Formidable: Shifters Forever Worlds (Ever After Dark Book 1) (6 page)

L
eaning against Gio
, and feeling as if she belonged nowhere else on earth, Isabel’s sight had returned. She tossed a tiny prayer of appreciation up and thought of Desideria, thankful she’d been there to let Isabel know there was hope when there’d seemed to be none, easing her fears when she’d been certain the blindness was permanent.

She turned and studied Giovanni’s face. Worry was etched in the lines and planes.

Worry about me.

There was something else there, and though she couldn’t put a finger on what she saw, her inner tigress was making low, pleased chuffing sounds at Giovanni’s tiger.

Seemed as though her tigress was communicating with Giovanni’s tiger without consulting with her.

Not this again.

The time of her tigress’s non-communication with her had been difficult. Isabel thought they’d gotten past that, for the most part.

Her tigress snarled at the lie Isabel had told, but didn’t betray her.

Yes, Isabel acknowledged. She lied.

She’d lied to Giovanni. He’d asked what the dream was about and she’d flat out lied. She’d had to. In her dream, Desideria and she had been sitting in the forest, talking. Desideria was just beginning to tell Isabel something, perhaps to warn her, when the elusive phantom white tigress had surged forward from the shadows in the trees.

The tigress had snarled at Isabel and Desi. And then the tigress had told her she was to stay away from Gio. It was strange because Isabel was in her human form, but had been able to hear in the tigress’s sync.

She couldn’t tell Giovanni—Gio, he’d asked her to call him Gio. She couldn’t tell Gio that Desi had talked to her. That would spawn questions and more lies. She couldn’t tell him about what the phantom tigress had said because of even more questions.

So what could she do?

Nothing, other than tell him that she couldn’t remember her dream. And she couldn’t do what the other tigress wanted. She couldn’t stay away from him.

She sighed at the difficulty of her predicament.

She turned around again and leaned into him. Against her back, she felt his heart beating strongly, far better off than he’d been when she’d first taken him out of the force field.

Isabel noticed a difference. She paused to reflect on it.

It was her tigress. She was different.

Her tigress was content. Her tigress for the first time in all her life was not restless, not fighting, but simply content.

Wanting to test a theory, Isabel pulled forward slightly, away from Gio. Her tigress gave a snarl. As soon as Isabel leaned back again, her tigress released a low sound, almost like a purr.

Isabel understood. She felt a strong attraction to Gio, more than an attraction, actually. But the way her tigress was behaving was overwhelming.

Isabel bit down on her lower lip, hard. She was hoping the pain would drive away these thoughts she was having about Gio. Thoughts that weren’t her tigress alone. Each moment she leaned against him was making it more and more difficult for her to concentrate on anything but him.

It didn’t help that Gio’s dark stare was focused on her lips.

She worried that lip with her sharp teeth, but the pain of it did nothing to appease her desire for this man. How could she want someone so dark, so deep, so withdrawn?

Gio was in a place she wasn’t sure she could reach. She wanted to, God knew, she wanted to be in that place with him. Anywhere with him. Everywhere with him.

His mouth was in a tight line, as if he had his own battle to fight, as if he were conflicted, just like she was.

“Gio, I—”

Her words were cut off as his hand flew up, his thumb freeing her lip from her teeth, but resting against her tender, reddened bottom lip.

He shook his head. “Don’t say it. Don’t say anything. Just give me this. This moment. This second. This brief flash of eternity, even if it doesn’t last after we return to the villa.” His voice was a tormented growl.

Isabel’s confusion was compounded, even more than it had been a second ago. She knew her torture, but she didn’t understand his own torment.

Something in his eyes sought hers, seeking an answer, seeking affirmation, seeking…

What does he want from me?

She knew what she wanted, it came to her in a flash. She wanted him, on any terms. She knew her tigress felt the same. Maybe her tigress had passed the emotions on to her, though Isabel didn’t think her tigress could do that. A tautness in the set of his jaw gave away the control that he was fighting to keep restrained.

“This moment, and any others you want…” She let a breath out. “Gio, they are all yours. Always.”

“I won’t lose a mate. I won’t lose you. I won’t have another taking you from me.”

She bit back a gasp. What was he insinuating? Anger flushed through her body. “What—?”

This time, the interruption came in the form of his lips landing on hers. The hand on the back of her neck drew her in close and gave her no option to pull away. A moan ripped from her very soul at the contact between them.

Boldly, she kissed him back, exploring the shape of his mouth, the curve of his lips, the touch of his tongue. Everything, all of him, it was pure alpha, pure male, and pure torture. The torment in his soul seared her own soul through their kiss. She took and gave, her tongue joining his in a primal dance that claimed their souls and joined their tigers.

Her hands lifted, wrapping around his neck, digging into his hair, pulling him tighter against her mouth. Her mouth caught his groan, swallowing it, making it her own.

A swirling tornado of emotions sucked them deeper and deeper into a kiss that made demands and sealed promises.

Finally, what seemed like an eon later, they pulled apart, both panting. They sat, their bodies touching, their tigers merging, their souls communing until finally, both composed, Gio spoke.

“How is it I never met you when you’ve been in Rome?”

She smiled at the question, a logical one. “I was at a boarding school in Switzerland, and then on to London.”

“And your parents? Wouldn’t I know them? My family is quite prevalent in Rome and Florence, though we aren’t flashy. We prefer to be low-key.

“They traveled often until my father took ill. His business interests kept him on the road a lot.”

“And he took ill…” Gio paused, as if waiting for her to tell him more.

“Yes. And he arranged for a marriage between my sister and Bruno Vergo.”

Gio made a sound of disgust. “Worthless scum.”

“Agreed. You have no idea.”

“Did he… He…” It was as if he couldn’t bring himself to say the words.

“He hasn’t.”

“He’ll die a slow death first.” Gio’s words blanketed Isabel with a sense of security she’d never encountered before.

“So does your sister love this animal?”

Isabel hissed, releasing the sound between clenched teeth. “God, no. No. No. She’s actually in love with another, though I’m not sure she’s completely ready to fully accept it.”

Gio cocked his head, traced tiny circles on her arm with his thumb. “What’s that about?”

“She’s in love with the one that Esmerelda is going to help her free, the lion shifter trapped in the wall.”

“You’ve met him? This son of Marco Ricoletti?”

“If you want to call meeting him while he’s trapped in a wall as such. We conversed. The only way to communicate with him is in our shifted forms.”

“I can’t imagine how that must have been. Trapped in a wall. No contact, no one to touch, kiss, wrap his arms around.” Gio pulled her closer, leaned his chin on her shoulder.

His breath ticked the hair against her neck. She couldn’t imagine how it must have been for Tino either.

“I could stay like this forever, you know,” he whispered in her ear. “Right here, with you against me.”

“Mmmm.” She understood completely what he meant.

“But we should get back.”

She nodded, unwilling to move away from him. “I suppose we should.”

G
io and Isabel’s
ordeal lasted the whole night. The following morning, walking through the forest, the dew still perched on leaves and branches, Gio and Isabel made their way back to his property. He held her hand as if they’d always been like this, always the two of them. Neither spoke, enjoying the quiet.

Standing at the back veranda on his villa, Gio studied her face, his expression intent. “Let’s see where we go from here?”

Isabel paused then said, “Let’s.”

“Gio.” Tito exited the double door and joined them. “Where have you been? You were gone all night.”

“How are the children?” Gio didn’t address the question.

“They are fine. Sound asleep in their rooms. Three guards on each. But you’ve had us worried. And you didn’t even take your phone with you. You know better.”

Turn of events, Tito playing the older brother. Gio smothered a smile at his brother’s protectiveness.

He turned to Isabel. “I’ve got some work to catch up on. See you at lunch? A late lunch, with the children?”

Isabel nodded.

* * *

L
ate lunch
? What was she supposed to do until then? A shower wouldn’t take that long. Neither would changing her clothing. And Isabel couldn’t spend a few hours alone. She wanted—needed—company. So she spent a few hours with Gio’s children. Their innocence and sweetness kept her grounded and her mind off of matters that were troubling. Like witches, traps, phantom tigresses, and a widowed alpha who had stolen her heart.

So hours later, she and the children made their way to the backyard, where they’d have a picnic lunch on the patio under the immaculate and ever-present garden of topiaries.

* * *

G
io watched
Isabel and his children approach and it was as if this routine had been theirs forever. It was as if Isabel had forever been in his heart, in his tiger’s heart, and in his life.

Veila ran up to Gio, her face flushed and lips curved into a wide grin. “Guess what! Just guess!”

“What’s that, little tigress?” He pulled Veila into his arms, barely able to contain her, wriggling from excitement. He adored his little tiger shifter daughter and wouldn’t want the world to know she had him twisted around her pinky finger.

He sat her in her seat, pushing the chair in, then held one out for Isabel who took a spot, her scent fragrant from the shower, hair gleaming in the sunlight.

Vittorio took a seat opposite Veila, to the right of Gio’s chair.

“You don’t need to hire a nanny! That’s what!”

Gio glanced at Vittorio who looked at his father and nodded. “Veila’s right. You don’t need to.”

Gio made a show of taking his time to sit, arranging the napkin in his lap, then cocked his head to the side, wondering what his little ones had been up to. “Is that right? And why not? Will you be caring for yourselves? Teaching yourselves?”

“No!” Veila shook her head vehemently. “Isabel agreed to stay.”

Isabel had been lifting a glass of water to her lips. She lowered the glass. “Wait. What? That’s…”

“You said you would.” Veila pouted.

“True,” Vittorio agreed. “You did.”

“I agreed to a visit,” Isabel countered. “Do not try to con me into being your nanny.”

Gio looked at his son. “You’re trying to con her?”

“I’m going to be alpha one day,” Vittorio announced. “I don’t need to con anyone. They have to listen to me. And from now on you will call me Vax.” He crossed his arms over his chest.

Gio frowned at his headstrong son. Movement caught his eye. Isabel was nodding slowly, barely perceptible, giving Gio the clue that he should acquiesce.

“So, Vax is what you’ll be called?”

His son looked at him, as if not quite believing that his father would agree to this, then gave a nod.

“Then Vax it is. Though you know that’s not my preference.”

Another nod from his son.

A tiny smile crept to Isabel’s lips, curving them just so. They were still swollen and pink colored, reminding him of their kiss.

They ate slowly, extending the meal into a long visit with his children. He enjoyed watching the way their faces lit up when they talked to Isabel, how engaged and happy they seemed.

They dined on light fare, making the conversation noncommittal while Gio couldn’t stop thinking about Isabel. About keeping her there. Keeping her with him. Forever.

Maybe that’s what prompted him to ask, “How long will you be staying?”

Isabel gave him a questioning glance, a hint of darkness behind her eyes flared into an amber glow as her tigress surfaced.

“Go with Uncle Tito. I’ll come find you later,” Gio told his children. He was due a day with them. They’d become strangers to him, he’d been so busy with Tiero corporate interests and shifter business.

Tito took them by the hand and they walked away.

“Let’s take a walk.” He led her to the garden in the back.

Isabel walked next to him, her strides keeping up with his.

For a long time, they walked in silence, a comfortable serenity between them.

Finally, Gio cleared his throat. “So back to my unanswered question,” he said, “How long will you be staying?”

“How long will my invitation be extended?”

“Indefinitely.” He nodded, remaining cool, though in his chest, his tiger roared with a pleasure that threatened to make Gio’s head explode. “I need to tell you something. Federico called. Your sister’s attempt to save the stonebound lion worked. They are on the way back.”

“That’s good. I’m sure that Ana’s happy. Though I don’t know how well this will sit with Bruno when he returns. Hopefully, Tino will have cleared out and left before Bruno does come back.”

“There’s been an issue.”

Isabel stopped walking. “What sort of issue?”

“Bruno walked in. Went nuclear on my men. They didn’t know. They had to protect themselves, my brother, your sister…”

“You mean he’s not—he didn’t make it?”

“That’s right. My team had to take him out.”

Isabel was hard-pressed to give a damn. Bruno had been a tyrannical bastard. He’d made her sister’s life hell. “Don’t take this wrong, but the world’s better off without him.”

“Federico mentioned your sister wasn’t heartbroken.”

“Why would she be? You have no idea what she went through.” But Isabel knew Ana’s hardships. She’d seen the bruises and contusions. It had been a matter of time; she’d been thinking of ways to get Bruno out of her sister’s life. She’d heard Ana’s cries, late at tonight, after Bruno had—

Isabel pushed the memories of her sister’s life away. It was over now. And she didn’t have to kill Bruno. Because that was her next plan.

“Will you return to Rome with us?”

Gio’s question caught her off-guard. “You’re going back?”

“It’s better for me to be close to the center of my operations.”

“What brought you here?”

He glanced back at the house, then centered his intense gaze on her. “It’s a safe place. A place that very few know about.”

“Very few others than a witch that almost killed you?”

“I doubt Esmerelda would have wanted me killed. That trap wasn’t set for a Tiero. She’d be foolish to start a war of that magnitude between shifters and witches.”

“So then what were you hoping to escape from? Or whom?”

“The white tigress you saw.”

“Is she a ghost? What does she want?”

“The children.”

Isabel gasped. “She wants to…” She was confused.

“She wants her children.” He stated it matter-of-factly, as if it was normal. As if it was an everyday thing. “It’s as simple as that. And they deserve their lives. That’s all there is to it.”

Isabel’s hackles rose. Her tigress snarled. At the very same moment, Gio spun around.