“Seems like partying isn’t really your thing,” came a familiar voice.
I turned to see Dante’s hazel eyes, calm and devoid of the malice that once haunted me. He leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, watching me with that guarded, intent gaze, like he was examining me under a microscope, trying to figure out what made me tick.
“How would you know?” I asked, shifting my focus away from Chiara and Enrico. Chiara was dancing with a guy her age, chestnut-haired with olive skin, while Enrico was deep in conversation with a group of guys.
Dante shrugged, the corners of his lips twitching. “Well, you are just standing here.”
The Dante I remembered wasn’t so restrained, so calm. He used to be one of my worst bullies, spilling drinks on me whenever he had the chance. I remembered the time in sixth grade when he doused my white shirt with fruit punch. Mom had been furious-she’d gotten me that shirt for Christmas, and it was ruined in one day. Back then, his vocabulary seemed limited to “freak” and “loner.”
“Alright, so it’s not my thing,” I admitted with a shrug.
“Here I thought you liked to party, yet here you are with me.”
“Looks like you’re not the only one who’s changed,” I replied, catching the flash of something dark in his gaze-a fleeting look of melancholy or maybe guilt. Just as quickly, it vanished, leaving me wondering if I’d imagined it. “I’m just here to look out for a friend.”
“Sounds like a blast,” I nodded, my mind wandering to Leonardo, wondering if he might show up tonight. A few years ago, he never missed a party. I wanted to believe he’d changed, but honestly, I never really knew him. I’d barely spoken to him before the day he rejected me. I’d never even heard him say my name. Forcing the pang of memory down, I wiped my expression clean.
“Leonardo isn’t here,” Dante replied as though reading my mind. His gaze shifted across the room to a group of guys our age. “Unless it’s a pack event, he doesn’t bother showing up. He’s… busy.”
“I didn’t ask,” I replied quickly, masking the irritation in my voice. “It’s not my job to track Leonardo’s every move.”
Dante’s brows lifted, a smirk tugging at his lips as he peered at me through thick lashes. “Isn’t it, though? Good night, Isabella.”
I let out a frustrated breath as he disappeared with the younger group of guys, slipping out the back door. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t forget the look in his eyes. It wasn’t my place to keep tabs on Leonardo-not after he’d turned his back on me.
By the time I found Chiara and Enrico, I felt drained. Both of them had enjoyed the night far more than I had.
“You ready for tomorrow, Ella?” Chiara popped her head into my bedroom later that evening, the second time she’d checked in on me. She plopped onto the bed, picking up on my sour expression. “I know you’ve changed, but coming back here must be rough.”
“It’s fine,” I sighed, running my fingers through my tangled hair. “It’s just… The only people who bullied me were Leonardo’s friends-Dante included. Everyone in town knows about Leonardo rejecting me. That’s the part that bothers me.”
Chiara placed a comforting hand on my arm. “Some people probably think you came back here pining for the Alpha. Show them that’s not what you’re about. They might need a reminder of that fact.”
“That’s solid advice, Chiara,” I chuckled, leaning back against the headboard.
“It happens every now and then,” she replied, stretching out on my bed like a relaxed cat.
Enrico joined us just then, shaking a bag of chips in his hand as he grinned. “What, are we having a party in here without me?”
“No, not at all,” I tried to insist, but he’d already made himself comfortable between us, crunching on a chip with a grin.
“Since Chiara’s handing out advice, here’s mine-trainer to trainer,” he said, serious despite the casual look. “Tomorrow, people will try to walk all over you. It happens to Sofia and me all the time. They’ll test you, try to push your limits. You have to show them who’s in charge.”
“Retaliate?” I snorted, but his words struck a chord. Werewolves tested each other constantly. You either made friends with the strongest around or challenged them. And given my reputation, I had no allies here. People thought I was here for Leonardo, as though I’d traveled all this way to mourn my rejected bond.
Enrico nodded, his gaze unwavering. “Exactly. You put them back in their place, Ella. Don’t let them think for a second that they’re above you.”
‘He’s right,’ my wolf murmured. ‘If we let them, they’ll trample us.’
“Noted,” I replied, my determination hardening as I prepared for what the next day would bring.
That night, lying in bed, I thought of Leonardo and his friends-the once inseparable five: Leonardo, Dante, Livia, Francesca, and Fabio. They’d never let anyone into their group. I’d seen only Leonardo and Dante so far, and I wondered what had become of the others. Had they found their mates, or did they still roam this pack, reminding me of my place? The thought of Leonardo’s indifferent gaze was the last thing on my mind as I drifted to sleep.
When morning came, I couldn’t shake off my nerves, so I forced them down with a cup of coffee. I slipped into my workout clothes and, needing to burn off energy, headed out for a run toward my old neighborhood.
My sneakers pounded the pavement, the burn in my lungs both familiar and grounding. The early morning light glistened on the grass, casting a sheen over the neighborhood that would be blistering with humidity by noon. Yet as I ran, a strange sensation tightened in my gut, almost like a magnetic pull. I skidded to a halt, staring up instinctively, and locked eyes with Leonardo, watching me from his window. The sunlight glinted off his dark hair, casting a soft glow over his pale skin. He seemed to absorb the light, his expression as inscrutable as ever. I wondered, irrationally, if he’d been waiting there, if the same tug had pulled him to the window.
Heart hammering, I broke eye contact and continued running, the mate-bond stirring under my skin. I’d had enough. I had to accept his rejection before it tore me apart.
‘The second we’re alone, we’ll end it,’ my wolf murmured. ‘He’ll have no more hold over us.’
I ran until exhaustion weighed on my limbs, and by the time I returned home, I barely had time to shower, change, and grab a quick breakfast before Chiara and Enrico joined me in the kitchen.
“Just got off the phone with Sofia,” Enrico said, grinning. “Everything’s good back home. She’s grumbling about her lack of shopping buddies, but she’ll survive.”
“She probably just misses us,” I chuckled, reaching for a box of cereal.
Some found Sofia intimidating, her no-nonsense attitude often too much to handle. But I’d come to rely on her firm, grounding presence, and she and Chiara fit together seamlessly. Somehow, I’d found my place among them.
“Oh, you know we’re going shopping while we’re here, right?” Chiara said with a mischievous grin. “Sofia would never forgive us if we didn’t bring something back.”
“Good luck with that,” Enrico quipped, flashing a sly grin as he made a quick exit.
“Honestly, I didn’t even think about it,” I admitted.
Chiara patted my shoulder, a smirk on her lips. “You focus on training; I’ll deal with Sofia.”
“Deal,” I replied, returning her smile. As much as I loved Sofia, the demands of training sounded simpler than navigating her expectations.