Page 1 of Branded in Love
PRESENT DAY
Rome, Italy.
1
GAVRIIL
Run, Gavriil.
One last sprint, I tell myself.Push yourself harder until you’re so exhausted that your mind will have no choice but to shut down.There’s no escaping the images that have haunted me for the past two years, I know that. But running puts those thoughts to sleep, however briefly. Sasha does not agree. He practically forced me into taking this getaway.
The Villa Borghese is quiet this late in the afternoon. Almost closing time. It’s difficult to regret leaving my lair in Saint Petersburg when the Roman air is so warm, the skies are pristine blue, and I’m surrounded by leafy woods. Especially when the harshest winter strikes back home. I’m lucky to keep a house in the Eternal City.
It dawns on me then. This is the first holiday I’ve ever taken since becoming the leader of the Ursa Clan.
I make one last sprint, fired up as the adrenaline pumps hard through my veins. My pulse throbs in my chest and limbs. My breathing quickens. Beads of sweat break from my skin and slowly drip down my back and chest. The sole thing that can compare to this delight is spending the weekend at my dacha by the riverside, throwing spears and axes.
The dirt road lies ahead. Trees seem to lean over me as I glimpse the park’s exit. It’s a short walk from there to the house... Sasha must be out of his mind right now. I left without giving him so much as a warning. We just arrived in Rome this morning. However, he could track me in a heartbeat if he really needed to. He’s giving me the space I need to clear my mind.
Daylight wanes. The streetlights flash in the distance. The shops begin to close. I almost reach the gates when I pick up an extraordinary scent, feminine, compelling, and sweet. The minute it reaches my lungs, the bear in me reacts, demanding that I track her.
I slow my pace until I stop.This can’t be happening. I don’t need this right now.But my bear won’t listen. It’s unrelenting whenever he storms through. I stare at the open gates. Chest heaving with exhaustion, I look back.
My jaw clenches. A low growl lingers in my chest. “Fuck it,” I mutter.
Succumbing to my bear’s demands, I rush back on the road, tracing this maddening scent. And the closer I get, the more it drills into my core, pushing me further.
Then suddenly, it changes.
I stop short, confused. “What the…?” My gaze narrows, sweeping the park with a glance in all directions. Little by little, my expression shifts from bemusement into undiluted fierceness. There’s another scent in the park, hovering over the first. So much so, it completely overpowers it.
Only one creature can absorb someone’s essence with such viciousness. A monster that feeds off the energy of others. It is ruthless, selfish, and its hunger knows no satisfaction.
I clench my jaw. “Fucking vampire…”
Now the search turns into a hunt. I dart through the trees, away from the road, and into the woods.
2
LUCIANA
I’m going through the last box. I can’t help but sigh as I hold my grandfather’s gorgeous bracket clock. My grandmother’s art déco rings and pendants are there too... It took me months to decide to part with them, and now that I have these treasures in the shop, I’m not sure I want to sell them. But a girl’s gotta eat.
“Are you ready,cara?” Marco peeps into the storage room. “It’s closing time.”
“Yeah, I’m just sorting these out.” I return the clock to the box and watch it with an empty stare.
Marco steps into the room and crouches beside me. His hand smooths over my back. “I know it’s hard, sweetie. But it’s the right thing to do.”
My lips stretch into a bitter smile. “I know...”
He holds me gently, and we both get on our feet. “Do you want to watch a movie tonight? Or maybe you have plans already?” he asks.
“Plans?” I wince. “Do you know who I am?” I tease as I grab my bag and turn off the lights.
“You know, I just don’t get it.” Marco scrunches his nose. “We’re both impossibly gorgeous. And yet, we’re still single.” He shakes his head, then grabs his car keys off the desk. “I mean, how can that be, Luciana?” Now he crosses his arms over his chest and stares at me dead in the eye. “Pleaseexplain.”
My eyes fly open. “Wow. That’s a loaded question!” I snigger. “Let me think about this.” I pause for effect. “We haven’t met the right man, Marco. It’s as simple as that… Or maybe there isn’t that perfect someone for us. Maybe it’s all a stupid fantasy.”
