JAXON VOXX
The old Lupino estate in Ashwood was wrapped in shadows—dark wood paneling, ancient wolf sigils etched into the stone walls, and the kind of silence that only came with centuries of blood-stained tradition. I sat at the long, polished dining table, my expression as cold as the steel I kept tucked in my coat, listening—yet again—to my grandfather's rant.
"You lack discipline," Dante Lupino barked, his voice sharp with disappointment. "What have you been doing since her death? Drowning in guilt? Partying? Hiding behind your empire of clubs and smoke? This is my fault—I spoiled you. You are incomplete, Jaxon. Without a mate, you can't inherit the Lupino Mafia empire. You will never be Lord of the Pack. So either get yourself one, or forget the family business."
I didn't flinch. Just stared, stone-faced, letting the words flow past like they always did. Same damn speech, same worn-out threats. The old man never got tired.
A Mafia heir without a wife is a disgrace. Rafael is married. Rafael has heirs. Rafael knows his place. Blah. Blah. Blah.
Grandpa sighed, his voice lowering as he added, "You know I love you and your brother. But if you don't step up, I'll hand everything over to Rafael. And you need to move on from her. I know it's hard, but you have to forgive yourself—especially after killing her."
That one hit. My fist clenched beneath the table, jaw tight. Must he always bring her up?
The meeting ended with me storming out, fury simmering in my chest. I shoved past Rafael in the hallway. He smirked at me like a smug bastard, and I barely restrained myself from slamming his face into the wall.
My phone buzzed. Luca.
"The delivery deal went to hell," he said. "Your guy ran off with the stash. We found him. Basement of the club. He's waiting."
Perfect. I needed a release.
I made it to the underground club in record time. In the basement, the traitor sat strapped to a metal chair—sweaty, shaking, pathetic.
"Where's my product?" I asked, lighting a blunt as I sat across from him.
"I-I don't know, Jaxon. I swear—I don't know what happened."
I reached out. Luca placed a pistol in my hand. I shot him in the foot.
"I want answers. Not stuttering."
"He's not ready to talk," Luca muttered. "Should I give him the Jaxon treatment?"
I took a slow drag and nodded. "But roll me another blunt first."
Luca handed me a fresh one, lit it. Then called in one of the boys. The Jaxon method—my personal signature—wasn't for the weak. We started with fingernails.
Still, the bastard held out.
I lost my patience. Shot him straight in the balls.
That did it.
He screamed, then cracked—spilled everything. Turns out, he was a goddamn spy. Working with Rafael. Trying to sabotage my operation from within.
My blood boiled. My veins pulsed with rage. I emptied two bullets into his skull and walked out without a second thought.
"Clean it up," I ordered Luca.
By the time I reached Rafael's house, I was fire and fury. He was lounging on the couch like the smug prick he was. Laughing.
I didn't even speak. Just punched him so hard he hit the floor.
"You out of your mind?!" he roared.
"No. I'm crazy," I snapped. "Crazy enough to bury you. Next time you mess with my business, I'll put you six feet under before Grandpa even realizes you're gone."
I left him stunned, slammed the door on the way out, and drove home with blood on my knuckles and a storm in my chest.
At the penthouse, I washed up, collapsed on my bed, and—like always—my mind went to her.
Aveline Storm.
She was my mate. My anchor. The only one who ever loved me for who I was—monster and all. She never judged, never ran. But I ruined everything. I hurt her. And when she slept with him, I broke. I did the unforgivable.
And now she's gone.
I must've fallen asleep thinking about her, because the next thing I knew, I was wide awake and aching.
I pulled on casual clothes and headed straight to the underground club. My distraction. My sanctuary. The club was one of the biggest in Milan—famous for its exclusivity, its indulgence, its secrets. Celebrities, politicians, sex, and drugs—all under my roof.
I entered through the back, headed to VIP.
And that's when I saw her.
Behind the bar, laughing with another woman. Her eyes sparkled, and when she looked up, our gazes locked. Time froze.
She didn't know it yet.
But tonight… she's mine.