A Mafia Werewolf Romance

Chapter 7: The Necklace

She woke alone. The sheets were cool, the sun was already high, and something rested against her throat.

She saw it in the mirror: a necklace. It was an emerald-deep green and shimmering in the light-set in platinum and resting just above her collarbone. It was the most beautiful object she had ever touched; she stood before the mirror, her fingertips grazing the gem, trying to grasp its significance while simultaneously shying away from the deeper meaning behind it.

She lifted the stone to examine it closely; the vibrant green held a faint, luminous hint of blue, and it radiated a serene, ethereal glow. From a distance, it resembled a small olive but up close, its surface revealed a series of trapezoidal facets. It was exquisite.

"This is how Gerard says thank you," Dante said from the doorway. Wearing a dark shirt with rolled-up sleeves, he watched her through the mirror with the casual air of a man reading the morning paper. "The stone, the setting-everything. It's a gift."

Oh, so it was him. Sera felt a twinge of awkwardness; accepting such a token of gratitude made her feel strangely guilty and ill at ease. She hurriedly reached up to unclasp the chain, murmuring to herself, "I shouldn't... I should give it back."

"It's too expensive."

"It's not enough." He crossed the room and took the necklace from her fingers. In that moment, her entire world seemed to contract to the warm body standing behind her-his hands encircling her neck, not to strangle, but to fasten the clasp himself. "I chose the style. I picked it out. The emerald suits your complexion. Never take it off."

The clasp clicked shut. His hands lingered on her shoulders, and their eyes met in the mirror. In that moment, she understood the truth he had left unspoken: this was not a gift from Gerard at all; a father with a son who had a cleft lip would never have personally selected a gemstone like this. He was the one who had chosen it.

"People will ask about it," she said.

"Let them ask."

"Wear it; you'll get used to it. I like seeing you wear it." He murmured this close to her ear-softly, like a lover's whisper-making the tips of Sera's ears flush pink.

He turned and kissed her-a kiss that felt like a seal stamped upon a document-before leaving, abandoning her alone before the mirror

She stood there, her fingertips grazing the emerald, when suddenly, something

At first, the gem felt cool against her skin. Yet, in the span of two heartbeats, it grew warm, as if something within it had awakened; simultaneously, a low sound drifted in from the next room-a noise akin to a growl, the sort of sound no human throat could produce.

Dante stood in the doorway of the study, one hand bracing the frame. He stared at her-or rather, past her, at the stone-and the color of his eyes was vastly different from just moments before.

"Boss?" Enzo's voice came from behind him.

"It's nothing." Dante's voice sounded strange-strained, as if he were clamping down hard on something massive between his teeth. He turned away; she watched his shoulders heave once or twice, as though he were struggling to suppress something, or as if a colossal beast within him were violently battering the bars of its cage.

Sera touched the emerald again.

It was warm. That warmth felt alive-like a hand pressing back against hers.

And across the room, Dante Moretti-his back to her-suddenly froze, motionless as a wolf that had caught the scent of something indescribable. Just then, there was a soft knock on Sera's door; it was the maid, reporting, "Miss Sera, the meal is ready. You may come downstairs to eat.”

Sera nodded. "All right, I'll be right down.

"Do you know of any fun places to go?"

After the meal, Dante suddenly asked this question.

Sera was taken aback, blinking at him in bewilderment.

He raised an eyebrow. "Your father said you were very familiar with the area. So, how about you act as my guide and show me around today?"

A faint blush rose to Sera's cheeks. Her father had been completely making things up. Although she was a local born and bred, she wasn't actually familiar with the place at all! Her life was a routine commute between school and home-she'd had hardly any opportunities to go out and explore. Yet, she couldn't very well expose her father's lie right in front of him!

She pursed her lips and lowered her head, her long eyelashes fluttering nervously.

The park? That felt a bit odd; it was the sort of place young couples or families visited. But her and him... it just felt strange!

The zoo? ..That seemed like a place only little kids would be excited about!

Sera mentally ran through the places she had visited, shaking her head at each one. She suddenly realized that the gap between them wasn't just about age!

Finally, she managed to come up with a suggestion.

"Let's go to Blue Lake; we can go hiking there!

Hiking was an activity that seemed suitable for people of any age.

Seeing him nod, Sera finally breathed a sigh of relief. But once they arrived at Blue Lake she regretted it!

Although "Blue Lake" had "lake" in its name, the area was dominated by several towering mountains. The lake itself was cradled among them. Streams cascading down from the heights gathered to form this body of water-resembling a sky-blue gemstone inlaid in the beautiful landscape-which was how it got its name.

Sera had been the one to suggest the hike, yet she had completely forgotten about her own fragile waist. Her slender waist, having been tormented to the point of agony by him the night before, had not yet fully recovered despite a day of rest. Yet, Sera possessed a stubborn, unyielding spirit; she was determined to grit her teeth and finish the course she had chosen for herself.