Carlo looked as familiar as ever, his midnight hair meticulously styled, skin bronzed from the sun. But standing across the room from Leonardo, I finally noticed just how different the two truly were. Where I’d once thought I saw shades of Leonardo in Carlo, I now saw how wrong I’d been. Carlo had a warmth and openness in his smile, with darker grey eyes and a lighter energy that drew people in. Leonardo, on the other hand, was all restraint and calculation. His eyes were a paler grey, his skin alabaster, and his presence intense, like a storm waiting to break. Carlo was naturally kind, open to everyone, while Leonardo held an unpredictable, unfiltered intensity that could draw you in or shut you out in an instant. They shared nothing in common now.
I tore my eyes from Leonardo’s cold, rigid stance and focused on Sofia, who rushed towards me with an excited grin. Dante was seated nearby, silent as usual, though his gaze flickered between Leonardo and me with a quiet observance. It was easy to see that he noticed far more than he let on, and I didn’t want to imagine what he might’ve noticed between Leonardo and me.
“Ella!” Sofia squealed, crushing me in a hug. “Carlo almost snuck off without saying a word! Can you believe that?”
“I’m already short on trainers, Sofia,” Carlo sighed. “You can’t blame me for wanting to keep you at home.”
“Oh, I absolutely can blame you,” Sofia retorted with a smirk. “You can’t cage me. I’m like a bird, Carlo-I need to spread my wings.”
Enrico chuckled, “More like you wanted to dive into all the drama. And hit the shops.”
Leonardo’s voice sliced through their playful banter, sharp as ice. “Alpha Carlo’s not exactly one to let his pack members make their own choices, is he?”
Carlo’s fists clenched as he glared at Leonardo. “And what exactly do you mean by that?”
Chiara gave me a look that screamed *I warned you*, while Sofia sighed and dropped onto the couch. Enrico shot Leonardo a glare, and even Dante seemed visibly tense, his eyes darting to Carlo and back to Leonardo.
“In my pack, people make their own choices. I only enforce my authority when absolutely necessary. Apparently, things work differently in yours.” Leonardo shrugged, his tone casual but his expression unforgiving.
Carlo’s jaw tightened. “I give my people a choice. I don’t keep vital information from them.”
Leonardo’s laugh was soft but cold, devoid of any warmth. “Vital information? She was asleep, Carlo. I had her checked by every doctor in town. They couldn’t find anything wrong. What would you have done? Come here and gotten in the way?”
“She’s part of my pack. I should’ve known the moment something happened,” Carlo snapped, his voice seething.
Leonardo’s eyes narrowed. “Do you make a habit of dating members of your own pack? Or is that special treatment only for Isabella?” His voice turned mocking. “Don’t think I didn’t know how you treated her before meeting your mate. Cast her aside like she meant nothing.”
Pain flared inside me, and I forced myself to stay silent, though each bitter word cut deeply. Neither of them realized the harm they were doing; they were both too blinded by their rivalry, their need to prove something. My head throbbed, not from memories, but from the tension between the two of them.
“Like you have any room to talk,” Carlo scoffed. “You’re the one who rejected her. Or did you forget that? How many others did you bring into your bed while she was gone?”
Leonardo flinched, a flash of raw pain crossing his gaze. “Are you angry because I didn’t make the same mistake you did, Carlo? Or because I wasn’t foolish enough to reject my mate?”
Carlo’s words hit a nerve, and my own pain simmered beneath the surface. Leonardo might’ve caused me months of heartbreak, but Carlo wasn’t without fault. They were too wrapped up in this childish battle to see that both had hurt me in their own way. As Carlo opened his mouth to fire back, my patience snapped.
“Enough. Both of you.” My voice rang out louder than I expected, filling the room and silencing them.
I turned to Carlo first, forcing myself to speak calmly. “What’s done is done. I’m fine now-that’s what matters. Leave his past mistakes where they belong and focus on what you came here for.”
Ignoring the look of protest on Carlo’s face, I met Leonardo’s gaze. “And you, stop provoking him. He’s a guest in your pack, and the last thing we need is a conflict between you two.”
Leonardo’s lips twisted into a faint smirk. “The kitten has claws again.”
Carlo growled, “Kitten?”
“Carlo,” I warned him, then shot a glare at Leonardo. “And you-don’t call me that.”
Leonardo’s smile softened, an almost amused glint in his eyes. For the first time, he seemed almost warm, a rare glimpse that took my breath away. Rather than linger on the moment, I turned to Sofia, who burst out laughing.
“Finally, some peace!” she declared. “Can we go shopping now? All this testosterone is a hazard to my hair.” She took my arm and Chiara’s, flashing a pointed look at Carlo and Leonardo. “Let’s leave them to their chest-puffing. We have more important things to do.”
As she pulled us towards the door, Leonardo’s voice stopped me. “Isabella, I still want that explanation.”
I hesitated, then sighed. “Once I figure it all out, you’ll be the first to know. We’ll meet back here tonight, and I’ll explain.”
Leonardo exchanged a frosty glance with Carlo before replying, “Fine. Enjoy your shopping.”
“If I return to find a single scratch on either of you, I’ll never speak to either one of you again.” I threw them a stern look as Sofia tugged me out the door, her face lit with relief.