ROSALIA’S POV
She had the Salvador red hair.
But unlike Helio and Lorenzo, she had green eyes instead of gold.
Her eyebrows raised in confusion.
“I’m sorry, do we know each other?” She asked.
“No,” I replied
“Who are you?”
“Uh…” I started wondering how to explain.
“Alpha Salvador’s girlfriend?” She asked.
“Ha…” I scoffed.
“What makes you say that?”
“I’ve seen him wear that cufflink,” she said.
I looked down at it.
I forgot I was still holding it.
“They are looking for you outside,” I told her.
I realized that the servants outside were looking for her.
“I know. Don’t tell them, please,” she begged.
“I’m not running away. I just need a minute. Some time to myself,” she said as her voice shook.
“They are constantly watching me.”
She was being sold off in a day.
“I won’t tell on you if you promise not to tell Lorenzo I have his cufflink.”
Her eyebrow cocked.
“…deal.”
She went back to crochet.
I noticed the way her hands trembled as she held onto the crochet stick.
I recalled the way my hands had trembled when I lifted my hair for Alphonso to put the necklace around my neck.
“Do you like to crochet?” I asked her.
“I always crochet.” She replied.
“It looks beautiful,” I commented on the crochet top.
“Thanks. I want to study fashion at university,” she told me.
But you won’t be able to will you?
I wondered.
“What did you study?” She asked me.
“Economics and Pack business management,” I replied.
“That sounds hard. That sounds like Math,” she said.
“You hate Math?” I laughed.
“Don’t get me started.
I try to avoid my tutor whenever we have to do it
Her energy was so different from her brothers.
She didn’t have her brothers’ terrifying aura, but she was certainly trouble nonetheless.
“I try to tell her, what’s the point of me doing maths when I just want to make clothes?”
“Sure, but where does double integration come into that?
No one actually uses that in real life
The doors suddenly opened, and Lorenzo’s right-hand man, Gabriele, entered.
“Come here,” he sternly ordered, pointing at the girl.
Mara trembled but then quickly composed herself.
“Looks like time is up.” She said and slowly stood up.
“Nice meeting you, miss.”
“It’s Rosalia,” I told her.
“I’m Mara,” she told me.
She had a wide smile on her face.
It was so convincingly warm I almost forgot she was trembling mere moments ago.
Something was strange.
Although arranged marriages were common offering a bride who wasn’t of age was insane.
Why was Lorenzo going so far?
What was Helio going to do?
He hadn’t come to see me again.
I spent the rest of the day thinking about Mara, thinking of her fate.
*********************
The following day the atmosphere in the mansion was tense.
I found servants moving up and down; making preparations.
Today was the day.
Around mid-morning 3 vehicles arrived at the Salvador estate.
I saw them from my bedroom window.
An elderly man in his 40s was helped out of one of the cars.
I recognised him from the vision I’d had.
Alpha Mendez.
I couldn’t stop thinking about my conversation with her the day before.
I bit my lip.
Why am I making this my problem?
This is a Salvador affair.
Helio dragged me into this.
There’s nothing I can do.
I moved away from the window and sat on my bed.
Still, my heart wasn’t at ease.
The trembling of Mara’s fingers replayed in my mind.
Why did I feel like this?
I stood up and my hands curled into fists.
After deliberating for a moment, I rushed out of my bedroom and made my way to the mansion entrance.
What was I even planning to do?
I had no power to stop Mara’s marriage.
One day wasn’t enough time to plan anything.
As I was about to exit the wing I was staying in, the sound of several shots sliced through the air.
My eyes widened, and I froze for a moment.
I ran to the window.
Everyone outside was either ducking or fleeing from the scene.
A man was holding a gun, firing several rounds.
It was Helio.
“What the hell is that man doing?” I muttered.
Helio just doesn’t stop, does he?
I rushed out of the room and made my way toward the entrance.
By the time I arrived at the entrance, Helio and Lorenzo were facing each other.
***************
HELIO’S POV
DO NOT READ
HELIO’S POV
“When are they letting me out?” I demanded the guard.
I figured Lorenzo was planning to keep me down here until after Mara was gone.
I managed to get back in the cell without anyone noticing.
I fucked up.
“Helio are you in there?” I heard Nigel’s familiar voice.
“Nigel,” I called his name.
“What the hell were you thinking?!” He snapped at me.
“All the sneaking around lately I should have known you were up tp something. You scentless idiot!”
“Look I’ve been getting yelled at a lot recently.”
“Ghee I wonder fucking why!?” He raised his voice before holding it.
He stilled and looked around.
Fortunately no one heard me.
“Helio, I understand Mara is important to you but you but the extent you’re going through,”
“Everything I’ve done is for her and you’re
“You’re out of your depth, are you trying to die!?” he whisper shouted at me.
My lips pressed together.
“If you have nothing useful to tell me, then leave,” I coldly told him.
He stared at me for a moment.
His eyes narrowed.
On the day of Mara’s hand off.
I
Wolf law took honourable fights seriously.
No other weapons just claws.
I taught myself t fight with knives to honour that.
Most importantly Guns disrupted a wolf’s sense of smell so
“Helio stand down!” I heard Nigel shout.