.

Pure intimidation washed over her. This wasn't just some rich Lycan. This was the man Rex had spent three years begging for a meeting with. Gerbrano owned the biggest shipping empires in the North. He was a legend, the kind of man who destroyed packs with one phone call. And here she was, sitting in his bed, looking like a total ghost.

"Why am I here?" she asked, her shyness forcing her eyes down to her hands. "Why would a man like you care about me?"

Gerbrano reached out, hooking a finger under her chin to force her gaze upward. His touch felt electric, a jolt that made her wolf whine in sudden submission.

"Because I need a wife, Alexia. And you need a savior," he stated.

"A wife? You could have anyone you wanted," she countered.

"I don't want just anyone. I want a woman with Silver Crest blood. Your father’s lineage is the key to an ancient land trust I’m acquiring. The board won't release the deeds to anyone outside that tree. If we marry, the land is mine, and you become the most protected woman on the planet."

Before she could process that, a woman in a sharp grey suit stepped inside.

"Sir, the doctor has arrived," she said.

"Gemma, get her cleaned up after he's done," Gerbrano commanded. "And find her something to wear that doesn't look like it was pulled from a dumpster."

A pack doctor checked her vitals, confirming the fever was finally breaking. He ran a blood test at Gerbrano’s insistence, checking for infections or... other things.

"She isn't pregnant, Alpha Moretti," the doctor said, packing his gear. "Just severely exhausted and badly malnourished."

Alexia felt a surge of relief mixed with fresh heartbreak.

Gemma, his right hand, helped her into a warm bath and dressed her in a floor-length emerald gown. By sunset, Alexia felt like a new person, even if the ache in her chest hadn't moved.

The mansion was dead quiet. Alexia couldn't sleep. She wandered the halls, bare feet silent on the carpets, until she stopped outside Gerbrano’s suite. The door was cracked open. She heard a muffled, pained sound from inside.

She pushed the door open, her heart in her throat. Gerbrano was tangled in the sheets, his large frame thrashing. Sweat soaked his brow, and his jaw was clenched so tight it looked ready to snap. He was having a nightmare.

"No," he groaned, his voice heavy with a vulnerability she didn't expect. "Don't let go... Birdie... Birdie, please stay."

Alexia froze. Her breath hitched. Birdie. Nobody called her that. It was the secret nickname her foster mother gave her when she was six. A name that died with her parents in the earthquake. Only one other person knew it.

"Gerbrano?" she whispered, moving toward the bed.

She reached out, her hand trembling as she tapped his shoulder. "Gerbrano, wake up. You're just dreaming."

His eyes snapped open. They weren't dark now. They were glowing with the amber light of a Lycan ready to shift. In one motion, he caught her wrist and yanked her onto the bed, pinning her beneath him.

He was breathing hard, chest heaving against hers. The heat coming off him was intoxicating. He stared down at her, his gaze dropping from her eyes to her lips. His pupils were blown wide with raw hunger.

"You called me Birdie," Alexia whispered, her heart racing. "How could you possibly know that name?"

Gerbrano didn't answer. He leaned in, his nose brushing hers. The air in the room shifted, turning heavy and thick with an undeniable, magnetic heat.

Suddenly, a spark of energy shot through her spine. A low, thrumming vibration started in her chest and echoed in his. Her eyes widened as the scent of ancient forest and ozone filled her head.

"The bond," she gasped, hands clutching his shoulders. "It's snapping... you're my mate?"

Gerbrano’s grip on her wrists tightened, his gaze darkening with an intensity that made her toes curl. He leaned down, his lips a breath away from hers.

"I've known since the moment I picked you up off that road," he growled, his voice like pure velvet. "And I have no intention of letting you go again."

He tilted his head, grazing the corner of her mouth. Alexia felt the world around her dissolve into nothing but him.