Chapter 41

After busting Bernard down to the ground, I ran like a frightened rat around the house, finding escape incase he got up and decided to kill me. As much as I wanted to kill him, I couldn't—it wasn't my place to go around and murder people in a foreign country.

An unsettling feeling twisted my stomach and I stopped. Panting hard, my eyes darted at both directions. Where could I even go? At one wing of the house, Bernard's men were seated and at the other one, Bernard himself was there probably with a bruised face.

Dillion couldn't be seen anywhere and Anna wasn't here yet either.

Good timing to get killed. I cursed myself.

Why was I afraid? No idea.

I spun around when I sensed steps approaching me from the dark shadows by the end of the wing. My heart skipped a beat and I sighed upon seeing Luciano.

"Oh my God." I mumbled, running towards him and pushing myself into his safe embrace.

"What happened?"

I swallowed hard and bought the truth to my lips, "Bernard. He-he tried too—" I didn't know how to say it exactly. My body stilled and my mind froze.

Luciano was growing furious. Red collected at the edges of his eyes. "Did he touch you?" He asked, tightening his hold on my arm.

I didn't respond and merely stared for a long second. I knew what was going to happen if I gave him the answer he wanted. Did I want Bernard dead? Yes.

"Yes." I whispered, narrowing my eyes. "He grabbed my hair when I kicked him. What he did or whatever his intentions were, doesn't matters. I felt afraid and alone, Luciano." Tears welled down my cheeks when I began breaking from the little shell I surrounded myself with.

A moment ago, I felt completely alone and if it wasn't for the confidence I had gotten, I didn't know where I'd be right now.

His gaze softened upon me and he pulled my head towards his chest where I snuggled while closing my eyes tight. It was warm and safe with Luciano, like always.

"You're not alone, Red and you'll never be." He kissed the roof off my head and held me tighter.

A shiver ran down my spine and I sighed, however, the peace was only momentary. Anna and Ben walked in from the same entrance as Luciano and they found us. The happiness dropped from their features, leaving them worried for what they had just seen.

"Did something happen?" Anna asked, coming towards me.

"No, but it's going to now." Luciano replied to her while I still grabbed onto his arm for protection. A part of me was shaken. There wasn't a single man that had touched me forcibly or looked at me with lust ever apart from my husband.

My body went stiff against the couch as I sat down beside Luciano. We were surrounded by Bernard's men but he wasn't here yet. Probably cleaning his face and the filth of it. I rolled my eyes and assured myself I was fine.

I was.

Luciano's face hinted something, something big. Anna sat beside him and next to her was Ben. We had our gazes locked on the door, waiting for Bernard to walk in. My stomach knotted with tension again when I heard a couple footsteps echoing through the house.

It was Dillion who came inside with Bernard, both confused and angry. That bitch. I knew he'd complain but it no longer mattered. Our time here, as no one, was over at last.

Bernard touched his swollen nose while glaring at me with evil eyes, this time they had different intentions. "She struck me for no reason." He motioned at me and said.

Dillion cocked a brow at me, ready to question my sanity but that was before Luciano put his arm around my shoulder and showed him the truth. His face hardened and flooded with confusion.

"What's happening here?"

"Yeah," Bernard scoffed, "What the fuck is happening here?" He glanced at each one of us, together, at last.

Luciano cleared his throat and said, "Let me introduce ourselves, properly this time since we are having a little issue with identity."

Bernard's men backed him up when they sensed the threat in my husband's tone.

"Who are you all?" Dillion asked, standing afar and above us. He had an idea, it showed he did.

Luciano parted his arm away from my shoulder and stood up. He walked behind and bent over the couch, just behind us. The men flinched, feeling dangered around his presence. Anger and blood hung loosely in the room, specifically dangling from Luciano's head.

"This is Ben—the beta of the Blackmaw Manes, although he's a little out of duty right now but he'll return soon." Luciano started. He moved over to Anna and they both shared a wicked smile. God. "This is Annabeth, my wonderful sister in law who has been a great help. I couldn't thank her much for everything she has done for me, for us."

When I glanced at her, she was happy and it took me a second to notice that she had gotten marked. Fuck. They did it. Ben marked her as his. This night was going to be a celebration as soon as we were done here.

My heart curled like crazy when Luciano dropped his arms over me and bent down to kiss me on the cheeks. It was a soft, quick kiss and it forced butterflies to explode in my stomach. We had been barely intimate in front of people and this was the first time for me.

When his mouth moved aside, I ran my hand down his face and he asked, "Should I tell them who you are?" It was barely above a whisper.

"I think you should." I nodded, stroking his cheeks. He looked so strong tonight, so powerful and so dreamy that all I wanted to do was wrap him around me.

Oh well.

He diverted his attention back to Bernard and Dillion while his hands still, protectively, rested over me. "This is my beautiful wife, my mate and the mother of my child."

"Okay, cut the crap, who are you?" Bernard questioned, a low growl escaping out of his throat out of anger and frustration.

Luciano's eyes flickered at him, "I'm Luciano Hanson. The King of the 'American throne' or werewolves, whatever you prefer—" He loosened his grasp on me and raised back up. "Oh, did I mention that these two are the daughter's of the man you're standing beside?"

The truth released in the air and the room fell dead silent, no one breathed, no one moved and everything froze for that one minute. Horror clung onto Bernard's features when he learned the truth. His eyes widened and his jaw almost met the floor. On the other hand, I found Dillion puzzled and lost.

There wasn't much we could do. He was leaving tonight and he had to know and I couldn't ask for a better way. This way, it was out at the least.

Luciano walked over to Bernard and continued, "Do you know what this all makes you?"

He shook his head.

"A dead man—for harassing my wife, troubling my poor father in law and calling me weak." Every word he said was laced with rage. 

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