Finding Forgiveness

“How do we know we can trust you?” Max asked.

“You can’t. But right now, I’m your best bet, Alpha,” he replied turning to me.

“If you already have his trust, surely you could just kill him?” I questioned. “Why have you come to us?”

My wolf was telling me to take his offer immediately and get our mate back but I had to bring some rationale into this. I can’t make the mistake of being too quick to trust Luciano. Not again. I’ve already endangered Ella too many times that way.

“And where’s that ego of yours gone?” I asked. “How have you brought yourself to ask for my help?”

“Did you know that he has Alpha blood?” was what he replied with. “He was born the eldest son of an Alpha and exiled as his mother wasn’t the Luna but he still got all the strength and power that comes with being the true heir of an Alphaship. I can’t take him alone.”

“You’ll find a way. I’m sure,” I replied with a forced smile.

Luciano raised one thick eyebrow and shook his head with a slight laugh.

“Don’t you think that if it was easy, Ella would have saved herself by now? She’s tougher than most and even she doesn’t stand a chance,” he replied.

He had a point. I’d learnt not to underestimate my mate and after fighting against Andrea weeks ago, I knew there was more to him than just a rogue teen with a gun.

“Together we can do it,” Luciano reassured.

I narrowed my eyes.

“Or you could just give me the address that you saw her in and leave me to deal with this. I have my army and a powerful rival to Andrea for support,” I replied.

Luciano’s eyes flickered and he bit his lips before taking a deep breath.

“Fine,” he grunted. “If that’s all you will let me do to help, I will be happy to do it.”

I smiled sarcastically and thrust a napkin towards him and a pen from my pocket.

He scribbled an address on it and handed it back.

“We’ll be in touch,” I said standing up and heading towards the door, as I passed his chair I paused and brought my mouth to his ear. “And if I find that you are working against me,” I added in a deep growl, “I will not hesitate to do what I’ve been meaning to do for years.”

Luciano’s POV

“You offered him your help?” Andrea asked.

“Yes,” I replied.

“And was he suspicious?”

“As expected,” I said with a nod.

Andrea’s face lit up, “So you settled with just the address?”

“Exactly as planned.”

“Excellent,” he replied a wide smile on his face. “I never would have guessed that Loren would be so predictable.”

“And I was sure to include details about the state of his Luna. You should have seen his reaction,” I added with a wink.Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g

“Good job, Luciano,” he said shaking my hand. “You have impressed me.”

“Oh, and there was something he told me that you might like to know,” I began. “He’s sided with a powerful ally of yours?”

Andrea furrowed his eyebrows, “Gustavo Escobar?”

“He didn’t mention a name.”

He leant back into his chair and stared ahead for a few moments in thought.

“Fetch my wife, will you?” he replied. “I have just realised something that has made me exceedingly angry.”

“Gladly.”

I hurried upstairs and marched into the library where I knew Ella would be. Where she usually seemed to be.

She looked up from her book momentarily and scowled, “Piss off, Luciano.”

I grinned with the intention to unsettle her and easily succeeded. Her eyes snapped back to me and her eyebrows creased as she closed her book.

“What?” she asked looking me up and down.

“Your Alpha is dead,” I teased.

I watched as my words sunk deeper in and the shock faded to a choking, suffocating grief. Her lip quivered and the book she clutched in her hands dropped to the floor, the pages crinkling on impact.

“Fucking hell, Ella,” I said, grinning through my teeth. “I’m kidding. But you need to get a grip.”

“That’s not funny,” was all she said before wiping the tears from her eyes and taking a deep shaky breath.

“Well you better get used to the idea because he will be soon,” I replied with a shrug as I leant my hand on the door frame. “Anyway, Andrea wants you downstairs. He seems really pissed.”

“I’m busy,” she said pulling her hands into the sleeves of her sweater.

“Not sure he really gives a shit,” I replied. “Now move it.”

She shook her head and cowered further into the armchair she was curled up in.

“Fear doesn’t look good on you, hun,” I said. “Chin up and get your ass downstairs. Don’t make me drag you.”

“Fuck off, Luciano,” she hissed.

“Time is ticking babe,” I replied looking at my watch. “And Martinez is only getting angrier.”

“I haven’t done anything,” she protested. “Why is he mad?”

“Something about a Gustavo Escobar?” I said.

Her face dropped, “shit,” she mumbled under her breath.

She then stood up and marched past me, down the stairs and towards Andrea’s office.

She opened her mouth to speak but Andrea interrupted.

“Let me guess,” he began standing up from behind his desk. “Andrea, I can explain,” he mocked. “Then fucking explain, Blanca,” he added slamming his fist on the table, “Why the fuck is your Alpha working with Gustavo Escobar?”