CHAPTER 1
BELLA
I am in love with a wolf; I am just a human girl, and I am in love with a completely different man, and maybe I can never have him.
But I can't keep all this inside anymore; he needs to know how I feel about him all these years; he needs to know that I love him, even if he doesn't feel the same about me.
I walk through the streets, my heart beating erratically inside my chest. It's another night where Pietro and I agreed to meet secretly.
I should be in my room on the University campus; I shouldn't be walking the dark streets to meet a man, but the love I feel for Pietro makes me capable of doing anything for him.
As I move through the shadows, my mind is in turmoil.
I know the love I feel for Pietro is forbidden, even dangerous. He is the heir to one of the city's most dangerous mafia families, and I am a simple business student at the local university. But these feelings are uncontrollable, and I can no longer ignore them.
Finally, I reach the agreed-upon place, a small alley hidden between tall buildings. Here, in the silence of the night, I spot Pietro leaning against the wall, waiting for me. Our eyes meet, and I feel a shiver run down my spine.
"Pietro.", I murmur, approaching him slowly.
"Bella.", he responds, his tone heavy with emotion.
Unable to contain what's inside me, I take a step forward and hold Pietro's hands in mine. Our eyes lock, and I know it's time to confess my true feelings.
"Pietro, I... I need to tell you something.", I begin, my voice trembling.
He watches me attentively, waiting for my words with a mix of anxiety and expectation.
"I love you, Pietro. I know it's crazy, that I shouldn't feel this way about you, but I can't help it. You are everything to me. We are different. A wolf and a human, but I love you; I've hidden these feelings for so long, and I can't do it anymore.", I finally declare, letting the tears stream down my cheeks.
Pietro is silent for a moment, absorbing my words. Then, slowly, he raises a hand and caresses my face, wiping away my tears with his thumb.
"Bella, I love you too. From the moment I saw you, I knew you were different. You are the light in the midst of the darkness of my life. My family will never accept this, but I don't care."
Pietro's words echo in my heart, filling me with indescribable happiness. Knowing that the man I love feels the same about me is like a dream come true.
However, reality soon sets in our minds. We are living a forbidden love, a love that could have devastating consequences for our lives.
"Pietro, we can't continue like this. Your family would never accept our relationship. They would never allow you to get involved with someone like me.", I say, my voice laden with sadness.
Pietro lowers his eyes for a moment, pondering my words. Then, with determination, he lifts his gaze to me again.
"I don't care what my family thinks. I choose you, Bella. I choose our love."
My heart fills with hope upon hearing his words, but I know it won't be that simple. We will have to face many obstacles ahead, and we don't know if we will be able to overcome them together.
"So what will we do, Pietro? How will we stay together?", I ask, seeking a solution to the dilemma that surrounds us.
Pietro looks around, as if searching for an answer in the shadows surrounding us. Then, with a determined gleam in his eyes, he turns to me.
"We'll run away. We'll leave everything behind and start a new life, far away from here. I'll go wherever you go, Bella. Nothing else matters but us two."
Pietro's words fill my heart with hope and fear at the same time.
We know we are about to embark on a dangerous journey, but I am willing to face any challenge alongside the man I love.
"Yes, I want that too!"
I still feel the tears streaming down my cheeks when he finally kisses me; it's not our first kiss. We had long nights together before, but it was all just desire, and now I know he loves me too, and we are going to run away together.
Weeks have passed since Pietro and I started planning our escape.
Sleepless nights are filled with meticulous plans, discussions about distant destinations, and the promise of a future together. As time goes by, my anxiety increases, mixed with the excitement of finally starting a new life alongside the man I love.
Today is the big day.
The day I will leave everything behind to follow my heart. With the weight of the decision weighing on my shoulders, I leave my room in the dead of night, escaping the watchful gaze of my university peers.
I am leaving behind my education, my dreams, and everything else in the name of love.
With only a backpack containing some clothes, I head to the place we agreed to meet.
My heart beats faster, with nervousness mixed with anticipation of what is to come. But when I arrive at the designated place, my heart sinks and begins to beat harder inside my chest at that moment.
Pietro is not here.
I try to call him, my voice trembling with concern, but I get no answer.
I try again, but Pietro's phone remains silent. Days have passed, and I haven't seen him before.
Anguish grows inside me, along with the feeling that something is terribly wrong.
I miss Pietro and yearn for his comforting touch and words of love. But he is distant and unreachable, as if something has changed between us.
At that moment, it starts to rain, and I start walking through the city, still waiting for Pietro alone. I turn my head and my eyes and come across a scene that breaks my heart into pieces.
A church illuminated by golden light is where a wedding is taking place. And there, next to a woman wearing a long white dress, is Pietro.
The shock hits me like a bolt. My eyes widen in disbelief, and my breath catches in my throat. The man I love, the man I am willing to abandon everything for, is there inside, exchanging vows with another person.
A piercing pain shoots through my chest, mixed with a sense of betrayal and despair.
I feel betrayed and deceived by the one who swore to love me. Tears mix with the rain falling mercilessly on my skin, obscuring my vision and clouding my mind.
I approach the church, my steps faltering and my heart shattered. And when my eyes meet Pietro's through the foggy glass, I see guilt and sadness reflected in them. But it's too late.
"Pietro, please...", I cry, calling his name and at that moment I see when the bride turns, and I realize she has golden eyes like his.
She's also a wolf, like him.
He is marrying a woman who belongs to his world.
The pain in my heart grows stronger when I see that he doesn't come closer to me; he just keeps holding the hand of the woman next to him as if they were meant to be together.
"I'm so sorry, Bella.", he murmurs, and I shake my head, hugging my wet body and crying at the same time.
"You love me, please..."
"Everything between me and you is just fun, Bella. I have responsibilities to fulfill, and I can't waste my time with you anymore.", he says, breaking my heart completely.
I fight back tears as I see the wedding continue before my eyes; it's too late, and I was deceived by the man I thought loved me too.
Furthermore, I've never felt this way before, and I've never been so horribly used like this.