CHAPTER TWO: “The First Time”
875 Words
The elevator ride down was suffocatingly quiet.
Elena stood stiffly beside him while the mirrored walls reflected every inch of tension between them. The fluorescent lights above them buzzed softly, but somehow the space still felt too quiet.
Too close.
Vincent Cavallero stood beside her with his hands in his pocket like he didn’t have a single worry in the world.
Like he hadn’t just bought her integrity for the price of her father’s future.
She hated that calm.
Hated the way he spoke he already knew how every conversation would end.
She hated him.
The elevator dinged softly.
The underground parking garage stretched before them in pools of shadow and flickering white light. Elena stepped out first, her heels clicking against the concrete while the cold air brushed against her skin.
“You know,” she muttered while digging through her purse for her keys, “for someone pretending to be a businessman, you do a fantastic mobster impression.”
His footsteps echoed slowly behind her.
"And for someone who signed my contract," he replied smoothly, "you're surprisingly judgmental."
"No. Don't do that." Her voice sharpened instantly. "Don't act like we made some mutual agreement. You cornered me."
Vincent tilted his head slightly.
"I offered you a solution."
"You offered me bribery."
"A correction."
"Oh my God." She laughed once, exhausted. "You really hear yourself, don't you?"
The garage lights flickered overhead.
For the first time all evening, something cold passed across his face.
"You have a very romantic understanding of morality, Miss Rossi."
"And you have none at all."
The words hung between them.
Dangerous.
Heavy
Elena turned away first.
Her car sat alone near the back corner.
Of course, it did. Because apparently tonight every horror movie cliché in existence had decided to clock in for overtime.
She unlocked the driver's side with shaking hands.
"You know what the worst part is?" she asked quietly.
Vincent stopped behind her.
"You think you're helping people."
There was silence for a minute before he finally replied.
"We are helping people."
The calm certainty in his voice unsettled her more than shouting would have.
She turned sharply. "By forcing families out of their homes?"
"By keeping the city alive."
"Is that what you call extortion now?"
His jaw tightened slightly.
"The city eats weak men alive, Elena. We simply learned how to eat first."
The way he said her name sent a strange, uncomfortable chill down her spine.
Before she could answer, another voice echoed through the garage.
"Touching speech, boss."
Elena froze.
A man stepped from behind a concrete pillar at the far end of the garage
Black hoodie.
Silver knife.
Yellow eyes.
Not hazel. Not brown. Yellow.
A terrible instinct crawled down Elena's spine.
Vincent went completely still beside her.
Every inch of him sharpened.
"Get in the car," he said quietly.
Something in his tone made her heart slam painfully against her ribs.
"What-"
"Now."
The stranger smiled slowly.
"You finally slipping, Vin?" he called. "Alpha's gonna be real interested to hear about this."
Vincent stepped in front of her slightly.
Protective.
Possessive.
Terrifying.
"I said," he repeated softly, "get in the car."
The man lunged.
Too fast.
Impossibly fast.
Elena barely had time to scream before he was right in front of her, his hand reaching out to grab her.
Vincent moved.
One second, he was standing beside her.
The next, he had slammed the attacker into the hood of a nearby car hard enough to cave the metal inward.
The sound that ripped from the attacker wasn't human.
It was a growl, and it rumbled through her.
And almost immediately she heard bones crack.
Loudly.
Horribly.
Elena watched in frozen horror as the man's body twisted unnaturally. His spine bent. His jaw extended. Fur burst violently through torn skin.
"No," she whispered.
The creature that dropped onto the concrete floor was not a wolf.
It was far too large.
Its glowing eyes locked onto her with unmistakable hunger.
Vincent shoved her behind him instantly.
"Don't run."
The wolf lunged.
Vincent met it head-on.
And suddenly she understood why everyone in City Hall looked terrified whenever the Cavallero name came up.
Vincent Cavallero wasn’t just a mobster; he was a monster.
His eyes burned molten amber now.
Claws tore through the sleeves of his suit jacket as he grabbed the wolf midair and slammed it into the concrete. The entire garage shook from the impact.
Blood sprayed across the floor.
The wolf snapped at his throat.
Vincent caught its jaw with one hand.
Then ripped it apart.
Elena gagged.
The smell of blood hit her instantly, thick and metallic.
The wolf twitched once before going still.
Silence crashed through the garage. Vincent stood over the body breathing heavily, blood dripping from his hands. And Elena realized with absolute certainty that those weren't human eyes staring back at her.
Fear rooted her to the spot.
"What..." Her voice shook violently. "What are you?"
For the first time all night, Vincent looked angry.
Not at her.
At the situation.
At fate itself.
Footsteps echoed from somewhere above them.
More people coming.
Vincent looked toward the sound briefly before returning his gaze to her.
Something dark settled across his expression.
"You saw too much."
- Writer
