December 2nd

"Leonardo, did you find your brothers?" Rosa asked the second we came back into the house.

"Yes," he replied shortly.

"Where are they?"

"In the woods, like a five minute walk away."

"And what are they doing?" she questioned narrowing her eyes.

Leo swallowed, "...Just hanging out."

"Just hanging out?"

"Yes," he confirmed, scratching the back of his neck.

"Pensi che io sia stupida??!" Rosa exclaimed, "do you think I'm stupid?"

Leo gritted his teeth, looking anywhere but into his Mother's eyes.

"I can always tell when my children are lying to their mother, Leonardo! If my boys are up to no good then I'd like to hear about it."

"Mom," Leo groaned. "They'll be back before midnight. I will make sure of it."

At that point, Antonio came over and placed his hand on Rosa's shoulder.

"You worry too much, mi amore," He said softly. "They can take care of themselves now."

She nodded and he kissed her gently on the forehead.

"Leonardo, could I have a word with your Luna?" Antonio asked.

"Of course," Leo said smiling at me with reassurance and giving me a little nudge.

Antonio didn't like me and he made it clear enough. I nervously followed him into the office and he shut the door behind me.

"I feel as though I owe you an apology, Ella," he said. "We've never got along well. I had some prejudices based on your father's reputation that I should have been fairer than to place on you. To begin with, you appeared to be living up to them but now I see you're settling into life in the Stella pack well."

I forced a smile.

It didn't take a genius to decode what he meant by that.

"And last week," he continued, "When we'd just learnt about Lia's pregnancy, it appears you were right. You voiced it in a way that antagonised me and that's all I saw, not what you were actually saying. So I'm sorry for not listening and I'm sorry for retaliating in the way I did."

I stared blankly for a few seconds.

Who is this man and what has he done with Antonio?

As soon as his words had sunk in, I smiled, "apology accepted."

He nodded before pausing and looking down to his desk for a few seconds.

"But that is only half of what I wanted to talk to you about," he said, slowly looking back up to me. "And you mustn't relay this part to my son," he added hushing his voice to a whisper.

I furrowed my eyebrows.

"Two weeks ago I noticed something off about Maria and Elena," he said opening a drawer in his office desk. "So earlier this week I had them followed on one of their little late-night trips out into the woods and I believe you already know what was discovered."

He handed me three photos.

The first one was clearly taken from behind some kind of bush and it featured Maria and Elena talking to a group of around ten women ranging in age. The second was an image of Maria showing a young girl, maybe about 11, how to shoot a bow and the last was Elena stood next to me as we watched the training.

They were taken two days ago when Leo was out at the base. Mateo, who by then had uncovered the truth from Allison and been sworn to secrecy, had come over to watch me but when Maria and Elena showed up on the doorstep, heavily armed with their bows and knives, I'd managed to convince him to let me go and watch the training just for a little bit.

I was out for maybe twenty minutes. I didn't even join in and Elena stood by me the entire time, telling me about the plans for the programme and how as soon as I'd given birth, I could come regularly.

So I may have separated from Mateo but I didn't consider myself in danger at any point. Not with twelve armed women and girls around me.

But of course, by the look on Antonio's face, he didn't see that way.

"Antonio-" I began.

"I have no objection to my daughters teaching themselves and others how to defend themselves. In fact, given recent events I think it is a stroke of genius. However, what I will not accept is the Luna of this pack and her unborn child, the future Alpha, going into the woods at night alone. Do you understand how dangerous that is?"

"I wasn't alone," I replied.

"Your death would tear this pack apart. Elena and Maria are not at the top of every rogue in the country's hit list but for you, the risk far outweighs the positives. And besides, we both know that Leonardo would never permit this. What do you think would happen if he ever found out? I am by no means going to stop my girls from doing this, but if you are ever seen there again, I will tell my son about the entire thing and he will put an end to it all. Understand?"

"Are you threatening me?" I questioned.

"It is simple. As long as you stay well away from everything going down in that clearing in the woods, everything going down in that clearing in the woods can continue to go down...just without you."

"You don't trust Maria and Elena to protect me if needed?" I asked, "Maria literally won us the war."

"If you want to learn to fight, ask Leonardo to teach you," Antonio replied, skirting the question, "And stop going behind his back while you are at it. You knew Leo would not have allowed this and I will be having words with Mateo for letting you too. This disobedience ends now."

I bit my tongue and nodded.

"Good. Now go and rejoin the party, it will be time for the transformation soon," he said in a much more gentle tone.

I then quickly left the office.

"Bella, have you seen Leo?" I asked after spotting Bella and Xander sat on the bottom step of the stairs.copy right hot novel pub