Last to Love

by Alexa Whitewolf

  Not for me – that’s already too late. But I won’t let my father drag anyone else down with me.

  Hours later, my wounds feel better. Whether it’s the chimera blood or my wolf’s resilience, I’m able to move around the cell. When I’m sure no one’s around, I bend my knees and aim a few punches at the air. The rattle of the chains is loud, but I need the movement, the pain and tear of my muscles to keep me focused on something else but this annoying yearning inside me.

  Is Monica even alive? The last I’d seen, she went falling like a rock. I don’t know what that means. If my wolves found her, will they believe she didn’t get me kidnapped on purpose? For a moment, I thought she had. I wanted to hate her. But her expression of genuine surprise keeps flashing in my mind, and I cannot deny her innocence in that particular development.

  A snort escapes me and I stop mid-punch, stretching out my neck muscles. Innocente, Monica? I may have known her for only a week, but there’s no way those two words go together.

  After I’m done with my warm up, I get back to the ground, and try to analyze the problem from all angles. Without more information, I’m running blind. And while I thought my father would come in the morning and gloat, there’s no sign of him.

  More time goes by, and it’s almost evening yet I still haven’t heard peep from anyone. This won’t do – I won’t be getting in Alessandro's head unless I speak with him. With a groan, I get up from the floor I’d reverted to and kick the cell’s bars.

  Footsteps come resounding – two wolves, in the black attire I’ve come to recognize as a uniform. “Dov’è Alessandro?” I ask, but they only sneer at me. I wonder if they’re part of the crew that attacked me last night. At the possibility, my fists clench automatically and I want to tear through these walls and rip their faces off. Instead, I take a deep breath and smile coldly. “Tell me where he is, or I’ll bring this entire house down on us.”

  They share a worried glance at my tone, but another voice speaks. “That won’t be necessary.”

  They move backwards and a woman comes into my view. Blonde, curly hair, blue eyes as innocent as a baby’s and as cold as the lakes of Hell. Her voluptuous body is encased in a black, sheer lace gown that stops above her knees, right where leather boots start.

  “Like what you see?” she asks in a husky voice.

  It’s my turn to sneer. “Not even remotely.” I recognize that tone, and the perfume coming off her. She was the woman whispering. My blood boils again at the reminder.

  “Had fun last night?” I counter.

  She widens her eyes in a mock portrayal of innocence that does not become her. “Why, yes. As a matter of fact, it was rather interesting.” Her assessing gaze runs up and down my body, making me aware of my grimy state. “I would’ve thought you had more....fight.”

  “Bit hard to rise to the occasion, what with your little magic trick.”

  A surprised laugh escapes her. “My, my, nothing escapes you, hmm? How very refreshing.” She shifts her weight to the other foot, cocking a hip and placing a well-manicured hand on it. “But isn’t it a tad old-school to blame the woman for your inadequacy?”

  A growl lets loose from my throat. “How about you let me out of here, and I’ll show you how inadequate I can be.”

  “Mm, tempting.” My skin crawls at the innuendo, and some of the disgust must show on my expression. She steps closer, the heels of those boots beating a rhythm. “Ah, yes. You prefer brunettes, no?”

  My jaw clenches. Whoever she is, she’s trying to destabilize me, but I refuse to let this get to me. That resolution lasts until her next words.

  “Tell me, how was dear old Monica in the sack? I’ve only heard good things from here.” A coy look to one of the wolves, a smile playing on her lips – the implication couldn’t be missed if I tried.

  I step closer, gripping the bars. “Whoever the fuck you are, I’m not interested in your petty games. Get my father, or get the hell out of my face.”

  “Mio Dio,” she puts a hand to her chest in mock offense, “did Alessandro not raise you with manners?” Her cold eyes rake me over, then her nose wrinkles in disgust. “No, it’s not his fault. Your puta mamma—"

  She got too close, and my hand snakes out between the bars and grabs a handful of her hair, angling her face against the bars. “Watch yourself, woman. No one dishonors my mother’s memory, least of all a whore like yourself. You can spread your legs for Alessandro all you like, but around me, you better watch that mouth.”

  I let her go before the wolves can intervene, and she steps backwards, clenching her fists. “We shall see.”

  The clatter of her boots echoes in the tunnel as she leaves, followed by her guards. That was pointless, and I let my head drop on the metal in frustration. When she spoke of Monica, and then my mother... I wanted to rip her throat out.

  “Grazie, Luciano.”

  I look back, noticing Mamma’s shimmering form again. I don’t move from my position, wanting to hear if someone gets close enough. But my eyes drink her in, and all I want is to hold her tight for all the times I didn’t get to.

  “I’m sorry, Mamma,” I whisper. “For Matteo, for that night... I wish I’d done more. Been more.”

  She shakes her head and walks closer. “None of it was your fault. It was your father’s, and mine. If I had told Matteo the truth of our heritage, perhaps he would have listened more. Perhaps not. Lingering on the past is no way to live your life, mio figlio. Promise me that once you are out of here, you will do better.”

  I look away, swallowing past the lump in my throat. “I promise.”

  “Bene. Then, will you tell me about her, this woman who rouses your wolf’s protective side?”

  Monica

  “I don’t like it,” Finn says. “It’s a good strategy, but it puts us in danger.”

  Tristan shrugs. “You got a better one?”

  I look between the wolves, trying to gauge which of them I can really count on, and which I cannot. We’ve been going over this most of the day, in between breaks for power naps and food for sustenance. With each passing minute, my insides have been burning more and more. Maybe it’s the alcohol I drank, or just my own guilt, but I feel bile rising up my throat even as I wipe a tired hand over my face.

  “Basta, please! While you argue, Lucas is in his father’s clutches. And the longer he’s there, the less chance we have to get him out.”

  “Oh, ‘cause now you care?” Tristan mutters.

  I wince. Touché. “I’ve already apologized for the part I played. And despite what you may think, I’m not going to waste more time with this. Just let me go, alone. There’s a strong chance if I grovel enough, Alessandro will let his guard down. I can be a Trojan horse.”

  “No,” Elle says, to my big surprise. She hasn’t acknowledged me much in the past hours. “If there’s one thing Lucas was clear about, it’s that he does not want you back around his father.”

  “I’ll do it, if it means a solution we can all agree to,” I add, my tone close to begging. “Please. Let’s just pick a way, and go for it.”

  “Monica is right,” Lucrezia says, saving me from digging my own grave. “We have to get Lucas out, and we have to do it now.”

  Dominic’s silent, as are Elle and Dani. Their indecision makes me nervous. And then Dominic moves closer, and rubs the bridge of his nose. The gesture is so like Lucas, something like yearning runs through me and I have to look away.

  More and more thoughts of him have been swirling through my mind. I need to get out of here, away from them. This craving inside me, this need to have Lucas nearby – it’s about to drive me crazy.

  “I need a minute,” I mutter and head out. Conversations continue behind me, but I lose track of them as my heart starts beating wildly.

  I run into Lucas’ bedroom almost blindly and drop next to the bed. As I pull the sheets into my lap, his scent rises from them and I bury my face in them. Musk, and pine, and Lucas. Tears fill my eyes, and my throat clogs. For
the first time, I cry for a man.

  I’m not a weakling. I don’t get attached. I don’t do clingy. And yet, less than forty-eight hours away from him, and I cannot keep it together. A moan of practical pain escapes me, and I bend over trying to grasp some kind of semblance.

  A creak makes me jump, but it’s just Elle entering the room. She stares between me and the unmade bed, and the wary look in her eyes turns sympathetic. She walks into the adjoining bathroom and comes back with a wad of toilet paper.

  “You’ve got mascara everywhere,” she says as she hands it to me.

  A surprised chuckle escapes me and I try my best to blot at my face, wincing when the paper comes out all dirtied. Elle lingers nearby, looking everywhere but at me.

  “I’m sorry,” I whisper for the millionth time. “Please believe me, I didn’t mean to hurt any of you. I’ve lived for so long caring only after my own survival, that being around so many selfless people, it’s....enlightening.”

  She snorts then. “Selfless? Please. We’re all selfish. All the guys had a brawl or another with Lucas at some point for each of their women, and Lucas himself has done more than one stupid thing in the name of his pride.” A soft sigh escapes her. “So have I, for that matter.”

  After a brief moment of hesitation, she sits on the bed next to me and reaches for the top of my head. Slowly, gently, she pushes my hair back and caresses my forehead. “I know what it’s like to miss your mate.”

  “He’s not my mate,” I mutter, even as I blow my nose into what’s left of the tissue and new tears arise. Merda.

  “Keep telling yourself that,” Elle laughs. “I thought it was crazy, at the beginning. Being human, or what I thought was human, this whole thing with mates and falling in love at the drop of a hat was the stuff of fairytales. But... I’ve found myself, in this. If that makes sense.”

  I sniffle. “It doesn’t.”

  “It will,” Elle says. Then she stands and holds out her hand to me. “Come on. They’re almost done agreeing on something, and you don’t want to miss it.”

  Despite all the crap I pulled, she just comforted me, spending precious moments reassuring me. Is this what having a real family feels like? My throat clogs and words fail me, so I simply choke out a small, “Thank you.”

  Elle smiles. “What are friends for?”

  I take her hand then and get back up. The time for wallowing is gone, so we head back into the living room area. The tension has gone up a notch, with the unbelievable feeling of something happening.

  “I agree with most of the plan,” Dominic is saying, “but not with putting the girls on the front lines.”

  “Dom, come on!” Dani yells, confirming my suspicions we stepped into a new kind of war zone. “Enough with the protectiveness. Luz isn’t some piece of glass, she’s stronger than you know.”

  Dominic’s demeanor changes then, his muscles growing tight and his eyes blazing fire. “When you live through the pain of losing your mate, then talk to me. Until that time, Dani, keep your mouth shut. In Lucas’ absence, I call the shots, yeah or no?”

  She glares at him for a moment longer, then takes a physical step backwards and bows her head. “Yes.”

  Dominic surveys everyone else for a long moment, as if daring further defiance. How the hell did he and Lucas last in the same pack for so long?

  Eerily enough, Dominic’s words bring us all back into focus. “Lucas kicked me out of the pack and never brought me back in. If any of you have a problem with me leading this, now’s the time to say it.”

  No one speaks again, and I hold back my sigh of relief.

  “What I was going to say,” Dominic goes on, “is I don’t agree with putting the girls on the front lines. However, I realize we need some magic to push us forward, so what I propose is we find them a safe spot around the mansion, somewhere high up where they can be protected by my wolves. The vantage point will allow for more precision with their magic attacks. Luz can play with the elements, Dani and Elle with the runes, sticking to fire as much as possible. Anything for maximum damage, distraction and occupation. It’ll give us the advantage, and then we’re in and out.”

  Silence descends on us all at the solid plan. I have to say, I didn’t expect it of him. He seemed so...hotheaded, to hear him so logical is almost a role reversal.

  Finn snorts, meeting my eyes over the map. I chance a smile, our own private joke. Then he turns to Dominic. “I like it.”

  “Me, too,” Elle whispers.

  Tristan nods, and I do too. Dani bites her lip and bows her head. “Sorry, Dom. I owe you an apology.”

  He takes a deep breath and reaches for Luz’ hand. “All good. Now, let’s go save ourselves an alpha, yeah?”

  We follow him out the door and pile into two cars like before. Only this time, I’m not feeling constrained or like I’m about to head to my execution. On the contrary, I feel like I truly belong. For once, I’m working with others towards something, rather than on my own. And that feeling...it’s worth all the freedom in the world.

  Lucas

  “I like her,” Mamma says after I’ve caught her up to speed on how I met Monica. “Though I don’t agree with your choice of wooing her, at all.”

  Her frown makes me bark out an incredulous laugh. “Mamma, it’s not like she made it any easier for me.”

  “Hmm. So, you care for her, then?”

  The word has me wince and I backtrack. “No more than I’d do for a stranger. She’s just a woman.”

  “Sì, just a woman,” she repeats docilely. “If only you would stop lying to yourself.”

  My scowl doesn’t deter her, so I switch topics. “Shouldn’t you be teaching me how to get out of this? Shower me with wisdom?”

  It’s her turn to laugh. “Oh, Luciano, I am selfish. I am not here to teach you, but simply to steal a few moments with you. It is the most I can do, and the most I’ll ever have to treasure for the rest of eternity.”

  Her eyes fill with tears and leave my post by the cell door. “What is it, Mamma? Why do you cry?”

  “Your father, he... It is sacrilege, what he did. You cannot–”

  Before she can finish, the clatter of heels starts again and she disappears. I turn to my door, scowling as the blonde woman from before shows up again. “There, let’s try this again. My name is Ana, and I have a gift for you. Your father was selfish not to show you right away, but I suppose he had his reasons. Just like why he didn’t tell you of his new bride.”

  Ana... My mother mentioned that she’d been taught alongside Monica. And Monica herself had once alluded she didn’t get along with her cousin. This explains why.

  My eyes shift to Ana’s left hand. Monica’s words... Your father remarried... Sure enough, there’s my mother’s wedding band on her finger. “How dare you wear that!”

  “I dare because I am the new lady of the Conti mansion.” Ana takes a step closer. “And you will do well to step in line. Your father does not tolerate people badmouthing me. Why, the last one had his tongue cut out.”

  “That sounds like Papà,” I smirk. “He never did have much control – or taste, apparently.”

  Her eyes flash with indignation, and I make a show of redirecting my attention to the ceiling. If I don’t react, maybe she’ll take the hint and leave before I pull her apart limb by limb.

  The ferociousness of that yearning has me pause in my thoughts. Enough so that I miss what she says next.

  Before I break the place apart, Ana smiles almost cruelly. “Come on in, darling.”

  More footsteps resound, heavier almost. A man.

  Another wolf? Some piece she has on the side who’s going to torture me?

  If only... Because the reality is a million times more impossible, and unreal. The person who turns the corner isn’t a stranger. I would recognize those red curls and honey-colored eyes anywhere, even if his skin tone is a lot paler than I remember.

  I stagger backwards, catching Ana’s satisfied expression out of the corner of my e
ye. But all I can focus is the boy...who should be dead.

  Matteo, my younger brother.

  ∞ ∞ ∞

  ∞ Fretta ∞

  “Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.”

  -Lao Tzu-

  Monica

  Rain coats the roads slick, making Dom’s speed even more dangerous. But we’re pressed for time, and some things gotta give. I stare out the window, lost in the landscape passing by. Mountains filled with fog loom in the distance, dark and ominous.

  A shiver races up my spine, and I’m reminded of my earlier sickness. We all raided Lucas’ fridge while brainstorming, but that food won’t hold us for long. I only hope we find him – and in time.

  My nonna always said chimeras are unpredictable. She used it to explain Francesca sticking with a man as monstrous as Alessandro, and I still don’t understand what possessed me to believe a single word out of his mouth.

  But Lucas...will we be too late to save him? Can he hold on and avoid the Underworld until we get there? If anything, my greatest fear is he’ll give in to his murderous urges and kill Alessandro, crossing that last barrier and having no one to pull him back from the brink.

  Dominic pokes his hand out the window, signaling to the car behind where Tristan, Dani and Elle are. In the rearview mirror, he meets Finn’s gaze. “I need to make a quick pit stop and talk to my pack.”

  Moments later, he pulls over and heads into the woods. I see nothing at first, but once I squint I can detect the outline of dark shapes moving about. Yellow eyes tinged with red appear out of the darkness. I can only count ten, but surely there must be more.

  “Is that all of them?” I ask.

  “No,” Luz says. “Most of them are somewhere in the woods. Others are in town, chasing Reapers.”

  “I thought Dominic said he didn’t agree with Lucas’ plan of executing them.”