"Trigger my wolf then," As soon as I finished my words, the door of the room bursted open and Luciano walked inside. Quickly, I snapped my mouth shut and hoped he hadn't heard anything.

"What's happening here?" He asked his mother and then gave me a look that I shouldn't be here.

It's not safe and blah, blah, blah.

"Nothing." Jaqueline responded, licking her lips. "We were just taking."

Luciano didn't believe her, not even for a split second, he grabbed the book off the table and went through the prophecy.

"Red shouldn't be worried about all this, mother. Leave her aside for now." He pushed the book back on the table and grabbed my hand. "You're coming with me."

"I want to stay here." I said, standing still on my spot.

"You need to rest,"

"I don't want to rest."

"You're grandmother just died," He released a low growl and reminded me. It was brutal to hear it all again. It wasn't like I forgot about her.

I was doing this all to avenge her death, the death of my parents and to protect my daughter. Once the wolf was triggered, Gretel would be weaker than me and she'd be the one running away.

Fuck the eclipse. I needed no power then to end her.

"I know," I said, my eyes wide. "And, I'm fine."

"That's the problem. You shouldn't be fine so you're going to come with me." His eyes turned into a crimson shade of red with anger as he tried to pull me again. "I'm going to give you five seconds to come with me before I drag you, and trust me, it's going to hurt." He lowered his head and whispered in my ear.

I peeked over his shoulder to find Jaqueline nodding at me. We'll speak tomorrow morning. She whispered through the link we had.

"Fine." I tore my self away from him and arched my shoulders before walking out of the room. I felt slightly guilty that I disobeyed Luciano and came here when he asked me not too.

"You can't listen to me ever, right?" He mumbled, placing a hand behind my back and taking me to his room.

"Guess not."

"You won't speak to my mother until you're well." The door slammed behind me as Luciano ordered.

"I am well."

"You're not."

"I am and I don't need your sympathy or anyone else's. I'm perfectly fine." I said, looking at my self in the mirror. The skin under my eyes was red, and itchy with all the crying I had done earlier. I leaned over the dressing table and waited for Luciano to come to me. "Aren't you going to help me get rid of the dress?"

He grumbled down a growl before his hands reached for my back, unzipping the black dress I had worn at the funeral.

Nana's death was always going to be remembered. Nothing could take away the good memories I had with her. I knew she was watching over me, waiting for me to do the right thing and I was going to do it, by killing Gretel and any other witch that was stronger than me.

Averting my attention at Luciano, I found him glaring at me and caressing my skin. Turning around, I wrapped my arms around his neck and his hands settled on my waist.

"Are you still going to be mad at me?" I asked, pouting and inching closer to his lips.

"I'm not mad at you," His eyes were fixated over my lips but he still had a grumpy face.

"Then, why don't you hold me properly like you did before?" I paused for a second to collect my self. "I know I have done horrible things, and I'm sorry for it, really. If I had a chance to change everything, I would've. I would've never left."

"Red," he said, his eyes sincere. "It's all right. Don't stress yourself out and try to listen to me."

At the precise moment, I asked, "Do you still love me?"

"Of course, you're my wife. I didn't marry you for no reason, I married you because I loved you and I still do. Nothing is going to change that."

I closed my eyes shut, breathing in deeply upon hearing the words I had been wanting to hear.

"Nothing at all?"

"Nothing," Passion flickered in his eyes as he clutched on my waist tightly, pulling me closer to his dark embrace. "The only I'll ever stop loving you is when I learn you've fallen for another."

My lips twisted into a smile. "You know I wouldn't be able to ever do that." Falling for another man never crossed my mind, not even once in the past eight months.

Heat engulfed in my body as he dipped down, kissing my jaw and then my neck. His hands slipped up at the hem of my bra, and with a tug, he unstrapped it and pulled it away from my body.

His fingers reached for my chin, raising my head, his eyes met mine. "Then there is nothing we need to be worried about, princess." He murmured into my mouth before kissing me.

"Mm," I moaned, giving in as he pinned me down to the mattress, his mouth everywhere where it needed to me.

Jolts of electricity went throughout my body as my hand ruffled through his dark hair. An evil thought crossed my mind and I turned the tables, sitting over him.

"I don't want to be your princess." I said, unbuttoning his shirt.

"Then, what do you want me to be?"

"Make me your Queen,"

Luciano grabbed my wrist and stopped me at once. His jaw tightened at my response. "That's not possible, Red." He told in a clear voice.

"Why not?"

"Because we know how things ended last time—"

I interrupted him, "But, it will be different now."

"How should I be sure of that?" He grabbed my face and pushed down on the bed while getting on the top. "I know what goes through that evil little mind of yours and I have no intention of giving you that position, again."

I had learned throughout the months and if I was here, with Luciano, I couldn't just be his wife or mate. It wasn't about the inheritance of wealth or status, it was more about defeating Gretel and her army of witches.

"I was never ready to be a Queen before, I was forced into it, by you and everyone else here just because of some tradition. I didn't know what I had to do, what I didn't and in that process of learning, I made a lot of mistakes." I explained my point to him.

"Yes, by killing my men and taking the wrong side."

"Yes," I agreed. "And, I'm sorry for that, for killing your men. It was my fault and I take full responsibility of it."

"You don't need to become a Queen then. You'll get everything you want." He said, getting off me.

I grabbed the silk sheets underneath me and covered my chest before sitting up straight. "I don't want to be under someone, I don't want to be ordered around, by either you or Gretel. I want be my self, act on my own, make my own decisions, fight on my own."

"None of that is necessary," He gave me an eye-roll and ignored everything I said.

"Granted, it isn't. But once this all is over, I'll have our daughter to take care off and I don't want to show her that I was weak and that I lost everything to someone." The words poured right out of my heart.

"You did. And, we are done talking about this." He snarled, his voice grim and raspy. I clutched onto his arm before he could leave.

"What do I have to do then? I'll do anything to become Queen." I was willing to do anything to get my place back at the castle and in the hearts of everyone around here. I didn't want to be broken into two where neither witches nor werewolves liked me.

"Prove yourself, if you can prove yourself that you're worthy for that title then the throne is yours."

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