His mother never cried. She growled and spat insults before stalking off to be gone for days on her own. He hadn’t really learned to deal with women until he’d gotten older and took a few knocks learning the ropes—crying was not something he’d mastered.
Dominic saved him and placed one hand on his mate’s stomach and his other arm around her. He pulled her close, and she buried her nose in his neck, breathing deeply. It was an intimate moment. It should have been private, so Romano turned his head away.
“She will be fine, mi amore. There is no man I’d trust more than Romano to protect her.”
“I know but,” sniffle, “what if they hurt her?” Muffled sob. “Or she dies?”
Her last word was said on a wail, and Dominic, never breaking a sweat, pulled his mate closer. “Then I would reach into death to pull her back if it made you happy.”
“What if she hates me for tying her up in this?”
“No one hates sunshine, Zoey.”
“You do, first thing in the morning.”
“I don’t hate it. I’d just rather be in you in the morning.”
“But she’s not going to be very happy with me.”
“And then she’ll be fine, you know this.”
The conversation made absolutely no sense to Romano, but it helped Zoey. She hiccupped softly into Dominic’s neck as they pulled away and headed out of pack lands.
Romano cleared his throat. “Will anyone else come with us?”
Take the hint, Dominic. Why is Zoey here?
“We thought showing a face of comradery would help more. Just you, Giuliana, Zoey, and me. There will be a car following us, but they will remain outside awaiting our return.”
The rest of the trip was made in silence, and Romano looked out the window for most of it. The areas the Moretti and Lombardi Packs owned were green and more upscale now.
But he barely saw the apartment complex building, the community center, or the faces of businesses opening back up within pack lands as they drove. None of it mattered as much as getting to Kalinda.
Each mile felt like ten as they traveled from one side of Encantado to another. By the time they reached the manicured drive leading into headquarters, Romano wanted to rip at his shirt neck and throw his tie on the floor. Her refrained, barely, from doing either. Instead, he decided to leave his weapons in the car. Besides, his teeth were all he needed. He worked on having a partial shift ready to allow his teeth to extend when the time came. Partial shifting was something easier for a Born Wolf to do but still required some concentration when not in a heightened emotional state.
They went up the lit drive that was darkened by the large willow trees on either side that blocked some of the early evening sun. Wards danced along the lights—a warning system for those inside and defensive spells for anyone coming who wasn’t allowed to come this way.
They had an audience, but the searching magic still crept along Romano’s skin, making his hair raise on end. After a few more minutes, they reached a tall, gilded wrought iron gate. It opened automatically as they approached and let them go through. In the center of the circle drive in front of the mansion was a marble fountain of a woman holding fire in one hand, the ground raising beneath her feet, water streaming from the other, and her hair frozen in a fierce wind.
“You think we need any more reminders of their magic?” Dominic scanned the fountain with a critical eye.
“Maybe gargoyles?”
Zoey snorted. “They have those too. Look at the top of the place.”
Sure enough, watching gargoyles turned their heads as the cars parked.
“Maybe a talking lion’s head on the door?”
“I don’t know if it talks, but …”
Romano was officially done with what-ifs. The four of them got out of the lead car and headed for the front door. Before they could knock, the lion head opened its mouth wide.
“Welcome, Dominic, Capo di tutti Capi of the Lombardi Pack, Zoey, your mate, Romano, your Capo, and Giuliana, your Enforcer. We will see you now.”
“Romano,” Dominic hissed, “shut up next time we go somewhere new, okay?”
“It’s a puss—”
