Howl at the Heart's Edge

Chapter 18

Giuliano’s Past.

With the exception of the fire crackling, the jungle was silent. The flickering flames emphasized Giuliano's form as he sat opposite Isabella. His golden eyes seemed to be looking into long-forgotten memories, softening his normally austere demeanor.

Giuliano said in a heavy, low voice, "I wasn't always a rogue." I used to be a member of the DeVargas Pack. Not only a member, but also one of Antonio's most reliable counselors.

Isabella leaned forward, a mixture of curiosity and discomfort. "What took place?"

Giuliano stared at the flames while his lips formed a narrow line. Once, I had faith in Antonio's vision. He talked about strength, solidarity, and a time when our species wouldn't have to hide. However, it was all a front. His ambition tainted everything he came into contact with.

He hesitated, his words weighing heavily on him. When his choices put the pack in peril, I questioned him and contested them. Dissension did not sit well with him. Antonio viewed me as a danger, and dangers are eradicated in his world.

His tone was so cruel that Isabella's heart wrenched. "So he banished you."

Giuliano said, his tone tightening, "Not just exiled." He made sure I had nothing when I left. My job, my house, everything taken away. He labeled me a traitor and rallied the pack against me. He had to ruin my reputation in addition to expelling me.

Isabella clenched her fists at the injustice, but she said nothing because she knew there was more.

Giuliano's voice shook with barely contained fury as he went on, his hands clenched into fists. "The banishment wasn't what broke me. It was the result of that.

His eyes were filled with anguish as he gazed at Isabella. "I had a partner. Lucia. To me, she was everything. tenacious, ferocious, and strong. Our child, a boy, was growing inside her. We intended to move on from Antonio's shadow and begin a new life.

As Isabella listened, her chest constricted. "Whatever became of them?"

Giuliano's teeth ground together as his jaw worked. "Antonio occurred. Under the appearance of diplomacy, he manipulated a disagreement with a rival pack. He was aware of our whereabouts. The attack was planned, not haphazard.

With his face at sharp angles due to the firelight, he took a nervous breath. "Lucia did not make it through the raid." Our son didn't either. The pursuit of power by Antonio cost me everything.

The crackling fire was the only sound to break the deep silence that ensued. Isabella put her hand on Giuliano's arm and reached out. She trembled as she said, "I'm so sorry."

Giuliano's eyes blazed with a new ferocity, but he did not back down. I can't let him win because of this. Never again.

Giuliano leaned in closer to Isabella, his eyes narrowing. Something is important for you to know. Antonio didn't leave me. He may have contributed to the fire that killed your parents, in my opinion.

Isabella's heart was racing and her breath caught. "What? How are you aware of that?

"Everything points to him the timing, the patterns," Giuliano stated firmly. "Anyone who gets in his way is eliminated by Antonio." Your parents were influential and well-respected. They had the option to contest him.

As the fragments of Isabella's past rearranged themselves into a darker image, her mind raced. "Why wasn't I informed of this?"

Giuliano answered, "Because Antonio is an expert at hiding his tracks." However, if you look closely enough, the reality begins to show. You are even more of a target because of your relationship with Lorenzo.

With a suffocating weight, the warning hung in the air. Isabella's determination hardened as her thoughts whirled with fury and confusion.

Despite the fury inside of her, she spoke steadily, "I won't let him destroy anyone else." "He must pay if he is responsible for this."

Giuliano stood, his face growing serious. Then, Isabella, you must be prepared. Antonio creates the rules rather than merely playing the game. And you will lose everything if you are not careful.

As Isabella turned to Giuliano, her emerald eyes penetrating the veil of his stoic countenance, the tension in the air was palpable. The forest surrounding them was a tapestry of shifting shadows as they stood just outside the firelight. Her voice was quiet but demanding as she crossed her arms.

With mistrust and interest in her voice, she questioned, "Why are you helping me?" "You've spent years evading Antonio. Why take a chance now?

Giuliano stared at her, his mouth clenched as he thought about what she had said. The rustle of leaves in the light wind was the only sound between them for a moment. He finally let out a sigh, his shoulders drooping a little.

"Because you are my opportunity," he said, his voice brimming with passion. "My opportunity to repair some of Antonio's harm."

Startled by the sensitivity in his voice, Isabella blinked. "What do you mean?"

Giuliano's beautiful eyes flickered with the fire as he looked at it. I made a vow to never allow Antonio to ruin anyone else after losing Lucia. However, every action I took to stop him simply made me disappear farther into the darkness. I turned into a renegade and a misfit. I didn't keep the people I cared about safe.

His focused, uncompromising stare went back to her. However, you are strong enough to confront him and end the pattern. Everything suggests that you are the key, including your relationship with Lorenzo and your family's involvement with the prophecy. And I will not allow Antonio to triumph once more.

His confession weighed heavily on Isabella's emotions. "You're trusting me a lot," she remarked quietly.

Giuliano grinned, but it didn't extend to his eyes. "You've already outlived most people. That is significant.

In that instant, their unwritten bond became stronger, but Isabella felt uneasy about it as well. There was danger on the way, and Giuliano's confidence in her just increased the stress.

Giuliano guided Isabella farther into the forest, where the dense layer of leaves and moss muffled their footsteps. After they arrived at a remote clearing, he pushed back a clump of overgrown vines to uncover a secret stone chest with symbols engraved on it that matched those in her mother's journal.

Giuliano crouched to raise the hefty lid and remarked, "I stole this before I left the DeVargas Pack." One of their most treasured artifacts, it is a fragment of the prophesy that they concealed from everyone, including the elders.

A worn scroll, tied with a piece of black silk, was inside the chest. Despite the seriousness of the situation, Giuliano carefully recovered it with firm hands. With the moonlight shining on the parchment, he unfolded the scroll and held it between them.

As Isabella read the old words, her breath caught. Although the symbols were recognizable, their meaning was unsettling. A blood treachery will let the road to ruin open, and only the fated tie will be able to close it again.

Her voice was shaking as she glanced at Giuliano. "What does it signify?"

Giuliano's face grew serious. It indicates that a person close to you is not who they say they are. If this prophecy is accurate, Antonio's power is profound, and that betrayal could cost us everything.

Isabella's thoughts were racing, with images of the elders, Lorenzo, and Alessandra rushing through her mind. Doubt sunk its claws deep into her heart. "Whom can I put my trust in?"

Giuliano put a firm yet comforting hand on her shoulder. "Believe in yourself," he advised. And remain vigilant. Antonio is changing the rules, not only playing a game.

The silence was broken by a howl in the distance, its melancholy tone piercing the night like a sword. The realization that danger was approaching and time was running out made Isabella's blood run cold.