injured leg throbbed with each step, but she pushed the pain aside. The adrenaline coursing through her veins k

explanation. All Elena knew was that he claimed to know se

nd why had her father never told her the truth about her werewolf bloodline? Alessandro Russo had

lickered in the distance. Elena slowed to a stop, shifting back into her human form. Her breathing was

es gleaming with something th

re," he said, his voi

eat as she realized that

the tents and makeshift structures, their faces obscured by the shadows. There was an air of secrecy about the place, a te

lames was a sharp contrast to the cold night air, and as they approached, several of the camp's inhabitants turned t

ewo

ition, perhaps. Elena's pulse quickened, her instincts screaming at her to stay alert. This wasn't just a

her long silver hair cascading down her back in thick waves. Her eyes, however, were as sharp

her voice smooth yet commandi

her? How was that possible? She had only decided to

dy. She wasn't going to be intimidated, not even by a pack o

a could see the strength etched into her features, the kind of strength that came from years of ex

ing Elena's. "And this"-she gestured to the people gath

her throat. "My family? W

sso-he may control the Mafia, but he's kept the truth about your bloodline hidden from you. You are not

ck a step, her mind reeling. "That's not possible," she said,

keep you in the dark about your true heritage. But the blood in your veins is str

e was different, that there was something about her abilities that set her apart from the human world her

ht, but when she met your father, she chose to leave the pack behind. For love, she said. But it was a mistake. Alessandro Russo is

rom when she was very young. Her father had always been evasive about how she had died, but Elena had never

ked, her voice trembling with a mix of ange

u reclaim what's rightfully yours. Your father's control over the Mafia has only made you a pawn in his game, but you have the p

art pounding in her chest. "

ntle. "But it's in your blood.

rewolves, the lies her father had told, the idea that she was meant for something bigger. But another part of her, the part

orward then. "You're at a crossroads, Elena. You can return to your father's world, marry Mar

rling. The weight of the decision felt unbearable. But deep down, s

he said finally, her voic

that are far bigger than you realize. The De Luca family, the Mafia-they are not the only ones who want to contr

running from Marco and her father-now, there was an even greater

"When you're ready to know the full truth, come to me.

fire, leaving Elena standing there in the cool nigh

intensity that made her uneasy. "You've got a lot of decisions to make,

he had just learned. She had been running for freedom, but now it

lked away, disappearing in

distance as the firelight flickered behind her. The truth was out

tly, was she read

lone. But whatever path she chose