Trez's blood turned cold the moment Angela left him. The whole world just collapsed on him and he was nothing but furious. Not because he saved Angela or spent time with her, but the fact that she was targeted and almost raped freaked the fuck out of him. The moment he witnessed her come into his nightclub, his eyes were on her, like a ravenous beast.

Trez couldn't believe it at first, but when he saw her chestnut-red hair that was thick and shiny and her big hazel eyes, he knew it was her without a doubt. He couldn't help his reaction towards the woman, even at the cafe his attention was always on her. Angela was sunshine, she radiated everywhere she went or who she was with. Unlike him, he was a shadow ready to consume her light and devour her into his darkness.

Axe and Trez left the two women at the small house that was in a quiet neighbourhood, which was a relief. He stood outside her house and it took everything in his body to leave her here alone.

"Have a team of guards sent here," Trez told his brother as they reached the car. "I want eyes on them at all times."

Axe faced his brother on the opposite side of the car. "Is there something you need to tell me, brother?" His eyes rigid and his tone stern.

"Angela's my mate," he answered before he opened the car door and got in.

Axe sat beside him and drove them back to the club in silence. Trez wasn't sure what thoughts bothered his brother, but he assumed that Axe would have tried to talk about what Trez just told him about Angela being his mate. He was ready to hear his brother's disapproving opinion, but it didn't come.

They arrived at the club and Axe parked the car before the chauffeur took the keys from them. Trez passed Bronco and Cody at the door who stood guard all night. He left them to their duties and went into the hallway alone. He crossed the space and ended up where Angela was attacked. A raging fire engulfed him and he was craving the blood of the man who touched Trez Luciano's woman.

Darius appeared from the basement. "They're ready whenever you are, boss," he said.

All of the warmth Trez had when he was with Angela disappeared and he became what people feared. He was the monster in the nightmares that haunted people.

He went ahead in front of Darius. All of them went down the staircase to the concrete chambers that his men nicknamed; The Dungeon, which wasn't original but it worked.

Down a dark staircase, that was dark and hollow. There was no place to run or hide from him here because this was his territory. Once caught, the prey was brought here to answer his every whim. But right now, Trez wasn't looking for answers to his questions. He was looking for a fight to soothe the anger boiling inside him. The image of Angela getting hurt was still fresh in his mind. He was furious with the man that dared to lay a finger on her.

The last door of the hall opened. Trez smelt blood, sweat and that undeniable fear of death. He sauntered into the room, the air thickened from his arrival. Most of the guards stepped back as the Luciano brothers arrived. Axe paced around the battered men who are heavily beaten, their faces barely recognizable. But Trez remembered exactly who drugged Angela and who intended to rape her.

Trez took a seat.

"We...didn't...know," a voice whimpered through its broken jaw.

Trez gazed into the man's bloody eyes, the eyes that dared to look at Angela with lust. "Didn't know what?" Trez's rigid voice snapped the tension in the room. The silence was heavy and even his security was scared of what would happen now that their boss had spoken.

"That girl," the man sobbed. "That she was yours."

Trez raised a brow. "How many girls have they done this to?" he asked Darius.

"Fifteen," he answered. "One was from our club. The rest were from other places around town."

Trez's blood turned colder than ice. "How?"

"This one would lure and drug the girl," said Darius pointing at the same guy who cornered Angela. "And he would wait outside with the van."

"Fifteen girls," Trez felt his wolf surface, growling to be let out and taste the blood of these assholes.

Trez got out of his seat, he grabbed knuckle brass from the table and placed it over his hand. He pulled back and turned towards the target. Fisting his palm around the metal, he slammed his fist exactly fifteen times in the man's face. Now, the loser was definitely unrecognizable.

Trez didn't feel pity nor did he care that the man was about to die. He only cared that the blood that spilled tonight and the bodies that dropped at his feet were of the people who harmed his mate and so many others. He grabbed the glock from his waist and shot the other one in the head.

"Get them out of my face," growled Trez.

The team cleared the blood and the bodies throwing them into the furnaces.

Trez returned to his office alone with blood of his enemies on his hands but his heart calm. He crossed the room and went to the bedroom where there was a bathroom. He didn't bother turning on the lights, preferring the darkness since he was young. He tore off his jacket and put his gun on the counter, the metal clanking on the marble. He turned on the tap and water as cold as ice poured onto his hands before he splashed his face. His frozen wet fingers ran through the short strands of his hair sleeking it back as he stared up at his reflection.

Trez has never felt such a hungering need in his own body. The need to claim, to take, and make her his. Every moment they spent in his office still loitered all over his body. Even though, he didn't touch her, her body yielded to his whim and he never felt that with anything but when he was with her. He needed her again.

However, a poison seeped out of his veins and blackened his thoughts. Did he deserve Angela? She was a pure, innocent woman who never did anything sinful in her life. How was she going to understand the life Trez leads? He was in a dangerous profession and his enemies always caused trouble. Angela and her friend would soon become targets just for being near him. There was no way Angela was going to understand and except him easily. He'd have to tell her the truth of his past and everything else before they could mark one another as mates.

His wolf raging inside him was reluctant to give Angela her space. If it was up to this animal, he'd go to her tonight and claim her. Trez desired nothing more than that too. But, Angela was independent woman who took care of herself. She was going to need convincing and a bit of charm to see him as a viable mate.

Trez stripped out of his clothes and took a shower rinsing off the blood and exhaustion of the day. Once he was done, he got into a robe and went back into his office when a knock on the door interrupted him and Axe walked inside.

"What?" Trez asked.

"I sent Darius to get a team ready to guard Angela's house," he said. "I've instructed them to stay far but step in if there's any sign of danger."

"Good," Trez answered before he turned towards the chair at his table.

"I also have her file," Axe said as he laid a black folder on the table beside his brother. "All her information is there."

"I don't remember asking for this," he answered.

"You still need to take a look at what's in this file," Axe said.

"How long have you had this file?" he asked his brother.

Axe raised a brow. "Let's just say that I've known who she was ever since your interest in the cafe grew," he remarked.

Trez stared at the door that his brother closed after he left him alone with this folder. He could feel the ache behind his temples returning. He went to the bar in the corner of the room and made himself a negroni. Grabbing the folder, he sat on the couch and opened the file on the glass table. Angela's citizenship papers, passport documents, income tax was all in here. He went through the papers of all the places she was employed and they were all cafes, which made him smile a little. She made the best coffee in this city and he only drank it if she made it. So, all these barista jobs made a lot of sense.

After he passed those papers, he saw two documents on Angela's parents. He read over that they were dead for five years now. However, that was when all the photos of a crime scene fell out onto his lap. Next to a red car, a man and woman were shot dead with multiple bullets all over their bodies. Their blood stained the rocks under them. Under the photos was the newspapers article explaining that numerous families were brutally murdered in a gang war involving the Bertorelli gang.

The blood drained his face. "Fuck," Trez cursed at his goddamned twisted fate.

Rocco Bertorelli ran a ruthless gang that was located in Tuscany. They were powerful and had a lot of political influence as well, that was just one of the reasons they were free to torment the streets of small towns and have these wars all the time. But that wasn't the only problem. Trez and Axe served Rocco once a long time ago when they were newly out of the cage-fights. However, after Trez saw Rocco's unnecessary displays of violence, they left the gang. But this was what Axe wanted to show Trez. Angela would want nothing to do with a man that was associated with the gang that murdered her parents.

This was a cruel game fate weaved for Trez. Although, he had everything anyone could ever dream to desire. But now, that he finally ached for something, it was impossible to reach for it. He couldn't face Angela knowing that he was part of the Bertorelli gang. She would hate him and would want nothing to do with him.

Trez got to his feet, walking out into the terrace and looked out into the starless night where there was no moon in the sky and only clouds warning the city of a storm.

Despair filled his body and turned his blood cold as rumbling thunder rolled through the air and lightning flashed before him. With two choices in front of him, his mind told him the logical answer while his barren heart started to ache telling him his true desire.

Claim his mate or leave her to live her best life alone.

Trez's stared up at the rumbling clouds wondering when he was going to be able to enjoy himself. He was drowning in money but never ached to spend it. He had his domain and reigned over it with everything he had. But this one time, he yearned for something that was entirely his own. Angela was his and he desired to be with her. Except, he was a monster worse than anything she could ever imagine. The need in him would scare her and he wasn't sure if he would be able to control himself around her. And then, what was he going to tell her about his past that was tainted in blood. There was no way she'd be able to look past his dark legacy.

-Axe Luciano's POV-

Axe was a fighter through and through. Nothing changed that ever since he could remember. Born on the streets, he learned the lesson of being powerless the hard way. People were monsters that prayed on the weak. So, he made sure that he wasn't feeble. He trained day and night to be the strongest in the room at all times.

No one could touch a Luciano now. Everyone feared the name and Axe ensured it stayed that way. That was his focus at all times. Protect his big brother and secure their territory. Anyone that tried to harm them would be brutally eliminated. He knew his duty as a brother and a Luciano.

However, all that focus that he trained for and fought to master vanished in front of those golden pools of caramel that were her lovely eyes.

After Trez's mate was attacked and his brother told him to go look for her friend. Axe was already pissed as fuck that some random fucking loser snuck into the club and thought he could attack a girl here. And then, Axe had to go find some random woman in the massive club. Security cameras easily found the girl that came in with Angela Moretti and the guards in the club located her. They let Axe know that she left the club. So, he went after her.

The moment he stepped out of the club doors, a sweet aroma caught his wolf's attention. A soft trail of sandalwood danced with roses and it pulled him into its grip. This scent masked the stench of tobacco, alcohol and bodies that always surrounded the club. Axe never experienced this before in his entire life. A fragrance that was beautiful and uncorrupted beckoned something from inside him that was never felt before.

He tracked the scent to the alley of the club when he saw the one it belonged to. She was standing in the arms of another man. Everything inside Axe turned vicious and he felt his blood turn as taciturn as ice. He fucking ached to break the man's hands for touching her and he did exactly that. After he dealt with the thug and broke his hand and neck, Axe turned and faced her.

She stood in front of him in this sparkly silver dress that fell just above her knees and she wore matching heels, that let her stand tall enough so she reached his chin. The flickering light of the alleyway didn't hide the beauty of her soft chocolate skin, that was all one colour over her curvaceous body. She stared up at him with those divine eyes that made him lose his focus and he couldn't find a way out.

The accursed wind that blew through the alley carried her fragrance to him and he felt his body succumb to its wicked temptations. Her dark black hair that was thick and wavy had been left open, the long strands blew in the wind as it cascaded down her back all way to her hips. He almost set the stupid man on fire for touching her beautiful hair.

But that was forgotten when she made the mistake of smiling at him with her rosy lips, that tempted him to steal a taste and never give it back. His hands that always held weapons and took lives ached with the longing to touch her, to pull her into his arms and not ever let her go.

Axe burned to possess her and make her his own. The wolf inside him howled in agreement. But he couldn't do that, she was human. She'd never understand the lives that shifters led. Although, she was friends with Trez's mate who was indeed a wolf shifter. Perhaps, they shared the secret as friends. But he couldn't risk it for the safety of his brother and the club. His duties came first before anything else and he'd never let that go. A woman or mate shouldn't be on his mind, even though her gorgeous eyes and those sultry lips were engrained in his thoughts. This mystery woman was turning his own mind against him, she was making it her own. He was losing control over himself and that wasn't normal for him. He was strict on himself and never let his body dictate his motives.

"Sir?" A voice snapped Axe out of his head.

Axe looked up at the hundred guards awaiting orders. "Er-" he gritted his teeth and quickly gave their orders to stand guard around the territory of the club.

Everyone was dismissed and Axe left the room when he saw two guards carrying the dead body inside from the alleyway. The one he killed himself. He was glad to get rid of that piece of trash, when suddenly, something silver glinted in the light catching his eye.

"Wait," he called out.

The guards turned. "Sir?"

Axe went up to them and looked down at the dead man's sleeve where a simple anklet hung from the cuff. He recognized the scent attached to it because it belonged to Angela's friend, Sonya Sharma. He took it off the cuff and sent the guards to dispose of the body. He held the piece of silver in his fingers, running along the simple design and the bell attached to it chimed into his body. He wondered what it looked like around her ankle and he wanted to put this back on her himself.

"I didn't know you were into jewelry?"

Axe stiffened when he heard Darius's voice. "What's the update," he answered as he hid the anklet into his pocket.

Darius frowned with his green eyes staring at Axe. "Wade's still watching Reyes and I sent the team that's supposed to guard that house," he answered. "Is there anything else you need before I head off for the night?"

"No, good work," Axe replied. "I'll see you in the morning."

Darius turned away as he raked his dark hair, his holster hidden on his black shirt but the guns were still strapped to his waist. Like all of them, he was always covered with weapons since they were always in danger. Darius and Wade both stayed at the penthouse behind the club, since Trez owned that building for the guards to all have a place to live while they protected this place.

Axe lived there too, since they rarely went to their real house that they built ages ago. Work took most of their time and it was easier to live closer to here. Trez lived in the club itself and never left. Axe was almost convinced to have his room shifted here too. But the penthouse had a gym and he could use a good long training session right about now.

Despite it being midnight, the club was busy as ever. The staff was on night duty and they were busy doing their jobs. Axe made sure everyone was on top of things before he left for the night. He needed a shower and he'd hit the gym before he came back at dawn.

There were a few tunnels under the club that led them directly to the skyscraper. Axe knew his way around the club like the back of his hand. He silently left through the tunnel and ended up in the lobby of the building. Guards bowed as he passed and entered the elevator leading him to his penthouse suite.

The dim lights turned on the moment he opened the door leading him into a sleek industrial style residence. There was no clutter or mark that someone even lived here, which was the way Axe preferred to keep it. He never left his mark anywhere knowing that he wasn't going to leave anything behind here on this godforsaken world. There was no desire, no greed, no hope inside him that he'd build something worth praise. He was a killer born to drink the blood of his enemies, that's all there was to him. Axe was nothing else and he'd never forget it.

He crossed the foyer and glanced at the city lights glimmering beneath his feet from the tall windows surrounding the penthouse. Going to his bedroom, he took off his jacket when something chimed out of his pocket and fell onto the floor.

Axe stiffened when he looked down at the silver anklet that had a few bells attached to it, which was what made that sweet sound. He squatted down and grabbed the piece of jewelry between his rough fingers. The sweet fragrance that was attached to the anklet seized onto his mind and he couldn't ignore it. His wolf stood to alert, like he found his target and the hunger to feed off this scent that was powerful enough to make him lose his mind.

He stared at the polished silver and anger filled him. This wasn't like him at all, he needed to get his head in the game and keep his focus clear, otherwise people could get hurt and he needed to protect his brother from any danger. He didn't have time to dream about something that was never going to happen.

Axe stood over the trash can and was about to throw it out, but his hand didn't move nor did his wolf let him get rid of this memory.

Go to her, his wolf spoke.

Perhaps, Axe should return the anklet since it was hers to begin with and he didn't have the right to get rid of it. Grabbing his leather jacket, he put it back on and left the penthouse with the anklet in his fist.

Arriving in the garage, he went straight for the black Maserati at the end and the guards opened the gates. He got in the car and turned the ignition on, letting the car blink alive, the engine powerful enough that he could feel it in his body when it roared. He put the gear in drive and pressed his foot down on the gas before he sped out of the garage onto the empty roads.

In silence, his mind was busy with the thoughts of his actions right now. He didn't know what he was going to accomplish right now, but he needed to see her. No, he told himself. He was going to leave the anklet with her and every single emotion that came with it. A man like him couldn't forsake his duties and risk having a mating bond, it was too dangerous.

He glanced at the anklet that wrapped around three of his fingers, it was teasing him with its beauty like it knew that he was tumbling through a turmoil over the owner of this jewelry.

The clouds outside his car rolled over the sky, covering the moon away from everyone, and it mirrored his thoughts. His judgement was unclear and he didn't know what he was going to do about it.

Arriving outside an average house in a quiet neighbourhood, the house was small but had two floors and it must have a basement too. There was only one street, which was a good thing since this was the only way to get in and out of the area. He parked his car at the edge of the road when he spotted the black van that belonged to his guards at the club. They would notice Axe's car soon enough and wonder why he was here.

Axe flashed his headlights and the van turned it's lights on and drove up to him. They parked opposite side of the road and the window rolled down.

"Sir?" Wilson stared at Axe curiously.

"Take a drive, come back in fifteen minutes," Axe ordered.

Wilson didn't ask anything more and rolled his window up and left to do what his boss ordered.

Axe got out of his car and crossed the road by himself with the anklet still wrapped around his fingers. He noticed that every single house had its lights off and there weren't any cars driving by this area either. Although, there weren't many cameras here which wasn't good. He'd have a team install security cameras around the entire strip to ensure the safety of those girls.

Axe came and stood under the large maple tree that was slowly losing its leaves, that were burning red and orange. However, the scent of the crisp leaves and night breeze was nothing compared to the sandalwood and rose fragrance that set his body aflame.

Reasonably, he knew that he should leave the anklet on the porch chair, but he didn't do that. He went around the house to the back where he tracked that woman's intoxicating scent. The window must be left open for him to feel her so closely despite being somewhere in the house. The backyard's door was shut, but he was tall enough to reach over and open the metal lock. The wooden door swung open and he passed it. The yard was small, but there was a glass table with two chairs left on the bit of concrete. He saw the lanterns that hung off the wall, so there could be light if the girls wanted to sit out here at night. But he ignored all that when he spotted the window that was left open on the second floor.

The scent carried over to him like it beckoned every demon inside him to reach out with their bloody hands to clutch onto it. Axe couldn't move to leave because he knew that it was too dangerous to be here. This woman had this power over him and he didn't understand why it was shattering through his defences.

No one understood. This craving was what made Axe dangerous.

He went up to the glass panels on the back door and took out his pocket knife, the slick and sharp blade easily slipped through the sliver of space that allowed him to push back the lock. The door fell open and he stepped into the house with ease.

Silent in his movements, this was exactly how he killed many of his targets for so many years. He'd easily slip through the locks that many believed would keep them safe. But no one knew that a trained killer knew how to get past any lock or go unseen by all cameras.

However, this house was different from any mansion or building he infiltrated before. This house held a charming warmth that made him terribly uncomfortable, like a demon mistakenly walked through the gates of heaven and found the light burn through his sinful body. There wasn't an enemy here that he needed to kill or a sinner that needed punishment. The walls here held joyful memories and kept the people of this house safe as they shared the kitchen or sat in the living-room together.

Axe crossed the tight hallway as he saw the white stairs. He silently climbed up the staircase as he noticed that this was something he never had. A home. A place that made every wolf want to come back to and find solace.

Ignoring the sick sensation in his gut, he reached the top floor and saw the two-bedroom doors that were left open. He went to the right side where he tracked that arousing scent. He pushed the door out of the way as he saw the woman from the club fast asleep on the bed.

After obtaining all the information on Angela Moretti for Trez, this woman's name came up in the file too. Sonya Sharma lived with Angela for five years now. Both of them paid the mortgage for this house and shared the same job at the cafe. He never saw Sonya before at the cafe, but he never went that often anyway. She moved here from India but he didn't delve that far into her background.

Axe saw her small figure tucked under the duvet, she slept on her back with her dark hair cascading down the pillow in a thick braid. Something dangerously carnal shred through him as he ached to reach down and open her hair like it was back at the club. But he stayed unmoving next to her as the window let cool breeze into the room. He stared at the way her delicate lashes created the shadow over her cheeks, his hand inching to run his fingers down her golden skin.

Put the anklet down and leave, he told himself but he couldn't move once he was near her. She laid there peacefully; he counted each time she inhaled a calm breath and exhaled, like it was telling him that she was already in control. He didn't understand how the scent of a human could be so strong, that it'd influence a wolf.

Axe stiffened when she turned onto her side away from him, the blanket fell off her and she revealed her tempting body to his gaze. The soft pink nightgown cascaded down the white sheets and her legs were exposed. He noted the anklet missing from her left foot, which was the one in his grip now.

He should leave it here and walk away from her. He was nothing but a dangerous killer that thrived off bloodshed. This woman deserved a lot better than him. She needed a human like her who would give her a home and a family. He couldn't do any of that with the live he led. He was broken and she was whole. He was darkness and she was light. He was sin... and she was virtue.

Axe's wolf went absolutely berserk at the thought of this woman being in the arms of another man though. He didn't want to admit it to himself, but it irritated him too. A sharp need drove him wild as his body ached to hold her in his own arms. He'd mark her delicate neck and vow that he'd protect her from everything evil. But he was the only immoral criminal near her. He couldn't put his past on her, she didn't need the complicated bullshit that was his life.

What was he going to do? he thought as he stood watching over her.

The answer is clear, his wolf growled. I want her and so do you.

Axe fisted his hands, digging his nails into his palms. I can't, he told his wolf. She's not tainted by evil like us. His wolf went silent knowing the truth of their past.

Axe stepped back when a small sound came from her like she was in pain. Instinctively, he moved to check on her but he held back knowing that he wasn't supposed to be seen. From the long mirror, across the bed, he saw her brows furrow grimly and she was about to open her eyes.

Taking that as a sign, he went to the window that was left open and slipped out. He jumped off the ledge onto the grass without anyone ever knowing that he was here. He walked out the backyard and shut the door as he returned to his car alone. The black van appeared then too and they saw him leave in his own car.

The entire ride back Axe had the anklet still wrapped around his fingers because he couldn't let it go, even though he knew it was wrong. He knew that he wasn't the type to think using sentiment, so then why was he acting this way. This silver piece of jewelry that probably wasn't even worth much was warm against his cold hands, it shackled around his tormented soul in promise that it'd heal him.

He knew that it wasn't possible and he was too far gone down the dark side to ever come back. Axe didn't even understand how Trez could think any different either. But Trez had hope, he was always the type to carry that around even when they were in cages fighting like machines.

Axe arrived back to the club and he returned to the penthouse. Unable to think clearly, he changed into his training clothes and hit the gym until the sun rose.

But no matter what he did that day, the anklet remained in his pocket by his heart tempting him to give up control. 

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