Page 221 of Untamed

A pause. “Just tell me.”

My heart kicks hard in my chest, but I nod. Because he’s not asking from fear. He’s asking from knowing. He’s already seen what happens when you wait too long to say something.

I nod at his warning; fingers curled around his like a lifeline. But there’s still a weight pressing against my chest. One last question I haven’t asked, because part of me doesn’t want to know.

But I need to.

I swallow hard and shift slightly in his lap, looking up at him.

“And what about Giana?”His expression doesn’t change at first. But I feel the way his muscles tense beneath me. The way his hand stills against my skin. “You humiliated her and her family in front of everyone tonight,”I say softly.“What happens now? Is the arrangement for your marriage over?”

Ares exhales through his nose, low and deliberate, like he’s been waiting for the question.

Ares exhales through his nose, low and deliberate, like he’s been waiting for the question. Maybe dreading it.

His hand slides from my hip to my lower back, grounding me there as he leans in slightly, his forehead nearly brushing mine.

“The arrangement was never mine to begin with,”he says quietly.“It was a transaction. A move on the board. Luciano and the Mancini’s wanted a union that kept both families profitable, clean, and loyal.” He exhales harshly. “But I never agreed to be part of that deal. I never agreed to marry her, never promised her anything beyond a polite nod and shared silence.”

“She expected it,” I murmur. “The way she walked into the manor like she already owned it, like marrying you was a foregone conclusion.”

Ares doesn’t deny it. He only nods once, demeanour rigid and dark eyes unreadable.

“Because that’s how women like Giana are raised, to expect power to fall into their lap, and to lash out when it doesn’t.”

I bite the inside of my cheek.

“So, what happens now?”He hesitates, and this time it’s not out of uncertainty it’s calculation.

“There’ll be backlash. A big one. From her family, maybe even from ours. Giana won’t take the insult quietly. Not after being publicly rejected.”

His thumb strokes absent circles against my skin. “But whatever she tries, whatever they try, my answer stays the same.” He looks at me then, eyes sharp but steady. “I’m not marrying anyone who isn’t you.”

My throat tightens. The words land with a kind of quiet finality I wasn’t ready for, but needed more than anything.

“But that doesn’t mean she’ll disappear,”he adds.“She’s not the kind of woman who fades into the background. She’ll come for what she thinks is hers. Not because of me, but because of what you took from her.”

He doesn’t say the word. But I feel it deep in my bones.

Me.

He’s telling me, in his own way, that this war isn’t even close to being over. That being with him means stepping into the crosshairs of a life that doesn’t forgive weakness. But then he adds, “I’ll protect you. Always. But I need you to understand, bambina…” His fingers tighten.“She’s not your only threat. This family… this life… it never needed a reason to come for something beautiful. It only needs an opportunity.”

I nod, swallowing hard.

And when I lean forward to kiss him softly, it isn’t out of fear. It’s a vow.

“That’s why I need you to listen when I tell you to be careful. Not paranoid. Just… aware.”

I nod again, slower this time. The room feels still, heavy with the truth. But his hand is still on me. His breath still steady. And I believe him.

Because Ares doesn’t bluff. Not when it comes to me.

“Can I ask you something?” I whisper, pressing my forehead to his.

Ares nods.

“If I weren’t in the picture, would you have married her?”

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