Prologue
Prologue
Emilio
One Year Earlier
I slammed on my horn, getting pissed at all this fucking traffic. I knew I should’ve just shifted. Now I was gonna be late, and I’d promised Nico I would be there for this.
“Fuck! Come on, you little shit stains, move.”
Of course that did nothing. I was tempted to get out and show my face to all these assholes clogging up the road. That would get them out of the way quick enough, but Nico hated when Santino and I manipulated normies like that. Those in the life, we could do whatever the fuck we wanted with and my favorite little omega wouldn’t bat an eye, but he’d be pissed if I used my power as the second-in-command of the White Wolves in this situation. I didn’t want to piss him off on his 18 th birthday.
After another few excruciating minutes, I pulled to the side of the road. I was safely in our territory now, so I didn’t have to worry about anyone touching the car. I sent a quick text to one of our men to come pick it up and then dug out the small carrying case I had in the back. It was small enough that my wolf form could handle it without slowing down, but big enough to hold my clothes and weapons so I wouldn’t have to walk into the tattoo shop naked, though I’d have to leave my shoes. Not that they would bat an eye. Star was our official tattooer and the only one in our territory with the special ink that made it possible for tattoos to stay on shifters, even with our rapid healing. They were used to all kinds of shit. Still, it was Nico’s birthday, so I was gonna try to be civilized, even if I think he liked how close I was to my wolf.
I placed my phone and weapons into the bag and started stripping right where I was. If anyone noticed, they wisely looked the other fucking way. Not that I really cared if they watched. I would not miss Nico getting his family insignia and officially becoming one of us.
Santino and I had grown up together as brothers. My father was his father’s second, and we’d been groomed to take over those positions. I’d been raised to believe the family was the most important thing and that it was an honor to dedicate my life to them.
Then Nico had come into our lives. It didn’t come as much of a surprise to anyone that Tomasso Diangi, Santino’s father and the Boss of the White Wolves, slept around with any woman who was willing. Still, I thought all of us had been a little shocked when one of those woman had shown up with a little bundle in her arms and told Tomasso the baby was his problem now.
I’d felt an attachment to Nico almost immediately. I might have only been 10, but I’d known I’d give my life to protect that little, squishy potato that had grown into a feisty, brilliant, scrappy young man. Santino had felt the same way, and we’d done everything to make sure Nico was protected and could handle himself in this world. We’d dealt with anyone who’d looked down on him for being the product of an affair, and later for being the only omega in the Diangi line, until eventually everyone got smart enough to keep their fucking mouths shut. Once Nico had shifted into a pure white wolf, something only someone from the Diangi bloodline could do, that had shut everyone up anyway.
So, Nico was like a little brother to me. I loved that kid. Even knowing I had business on the other side of the east district, I’d promised I’d make his tattooing. I’d make good on that promise.
I easily shifted, and as an alpha and the second, I was bigger than most. My wolf was mostly brown, but white around my muzzle and paws made it clear exactly who I was. Just like the pure white wolves were the defining trait of the Diangis, the white markings were the sign of mine. I grabbed the bag with my teeth and took off.
I pushed my wolf to my all-out speed, but he didn’t mind. He loved Nico as much as I did. Anyone who saw us immediately got out of the way, most tilting their heads in respect. We were good to the people in our district, much better than most of the other families, but respect was still expected.
As soon as I got to the tattoo shop, I saw Santino pacing in front of it, his phone to his ear. Fuck.
His eyes narrowed as I slowed to a walk and came up next to him. “There you fucking are. Nico wouldn’t start till you got here.”
My stomach turned, the softness I only felt for Nico pushing its way forward. I easily shifted to my human form. It was usually hard for me to shift back. I’d spent so much time in my wolf form, especially after Tomasso had kicked the bucket and Santino had taken over, that my wolf gave me a hard time relinquishing control. Today, though, he was as eager for Nico to officially become one of us as I was.
“Sorry, business took longer than I expected, and then I hit all kinds of fucking traffic.”
Santino tilted his head in concern. “Everything go okay?”
I had taken a little trip into Reptile territory. They had been doing some business without our approval, and I needed to give them a little reminder of who was in charge around here, and it wasn’t them.
“Of course.” Santino knew that already. I took care of my shit, and if there was a problem, he’d be the first to know. We didn’t hide anything from each other.
He gave me a sharp nod but didn’t ask for any details as I started to get dressed. It wasn’t unusual to see shifters naked in the street, though most businesses still had rules about clothing. There were even some drop boxes around our territory that people could donate old clothes to, in case anyone shifted unexpectedly and found themselves butt-ass-naked in the middle of the city. It happened more than you’d think.
Santino leaned against the wall and finished up his cigarette.
Santino was dressed “casual” today in black slacks and a royal-blue button-down with the sleeves rolled. He even had a few buttons undone on the top and no tie in sight. For him, it was the equivalent of going out in pajamas. He kept his tight curls short, but it didn’t seem like he even had product in them today.
I slipped on my jeans and black T-shirt. I’d never gotten into the stereotypical dress code. I only wore a suit for business deals, otherwise fuck that. I didn’t need to be dressed to the nines to earn the respect of my people.
I ran my fingers through my dark brown hair, but it was as good as it was gonna get.
Santino stubbed out the cigarette with the heel of a shoe that had cost more than most people around here made in a year. His amber eyes met mine. “Let’s go before he loses his shit.”
Grinning, we walked into the tattoo parlor. Nico spun on his heel as soon as he saw me, his face lighting up.
“There you are! I wouldn’t let Star start until you showed up.”
I smiled at my favorite person in the whole wide world. “Happy birthday, little wolf. Sorry I was late.”
Nico threw himself into my arms, and my whole world stopped. My instincts were always heightened, but that took a whole new meaning as Nico rubbed his face on my chest, scenting me. I could sense everything. His heartbeat, Santino, his two guards, and Star watching us, the sensation of his hands on my back, the softness of his dark brown curls that were looser than his brother’s. It was like the world was moving in slow motion and it centered around Nico.
He stopped and pushed away, but I still couldn’t breathe. Fuck, Nico smelled delicious. Sweet like honey, with some kind of floral undertone. Had he always smelled like that? I took a step closer, desperate for more.
Nico tilted his head at me in a move that was so like his brother’s, it brought me back to reality. What the fuck was I doing? I could feel Santino’s eyes boring into my back, but I ignored it and forced a sheepish smile.
“C’mon, little wolf, it’s time to officially make you one of us.”
Nico’s whole face lit up, and I was struck with how beautiful he was now. Which . . . what the fuck? I’d never thought of Nico as beautiful before. What was wrong with me? But his golden-brown skin, a couple shades lighter than both mine and Santino’s, was smooth and perfect, not a scar or blemish marring him. His amber eyes were the exact same color as Santino’s but had more of an almond shape to them and tilted slightly downward. His lips were full and kissable.
I stopped in my fucking tracks. Kissable. Holy fuck, I needed to get it together. I was in a room full of wolves. Someone would scent how turned on I was becoming, and if that person were Santino, it would be a really big fucking problem. I might be like a brother to him, but Nico was his brother , and I was under no illusions who he would choose if he thought I was going after him.
Which obviously, I wasn’t. That would be insane. But as Nico sat in the chair and excitedly chatted me and Santino up the whole time Star tattooed the White Wolf insignia on his forearm, I couldn’t stop thinking about how drawn I was to the little omega.
My wolf kept screaming mine in my mind, but it made no fucking sense. Nico was pack. Family. He always would be. But he wasn’t ours, not in that sense, and if Santino had his way, he never been anyone’s. I had no idea what his plan would be once Nico started to get heats, but that was well over a year from now. Most omegas started them within six months of their 20 th birthday. That was also when they could start scenting who might be a potentially good mate for them.
Which was why I didn’t understand my sudden onslaught of feelings for Nico. Even if we did have mate potential, it should be a while before we could sense it, so why the fuck did it feel like he belonged to me?