Chapter Twenty-Six

Arielle’s POV  

“You’re awfully sure of yourself, aren’t you?” I said to him tugging tighter at my towel praying it didn't disgrace me and he just grinned 

“Always.” he replied and I scoffed shaking my head but I didn't pull away from him 

" I thought as much " I whispered looking into his eyes, a crystal blue that I very much wanted to sink into. He moved away from me giving us space that we both definitely needed. 

But even as he did it I wanted him to come back, the room felt too big to be in it alone. I watched him move toward the door, his broad shoulders blocking the dim light of the chandelier. 

“You should get some rest,” he said, his voice calm, almost barely audible. I walked to the closet and pulled out a robe and tugged it on over my towel a strange emptiness seeped into my gut as he reached for the door handle 

I hesitated, my fingers tightening around the silk robe wrapped around me. 

The question left my lips before I could stop myself.  

“You’re not staying?” I mumbled and Lorenzo’s hand stilled on the doorknob.

 A long silence stretched between us before he turned slightly, his gaze locking onto mine. The golden glow of his irises flickered, with something dangerous –arousal, longing warring with his wolf just beneath the surface.  

“Not until you’re ready.” he said softly and the quiet finality of his voice stunned me more than if he had simply climbed into bed without a word. 

What was happening here? 

I had expected something else from him —something more possessive. 

I wasn’t sure what I had expected him to say in the first place, maybe something cocky, some flirtatious remark about how he would take care of me, protect me.

 Instead, he had given me space.  

It confused me and unnerved me.  

Lorenzo wasn’t the type of man who asked for permission. He was the kind of man who took. 

 After all, this was the greatest alpha in most of the coast the Alpha of the most feared werewolf mafia in the city– the Mafia king.

 A man who took what he wanted without hesitation. I had expected him to take without asking me. 

So this? This restraint?  

It unnerved me.  

I swallowed, unable to break eye contact from him, he didn’t say anything else to me and didn’t wait for my response either. 

He simply walked out, closing the door softly behind him.  

I let out a shaky breath,the tension in my body flowing out with those breaths all at once. 

I should have felt relieved, should have been grateful for the space and the time to process everything without his overwhelming presence pressing in on me.  

But I didn't and that upset me more. 

So I crawled into bed, in my unfamiliar room pulling the soft covers up to my chin, as an unfamiliar feeling settled in my chest. 

Disappointment. I wasn't sure why I was feeling disappointed but sleep would help me sort that out anyway right. 

Well I was wrong. 

Sleep did not come easily.  

Every time I closed my eyes, I saw flashes of the past—Vincenzo’s cruel smirk, the cold grip of his hand around my throat as he threatened me, the dark cell that Valerie had tossed me in and refused to let me out of. It filled my gut with fear to have those memories be the first thing I saw behind my eyelids when I closed my eyes. 

Then there was Lorenzo.  

The way he had stormed in like an avenging god, the way he had looked at me—like I was something precious.

 Something worth fighting for.  

She’s mine.  

That was what he said to me before and the memory of his voice sent an involuntary shiver down my spine.  

Was that all I was to him?

A claim? 

I tossed and turned, the silk sheets that were supposed to feel cool against my heated skin, didn't feel that way and my body refused to relax either. 

Everything felt too much.  

The bed was too soft, the room was too quiet.  

Somewhere in the house , a clock chimed for midnight. I rolled onto my side, staring at the flickering shadows on the walls, my mind restless.  

I had spent so long being afraid, so long preparing myself for the next betrayal, the next cage and now, for the first time… I wasn’t sure if I was trapped at all.  

When I finally fell asleep, it wasn’t peaceful.  

I was running.  

The forest stretched out endlessly in front of me, the scent of pine thick in the air. For some reason I wasn't wearing shoes, my bare feet kept pounding against the forest floor my breathing ragged as I pushed forward.  

Something was chasing me.  

No just someone but something. There was a shadow moving between the trees, it didn't feel evil, it was dark and barely visible. But I could feel him.  

Lorenzo.  

A growl rumbled through the forest, low and commanding.  

Mine.  

The word sent a bolt of heat flaring through my gut, but I kept running, I didn't want to get caught.

My heart was hammering against my ribs like a piston and it had all the blood rushing down from my head, till I was dizzy and the trees blurred around me, the ground shifting. 

Suddenly, I wasn’t in the forest anymore. I was back in Vincenzo’s cage. With its cold walls and damp stone. The memory of iron shackles digging into my wrists, burning where silver met flesh.  

My breath came in shallow gasps as fear coiled tight in my chest making me choke on my own breath

I wasn’t free.  

I would never be free.  

“No,” I whispered, shaking my head.

“This isn’t real.”  

A hand shot out from the darkness, gripping my chin.  

Vincenzo’s cruel eyes stared into mine, his lips curling into a smirk.  

“You think he can save you?”  

Panic surged through meas the darkness twisted around him, swallowing the light.  

“You’ll never belong to him, Arielle. Because you already belong to me.”  

A sudden warmth spread across my skin, and when I looked down, I saw golden flames licking at my fingertips, growing brighter, hotter.  

Power.  

Mine.  

I gasped, the fire rushing up my arms, a force that was both foreign and familiar all at the same time. 

Before I could move, Vincenzo’s hand shot out, gripping my wrist and the flames vanished.  

Pain exploded in my chest.  

I screamed— 

I shot upright, gasping for air, my bed was wet my skin was damp with sweat, my heart beating like a wild drum in my chest. 

It took me a second to realize where I was.  

Not a cell. Not with Vincenzo.  

I was in Lorenzo’s bed. His home.  

My new room was dark, except for the faint glow of the moon filtering through the curtains.  

It was just a dream.Just a dream.  

 I told myself over and over again, hoping that thinking it would make it seem better to me but my body didn’t believe it. It had felt too real. 

The fire, the pain—everything.  

I exhaled shakily and glanced at the clock on the nightstand.  

3:42 AM.  

Great.  

There was no way I was going back to sleep now.  

I threw off the covers, pushing myself out of bed before I could think twice about it. 

My feet carried me to the door, my pulse still racing even with all the deep breaths I took to calm myself, all I knew for some reason was that I needed to see him. 

I wasn’t sure why, it wasn't like he could help me but I still wanted him to be there. 

Maybe it was because he was the only thing keeping Vincenzo’s shadow from creeping back into my mind.  

Maybe it was because his presence, despite its intensity, made me feel safe in a way I hadn’t felt in years. 

Maybe it was something as simple as the fact that he had saved me ,he had made a promise to and he kept it. 

Or maybe it was something more but I didn't really care so I padded through the dimly lit hallways searching for his scent.

I found it almost immediately, it was like a beacon pulling me towards him, almost like I could feel him calling to me so I followed the scent. 

It led me downstairs, past the grand staircase, to a room where the door was slightly ajar.  

Lorenzo was there.  

He stood by the window, the silver moonlight washing over him, a glass of whiskey in hand. 

His shirt was unbuttoned, exposing the sculpted muscles of his chest that I purposely looked away from, his dark hair was slightly tousled as if he, too, had been unable to sleep.  

For a moment, I just watched him.  

He looked different like this.  

Not the ruthless mafia boss.  

Not the Alpha.  

Just… a man.  

I hesitated in the doorway, unsure if I should disturb him, if he asked what I was doing here I couldn't actually answer that question. 

But before I could turn back, he spoke.  

“You should be sleeping.” His voice was rough, edged with something unreadable.  

I swallowed, stepping inside, 

 “Could say the same to you.” I muttered looking over his shoulder. 

A ghost of a smirk crossed his lips, and it faded just as quickly as it had appeared.

His eyes swept over me, lingering for just a second longer than necessary.

 “Bad dreams?” he asked and I nodded, wrapping my arms around myself.  

Lorenzo exhaled slowly, setting his glass down before turning to face me fully.

 “Was it about him?”  

I didn’t have to ask who he meant, I already knew. 

“Yeah.” I muttered and his jaw clenched rage flickering in his gaze.

 “He won’t touch you again.”  

The sheer certainty in his voice sent warmth curdling through me.  

I shifted on my feet.

 “I know.”  

For a moment, neither of us spoke and before I could second-guess myself, I whispered,

 “Stay with me.” Lorenzo stilled.  

He didn't seem shocked just looked like , he was weighing his next move.  

“You’re sure?” he asked his voice was quiet now and careful.  

I nodded, because I was. I needed to stay with him like this even if it was just for a moment. 

He didn’t hesitate this time, without saying a word, he crossed the room, consuming the space between us in less than a handful of steps.

And he was next to me,his fingers brushed against my wrist, the barest touch, but it sent a shiver up my spine.  

He didn’t kiss me.  

He didn’t push.  

He simply took my hand, lacing his fingers with mine.  

And for the first time since this nightmare began…  

I felt like I wasn’t alone.