To Swoon
1297 Words
Salvatore turned around, crisp black suit merging into the crevices of his muscles. I gulped and looked away.
“Celesté,” he said, voice polite. I was so on edge, but there was nothing to do but go with the flow.
He was pretending we weren't mates; like he didn't put a gun to my head threatening me into silence just last night.
I straightened my dress and my posture. I saw mother's subtle nod.
“Good morning, Alpha.”
He nodded in response and turned towards my mother. “I believe you can handle things here. Come, girl.”
I looked to mother unsurely, my heart pounding irrationally within me. Madam Noire only gave me one of her infamous stare downs. I wasn't getting out of this no matter what.
This was the golden opportunity for her.
I sighed and straightened my dress again.
It took me a moment to follow after my stepfather and when I did, my heels wobbled so bad I almost fell.
It was just my first day here and I was already being exposed to more than mother had ever let happen.
In my nineteen years of life, I'd never really seen the mafia world for what it was.
I had grown up under the care of my butlers and nannies, seeing my mom's face maybe twice every year. Apart from having a vague memory of my father, my life was pretty much without parental figures.
It was always so sad to see other children play with their parents at parks or in their yards.
My life was sheltered. I was grown to be like glass: fragile, the way mother liked it.
Now, I've suddenly been whipped into this crass world of wolves running the underground. It was utterly unfair of mother, but who was I to say anything?
As I entered the car, I reminded myself to be calm no matter what I saw today.
After all, being the secretary of the infamous Reaper was not an easy task. All those horrible scenes from movies had become my reality.
Stepfather got into the backseat beside me. His silver hair was disheveled again, a little damp too.
He looked up and frowned.
Oh no. I was caught staring.
“S-sorry,” I hurriedly whispered before remembering not to speak to him first.
Oh, this was going to be crazy hard.
I made sure to keep my face on the windows from then on, watching Milan slip by from behind tinted glass.
All was silent and somewhat calm. I had even forgotten where I was and what I was doing entirely.
“Did you have breakfast?” Salvatore's deep, calm voice startled me.
I sat up, shocked by his question. “W-what?”
That was a dumb question to ask, considering how clear he had been. The alpha raised an eyebrow and flipped through the newspaper on his lap.
He smelled expensive. I watched his fingers roam over the page; they contained some form of allure.
“I asked if you had breakfast,” he whispered, making me look up to his face.
He was staring at me. I gulped, feeling the car a bit too hot despite the air con being on full blast.
“I-uh. No. I did not have the time, s-sir— alpha.”
He made a humming sound in his throat and looked down at his pages. It was only then I noticed his frameless spectacles.
“Are you always this timid?” Stepfather asked and for the first time, I actually felt defensive.
“What? No. It's because of all these silly rules. I-I don't know how to act around you wolves.”
There was another reason but I doubted that even with the partition between the driver and us, Salvatore would approve to hear.
“Hm,” he said again, a bit amused. “We'll have breakfast before work. How does that sound?”
It sounded nice, I wanted to say. But before I could, he got a call.
“Speak. I see. Where? Okay.” The line went dead and I watched as the alpha knocked against the partition.
The driver lowered it. “Sir.”
“Club Dwali. Now.”
The driver immediately nodded and soon, we took a U-turn, going in a different direction. I was curious but did not act on it.
Questions would be foolish. Mother would never approve.
Stepfather's demeanor had changed. He had gone from slightly relaxed to being full-on tense. I clutched my skirt a bit and looked out the window.
We arrived at the club in no time. Salvatore did not waste any second, coming down from the car before it even stopped.
I wanted to remain behind but the guard in the passenger seat made me get up.
“Move, do your job.”
What job? I wanted to ask. I didn't want to be here.
I did not want to suddenly inherit both my mother's god-forbidden businesses and Salvatore's mad empire.
I wanted absolutely nothing to do with all this. But what say did I have? Like a good girl, I followed them into the club.
It was late morning so there were no patrons. But that was not the concern, Salvatore seemed to be going deeper into the building.
As I passed by some guards, I heard some whispering.
“Julian's daughter…what a pity…Madame Noire…”
Julian?
My real father? How did these guards know him?
Before I could turn back to them, the guard pushed me further. What did Salvatore have to do with my father?
I swallowed and put that thought behind others for now.
Finally, I found myself in a dark, musty basement that smelt so strongly of a pungent odor.
It was like a thousand rats died here.
Before I could even grasp where I was, I heard a scream.
“P-please! No! I know nothing! Arghhh!” It was a man's voice. I walked forward, seeing my stepfather stand under a flickering fluorescent bulb.
There was a man tied to a chair with spiked chains.
Salvatore's claws were drawn.
“You were the leader of the squad that attacked one of my sub-packs. Who passed the order?”
If I had thought this man was scary last night, I was mistaken.
Here, there was no amusement in his tone, nor was there any mercy. He sounded dark and cold.
“Speak, and I might just leave you with your pathetic head still attached to your body.”
There was dead silence in the room. I couldn't breathe— everywhere smelled of blood and rot.
Salvatore's men stood poised.
“Speak.”
“I-it was from W-White Rock Pack, s-sir!”
Another heavy silence.
Salvatore let out a disembodied sigh before raising a clawed hand into air. He paused and turned slightly to glance at me. His eyes glinted in the dim light.
“You don't want to see this, belissima.”
Before I could understand what was happening, one of his men came over and clasped a hand over my face, totally blocking my vision.
In just one moment, I heard a slashing sound followed by muffled cries that ended as soon as they started.
When it was all over, I was allowed to see again. My breath caught immediately.
Salvatore had ripped out the man’s heart.
I'd never seen so much blood come out from a person before.
My head swooned and my world went black.
However, it felt like a very short nap. I was awakened with a very sharp slap.
At first, I thought it was mother. But on opening my eyes and meeting the green eyes of a woman very similar to Salvatore, I froze.
Before I could open my mouth to speak,
Smack!
- Writer
