Chapter 1
It was late, and Rook was still awake, only gentle lamplight illuminating her presence; the rest of the penthouse was dark. She was staring down at the still-busy streets of New York from the top window of their luxury penthouse. Malachi had made it as comfortable as he could for her. It had the softest leather couch in her favourite colour, orange; there were baskets and baskets of autumnal blankets and pillows. She had an unlimited supply of PSL-flavoured items in the kitchen. The penthouse was upside down, the living room upstairs and the bedrooms downstairs. Malachi had been called to a meeting; she couldn’t sleep without him, no matter how much Vincenzo kept coaxing her to bed. “Another hot chocolate?” Angelo asked.
“Please,” she nodded and took a seat on the edge of the couch.
“He’ll be home soon,” Vincenzo said, standing by the door. Their cat Salem jumped into her lap. She stroked its head gently.“See, even he can sense your anxiety.” Angelo bought her another hot chocolate and placed it gently onto the table.
“I know, I just don’t like him being away for so long, especially when it’s late,” she said.
“He’ll be okay, you know that...” Just as Vincenzo was about to say more, Malachi opened the door to the living room upstairs. But his shirt and suit jacket were covered in blood, Angelo noticed immediately and distracted Rook so she wouldn’t look in his direction. Malachi removed his bloodied shirt and suit jacket.
“Don’t let her see this,” he said, placing the items into Vincenzo’s arms, who nodded and swiftly took the bloodied clothes away. Malachi pulled on the black t-shirt that he had hidden on the coat rack. He saw Rook staring down at the traffic again. Angelo moved away, allowing him to greet his ‘little dove.’ Malachi wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her head softly. “How is my little dove?” She turned in his arms to look up at him.
“Better now you’re home,” she said. He gently stroked her jaw with his thumb before tipping her head up. Their gazes met, and he kissed her lips, savouring the taste between them. He let out an almost contented growl. She could feel the vibrations against her lips. She pulled back for a second, “I didn’t realise I was kissing a bear.”
“Try wolf,” he said and nipped her lips playfully.
“Yes, wolf, my alpha,” she smiled, teasing him, knowing what the word alpha did to him. He smirked and growled against her neck, nipping the skin there, feeling her pulse beneath his teeth.
“You are such a tease, little dove,” he said, and gently squeezed her tighter in a protective embrace, like receiving a hug from a snake. She giggles; both his men have looked away by this point, allowing them the privacy that they always craved with each other. They knew better than to give him an audience. Malachi had threatened to pull his mens eyes out before if they watched their intimate moments, or if their eyes lingered too long on Rook. It was respect that kept them bound to Malachi and his rule. Angelo and Vincenzo disappeared, leaving the couple alone. He pulled them back onto the couch and pulled her onto his chest. It wasn’t long before she finally fell asleep on him.
He huffed a smile and looked down at her, giving her a last kiss on her head, before picking her up bridal style and taking her to their lavish bedroom. He passed many, many photos that lined the wall—some of him and Rook, some of his family, and some of him and his mob. Malachi opened the door to their lavish bedroom; in the middle was an enormous bed with black sheets, a walk-in wardrobe, and a massive bathroom with a shower and a bath that was a jacuzzi. There was also an aquarium above them, visible from the living room. Opposite the bed was a large hearth carved in black marble, with two large lions; he had the fire roaring and in front of that was a large black bearskin.
He placed her gently on the bed, covered her with the duvet, tucked her in, and kissed her head. “Goodnight, my little dove.” He said before walking out and placing Angelo and Vincenzo in front of the door. “Make sure she is undisturbed!” Malachi growled before going to his office. He sat down in his chair, reaching for the picture frame of both him and Rook. He gently kissed the glass that the photo was encased in before placing it back down, then opened his laptop and continued with whatever work he had missed.
