Author's note: this is from Seraphina's point of view

- - -

~ London ~

I was in the car, on my way from the airport to Duke's apartment.

The day has come, and Duke was getting ready for a two weeks-long stay at my home which I'm sharing with Aldus.

As soon as Mitch started the car, I called Duke.

"Hi, love…", Duke greeted me in a singing voice when he picked up the call.

"Hello, handsome…", I sang back. "Guess where I am?"

"Home, in Genoa, waiting for me."

"Wrong!", I exclaimed victoriously. "I'm in London."

"Eh? Why are you here? Are our two weeks canceled?"

I stifled a giggle. "Of course, not. I couldn't wait, and Mitch was about to come to London to pick you up anyway, so I decided to tag along."

Duke let out a hearty laugh. "Now I really feel like a wife. My husband is coming to pick me up and take me home."

I love when he is playful, and I was happy to join in. "Since you are marrying into my house, get used to your new last name, Mezzanotte. I was too excited, so I forgot the ring. Please, be patient and wait for me, my wife, because I will stop by a jewelry store to buy you a sparkly diamond. We should do this properly. I can't pick up my bride without a ring."

We both laughed.

"You listen to me, Seraphina.", he called my full name, and I knew he was serious. "Leave rings and proposing to me and I will ask you only one thing. Do you want us to get married before we move into our home, or do you want a wedding in our home?"

I was speechless and it took me a moment to recover.

"Mateo Testa!", I pretended to be angry. "Is this how you propose to the woman you love? Shouldn't you ask me IF I want to marry you?"

He chuckled. "I know you want it, Serina. Why waste words on formalities? Once we are done with this wolf business, I will book the most romantic restaurant and drown you in red roses while a violin serenades from the background as I give you the best engagement ring ever and vow to worship every inch of you until the end of eternity… and after that, we will find ourselves in a bedroom covered in rose petals I will fuck you until you lose your voice, every single night, and sometimes during the day also. We are getting married, baby, the only question is when and where."

I stared blankly, unable to adjust to his jumps from sweet and romantic to outrageous.

But somehow, I knew that he speaks like that only with me and it made me all warm and fuzzy inside.

"Serina?", he called in a gentle tone.

"Hm?"

"Are you blushing?"

"No.", I lied.

"I don't believe you."

"Why did you ask then?"

"Just to see if you will tell me the truth."

I rolled my eyes. He was adorably frustrating.

I heard some rustling from his side, so I asked, "Are you done packing?" If he still needs to pack, it's better to end the call. We can talk later.

"Almost. I have a few more things to put in."

"Are Sergio or Ash with you?"

"No. They are at the company.", Duke responded before adding cheekily, "I'm packing, someone has to work."

I laughed. "OK. Finish packing and I will be at your place in about twenty minutes."

"Alright. I will be waiting."

We ended the call and I rehearsed in my mind the little speech I prepared.

I wanted to give heads-up to Duke about my father and his habits. I didn't want to leave anything to chances because the first impression is important.

Yes, Aldus and Duke met several times, but now Duke will stay with us under the same roof, and this will be different.

I also wanted to bring up the possibility of Zeiroi moving into our new house when it's ready. He can stay in the separate building that is for the staff. Zeiroi will enjoy our protection and take care of the garden, and he will be out of Aldus's hair, and if Zeiroi ever decides to move out, I will not stop him.

I hope that Aldus can keep it together and not murder Zeiroi until then. But if I don't do this right, Duke might have a bad opinion about Zeiroi also.

Ah, I will need to pick my words because if my possessive Alpha suspects that there might be something fishy going on, he will definitely strangle Zeiroi before Aldus can get to him. Of course, there is nothing fishy between me and Zeiroi, but my Alpha is a tad paranoid, thinking how everyone wants to seduce me.

- - -

Author's note: this is from Duke's point of view

- - -

My call with Serina ended and I realized I was nervous.

This will be my first time visiting Serina's home, where she is living with her adoptive father, and I wanted to leave a good impression.

I prepared presents for everyone, staff included. I want everyone to like me. This is important.

If things go as planned, two weeks from now, I will have a solid plan and a timeline on when my wolf will awaken. Who knows? Maybe my wolf will be awake by then.

As much as I told Serina that I'm not interested in becoming a werewolf king, I am aware that with my wolf present, many things will change, regardless of what I want.

Aldus also told me that there is a good chance I will develop some ability, so maybe I get one of those superpowers like flying, moving things with my mind, or invisibility. Teleporting would also be cool.

Assuming that what Serge and Ash told me is true, my strength and speed will increase, and I can't wait to test it by beating some sense into Lazarus. When I'm done with him, he won't dare think about Serina anymore.

To be honest, after hearing who my father was, I was not interested in going through with this procedure. Yes, I was curious, but I had no intention of actually awakening my wolf.

However, after hearing about Serina's special background, I changed my mind.

I want to be her equal. I want to be stronger than her so that I can be her shield, and with every ability she showed me, I understood how much I'm lacking.

The way I am now, I am only a burden and Serina's enemies will use me against her.

I hate to admit, I am absolutely defenseless, and my choices are either to leave Serina's side in order not to drag her down, or to become stronger.

After my wolf awakens, I will get a boost in power, and I will be able to protect her. That's my goal.

I double-checked that everything is in my suitcase before closing it.

I decided to head downstairs.

I was eager to meet with Serina and I knew that she will get into the parking lot because she has access and she can park in any of the parking spots that belong to the apartments I own.

The elevator door opened, and I stepped into a silent garage. My impatience was tugging on me, and I contemplated giving her a call to check where she was.

No. I shouldn't do it. She will be here any minute. If I call her I might spoil the surprise.

"Drago…", a female voice got my attention and I turned to my right.

I frowned. "Why are you here?"

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