Formidable: Shifters Forever Worlds (Ever After Dark Book 1) (3 page)

A
nd so the hunt began
, the search for Vittorio Tiero, the little boy who liked to be called Vax, though his father disapproved.

Gio had ascertained that his son was not with the witch. He breathed a sigh of relief. And now he had to make sure that he was not in the wing that held the two shifters. He was traveling down the hallway taking long strides when he saw his son’s shadow as it turned the corner walking away from the room he’d given to the two tigress shifters.

He followed his son with stealth, making sure the little one didn't see him while he made his way back to his room, where the nanny wrapped her arms around him and gently scolded him for running away. Telling him that she had been worried about him. He had no idea what he’d do if anything were to happen to his children.

He cast a glance down the hallway that led to Isabel’s room with a forlorn look on his face. He couldn’t help himself. He wanted to see more of her.

All of her.

All the time.

He glanced at his watch. Dinnertime.

He made his way to the dining room, joined by his brother as his long strides took him across empty hallways that should be filled with joyful sounds.

This was the house of grief and mourning. There’d be no joy found here.

* * *

G
io rose
to his feet as the two tigress shifters entered the dining room. His brothers followed suit. They would be dining alone. A security crew, his henchmen, the rest would be dining later, separately. Gio wanted this time alone with the two tigress shifters.

He barely noticed Ana come in, for he could not pull his gaze away from Isabel. Stunning in a black dress that hugged her curves, wonderfully ample curves, her muscular calves on display, a feast for his eyes, a promise of satin skin that rose above.

No woman had a right to look so delicious. No woman had a right to drag his tiger into a state of thrall like this.

After the two ladies sat, he took his seat, tigress shifter on each side of him, a tornado raging within his tiger.

T
hey were into the meal
, and Gio’s stomach was in a battle with demons. Or so it felt. A battle. Giving his heart to another. Betrayal. Loss. Too much to deal with.

Isabel's intense gaze was getting to him. He couldn't lie to himself about that. He tried to put on a front, eating with as much gusto as he could manufacture, but there was something about her, something about her inquisitive gaze, her engaging eyes, and those succulent lips. There was something about her tigress, a fierce creature that wasn’t willing to yield to Isabel, as far as his tiger could tell.

Why did her tigress have a divide with Isabel? He surveyed Isabel’s expression, trying to determine what it was that created the divide he sensed with her tigress.

“Where's your crew?” Isabel wore a smirk. “Surely, you don't feel safe with only the three of you here.” She baited him, wearing an innocent expression that he knew was a farce.

Gio didn't look at her. He was making a point not to. Instead, he turned to Ana. “What was your purpose?”

She took a deep breath. “First, I apologize for interloping on your territory without your permission.”

Across from her sister, Isabel let out a grunt and a laugh.

Gio frowned. “Apology accepted.” He reached for the quail.

“I need your help.” And then Ana added, “Please.”

Gio nodded. “What would you need help with?”

“I have a friend—”

Isabel's giggle interrupted her.

“Stop,” Ana snapped.

“Sorry,” Isabel mumbled.

Isabel didn’t look sorry. Was she being contrary on his account?

Ana continued to speak. “My friend is in… I have a friend in trouble… And he can't be freed without the help of a witch that I've heard is in this area.”

“Esmerelda?” Tito asked.

Ana glanced at Tito. “How did you know?”

Gio gave Tito a look. They were here to get information not give it. He kept his voice level. “She's the only witch in this area, and she's unavailable.”

“What? What do you mean? What does that mean?” Ana chewed on her bottom lip.

“She's being held.” Gio gave Tito and Federico a guarded expression of warning.

“Where?” Isabel asked.

“Here.” Federico supplied the answer.

Well, I’ll be damn. Both my brothers are giving these two all the information they want.

“We need her,” Ana said.

“I can't let her go.” Gio wasn't in the mood to debate this. Not with these two. Actually, not with anyone.

“Can't we discuss it?” Ana's tone was pleading.

“Discuss?” He made a point to look at Isabel. “If your sister can contain herself. You know…” He paused for emphasis. “If she can behave. Civilly. Be a lady.”

In reward to his baiting statements, Isabel rose to her feet. “Contain myself? You—you—”

“Sit,” Gio demanded.

She glared at him. “You can't make me.”

He clenched his jaw. “You need a spanking. Such a petulant child.” Why did his pants suddenly get tighter at the thought of spanking that curvy ass.

“Oh.” She raised a brow. “Is that how you treat your wife? The mother of your child?”

Next to him, Ana gasped.

Gio fought to gain his composure, to fight the image of Vanessa from returning to the forefront of his mind. He kept his eyes glued to his plate, though he felt his brothers’ gazes on him. Could they tell he was affected? Could these two new strangers tell how much that bothered him?

The rustling of clothing alerted him that someone had risen from their seat. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see it was Tito.

“Please, sit. My brother has lost his mate. Sit.” Tito's voice was firm.

“I'm—God. I'm so sorry.” Isabel's voice was small.

“We apologize,” Ana said. “Please—”

Gio held up a hand. “I'd rather discuss the business at hand.”

“Of course, of course.” Ana paused. “About my friend, you see, we need this witch to set him free. He's in prison in a wall. He's a shifter. Won't you help a shifter? One of our own kind?”

“What is this shifter's name?”

“Cristiano Ricoletti.”

“Never heard of him. Is he related to Marco?”

Ana gave him a nod. “His son.”

“Marco never mentioned a son to me.” Gio glanced at his brothers. “Do you know of this?”

They shook their heads.

Ana explained, “His lion was suppressed. By the same witch we seek. Esmerelda. His mother didn't want him to know he was a shifter.”

Gio rubbed his jaw. “Very odd.” So it was possible. Witches could suppress a shifter’s inner animal. And not only was it possible, but Esmerelda could do it.

Ana nodded. “You said you know Marco Ricoletti? You can ask him.”

“Not so easy. He's in mourning in Sicily. Or perhaps he's in hiding. Or both. The Shifter Council has questions for him regarding his choice to take a witch as a mate. This is frowned upon.”

Federico dropped his fork, it clanged to the tile floor, loud in the room that had gone silent.

Tito gave Federico a glance that Gio couldn’t interpret.

He gave them both a warning glance. What the hell was going on with his brothers?

Ana continued, “Can you help?”

Gio glanced at the door to his left. “Bring the witch.”

He barely had time to finish the quail when Esmerelda was brought in the door, green eyes flashing anger.

“Why do you disturb me?” Her tone was scathing.

“Esmerelda.” Gio rose to his feet. He couldn’t help himself; he was raised with manners. “Sit please. It seems your services are needed.”

The witch laughed. A laugh laced with toxic sarcasm. She sat next to Tito. “I'm your prisoner, yet you're talking as if I'm your guest.”

“Please.” Ana leaned forward. “It's very important. It's something you're already familiar with.”

“That's a good way to pique my curiosity.” She twirled a lock of hair around her finger nonchalantly.

Ana looked to Gio as if seeking guidance or permission.

He wasn't sure which. So he nodded.

“You've met Ella Carrera.” Ana addressed Esmerelda.

Esmerelda cocked her head. “Perhaps.”

“I know you have. You see, her son told me about the letter she left for him.”

“The lion shifter.” The witch's smile was mysterious. “I did his mother a favor.”

“Yes!” Ana seemed to practically jump out of her seat with excitement. “And she passed away.”

“Yes, I hear of things even though I've moved to this godforsaken forest and away from my beloved Rome.” And then she did the strangest thing, at least as far as Gio could see. She glared at his brother Federico across the table. And then she added, “How is that lion shifter doing? I suspect now he realizes what he is?”

With a nod, Ana said, “He knows. But he is in a predicament. And your sister said you were the only one who could help.”

“Which sister?”

“Desideria.”

“I hope you're not hoping a friendship with her will garner favor with me.” Esmerelda shook her head as if in disbelief.

“No. No. I was hoping since you're the only witch powerful enough—”

“I am.” Esmerelda crossed her arms over her chest.

Gio was certain this was true. He’d heard Esmerelda was one of the most powerful in Italy.

“Yes, since you are, we were hoping you could overturn Iniga's spell.”

“Iniga isn't around anymore.” There was definitely disgust in the witch's tone.

“Yes, that's what I heard.” Ana drummed her fingers on the tabletop softly.

“Lucky for you, because if she knew you wanted one of her spells countered, you'd find yourself in an unpleasant predicament.”

“Will you help?”

“I have to go where he is. I can't do that from here.”

Over my dead body.
Gio slapped the table for emphasis. “Absolutely not.”

“She'd be on the way to another continent before we could blink,” Tito added.

Federico was silent and stone-faced.

Ana was persistent. “I refuse to believe there isn't something that can be worked out.”

“Do you have a way to guarantee that after Esmerelda gives you what you want, that you will in turn bring her back and not grant her freedom out of gratitude?” Gio rubbed his chin.

“You could leave me behind as collateral. What's the worst that could happen?” Isabel spoke up. Then she looked around as if to see who’d said it, as if unbelieving that the words had come from her own mouth.

“No!” Ana's tone was firm.

Gio gave Isabel a look. “What makes you think I want the pleasure of your company as collateral?”

Isabel shot him a dirty look. “It's not about you.”

He made a pretense of wiping his mouth, holding the napkin in place to hide the smile her sauciness brought him.

Ana reached across the table for Isabel's hand. “Think of the dangers involved.”

“Wait just a moment here.” Gio tapped on the table. “Are you implying we couldn't protect your sister?”

He found himself suddenly wanting to keep her as collateral. Maybe for a long time.

Isabel made a spurting sound. “I can protect myself.”

Ana raised her hand, bringing conversation to a halt. “Stop. I'm not leaving my sister behind.”

Gio dropped the napkin and picked up a fork.

Esmerelda cleared her throat. “And more importantly, what incentive do I have now to help? Since I won’t be set free?”

Gio paused mid-bite.

Everybody was staring at him.

“Why are you looking at me?” he asked Ana directly.

“Hoping to appeal to your sense of decency.”

Isabel's laughter was scathing. “Decency? Him?”

You are looking for a spanking. Or worse.

He turned his head toward Isabel, locking eyes with her, but addressed Ana. “I think I will take you up on that offer. Let your sister be the collateral you leave behind. She needs a few lessons. For sure, a spanking.”

Isabel’s glare was full of daggers. “Ha! I’d like to see you try.”

He ignored that, addressing Ana instead. “Now, we need to give the witch incentive.”

“Thank you.”

At least Ana was appreciative.

“Well?” he asked Esmerelda.

Esmerelda's eyes narrowed, dangerous and deep. “What can you do for me?”

Gio thought about it for a moment. His brothers watched him carefully. He was on the spot now. No pressure. No, none at all.

Dammit.

“I can testify on your behalf with the Shifter Council. Perhaps get your charges to go away.”

Without seeming to give his offer any thought, Esmerelda exclaimed, “I'm hungry.”

He surmised that was a yes. “A plate for the wi—” Gio caught himself, “for Esmerelda.”

T
he next morning
, the sun cast speckled shadows on the pebbled surface of the Tiero driveway. Isabel was in the same attire she’d worn the day before, except they’d been freshly laundered while she slept. She and Ana had found their clothing hanging just outside their door on a cart not unlike the ones she’d used at hotels.

Breakfast had been brought to them in the room, including hot coffee. Her stomach full, Isabel was braced for her time at the Tiero villa.

After giving Ana a hard hug and securing promises of “I’ll be back shortly, probably tomorrow, as soon as we set Tino free,” Isabel stepped back and watched as several of his security men, including his brother Federico, and Ana, prepared to drive away.

Federico said something to Giovanni in a low voice, but Isabel had no clue what it was as his tone was so low, even her shifter hearing couldn’t pick it up.

Isabel stepped away from the vehicles’ exhaust and glanced at his aquiline profile. For Pete’s sake, he could pass for a flesh-and-blood Roman god. “What was that about?”

“Something you needn’t concern yourself with.” His tone was curt.

So that’s how it is?

Isabel envisioned hours, days even, of misery and smartass quips from him while Ana went about saving Tino.

Forget that.

She’d find other ways to entertain herself.

Right now, she needed a heart-to-heart with her tigress. She had to figure out why the tigress had put so much pressure on her last night to stay. And why her tigress had made her offer herself as collateral.

Isabel hadn’t planned to be collateral, but suddenly, as if she’d lost complete control of her senses and her mouth, she was offering.

You have a lot of explaining to do,
she warned her tigress.
Lots of it.

She was so lost in her thought, she didn’t realize they’d been joined on the driveway until a small hand took hold of hers and said, “Will you be our new nanny?”

Isabel glanced down at the little man with the serious face. He was too much like his father, and he melted her heart.

The boy’s sister stepped forward, a beautiful little miniature—but not exactly of her father. Perhaps those were her mother’s looks.

The little girl let out a little smile. “Our nanny just told us she’s leaving. She’s going back to Rome. She’s mad at our father.” She delivered Isabel a small curtsy. “I’m Veila.”

“Nice to meet you, Veila. I’m Isabel.” Isabel glanced at Gio over the children’s heads.

Gio ushered the children toward the front door. “She shouldn’t have told you that. I’ll have someone here to take care of you two before the end of the week. Until then, there are plenty of us to keep you busy and entertained.”

As if summoned, Tito stepped out of the front door. “I’ll play with you for a while.”

Veila looked from Tito to Isabel. “I’d rather play with Isabel.”

Tito clutched his chest as if mortally wounded. “I’m hurt.” He gave Isabel a sly wink. “And what about you, Vax?”

Gio made a small throat clearing sound, then said, “Ahem.”

“Sorry.” Tito didn’t look too sorry, though. “I mean to say Vittorio.”

“Uncle Tito, I’d like to play with Isabel too. We get to see you whenever.”

“Et tu, Brute?”

“Betrayed by babes.” Gio smiled at his brother. “But I don’t want our guest bothered.” He glanced at Isabel.

Isabel noted that his smile disappeared as he turned her way.

“I can’t imagine anything more fun to do while I’m here as your guest.” Isabel made sure Gio grasped the double entendre she was delivering.

He nodded. It was clear he got it. She didn’t want to be around him since things that were said were not her concern, according to Gio.

“Yay!” Veila seized her hand, yanking swiftly. “Let’s go to our playroom. We can have breakfast, lunch, and dinner in there if we want. The cook brings up the food.” She turned to glance at Isabel. “Coming?”

“You bet.”

“Snacks, too,” Vax added. “Anything we want.”

“I’d like some hot tea with sweet cream, maybe toast with a little butter on it.”

“Tea with cream? What?” Veila’s words were a screech. “Who does that?”

“That’s how they did it at the boarding school I attended in England.”

“Oh! I want to go to school there.” Vax turned to Gio. “Can I?”

“Boarding school? Away from home?” Gio frowned. “Away from the protection of the family?”

Vax nodded eagerly, his head bobbing.

“We’ll see, son. We’ll see.” He turned to Isabel. “I’ll have them send the hot tea and toast to the playroom. Stay inside, Vittorio. You, too, Veila.”

Isabel caught a slight frown crossing Vax’s face, but it vanished instantly.

“I want some tea, too,” Veila spurted, then after a stern look from her father, added, “Please.”

He delivered a nod.

Isabel let Veila lead her to the upstairs playroom, feeling Gio’s gaze on her with every step she took along the walk and up the stairs. Her cheeks burned at the thought he might be checking her out.

Isabel’s originally intended idle morning was filled with games of hide and seek, board games, card games, all sorts of games. It turned out to be anything but idle as she introduced the Tiero children to the joys of hot tea, and they introduced her to the pleasures of nonstop playing.

Late afternoon rolled around, and Isabel was ready for a nap. Judging from Vax’s yawn, he was too. Except there’d be no napping for either of them. Veila had every intention of holding Isabel to her promise of teaching her a bit of ballet.

And so it was, after a quick and early dinner, Veila found tights and a leotard while Isabel took her shoes off, ready to tutor Veila in the fine art of ballet. Isabel was stuck in the outfit she’d worn to hike in the day before, but at least the staff had cleaned it.

“If you’re going to be here for a while, we need to get you a ballet costume,” Veila announced, a cute pixie smile on her face.

Isabel smiled at her phraseology. “Indeed. I shouldn’t be dancing in hiking clothing, should I?”

After a short session in ballet techniques, Isabel, Vax, and Veila sat in a circle on the floor, cross-legged.

“Why do you have to do ballet?” Vax crossed arms over his chest, a frown marring his little face. “I don’t do that. It’s for girls.”

“So, why don’t you pick something for us to do, now? It will be your turn.”

“Feed the fox,” he proclaimed, as if passing a new law or dictating policy.

Fox? This was news to Isabel. She’d seen no pets. “What fox?”

“Oh, there’s a little fox that we’ve become friends with,” Veila whispered, as though conspiring. “It lives in the woods.”

And still, Vax chastised his sister. “Shhh. You know we could get into trouble.”

“Trouble?” Isabel leaned closer to the children. “Why would befriending a forest creature get you into trouble?” She glanced from one set of somber eyes to another.

“Because.” Vax sat back, as if satisfied with his answer.

Isabel looked toward Veila for more.

Veila obliged, climbing into Isabel’s lap. “Everyone knows that animals can be shifters in disguise, sometimes ones that are up to no good.”

God, she sounds like her father.

“Do tell.” Isabel didn’t want to encourage the suspicious nature that their father had planted in them, but she was curious.

“Or worse…” Veila’s voice turned spooky. “They could be familiars.”

“As in a witch’s familiar?”

“As in.” Vax didn’t want to be left out. “You know, they say that witches are more powerful than shifters.”

“So I hear.” Isabel nodded.

“I don’t believe it.” Vax set his jaw.

Isabel bit back a smile. This one would be an interesting one later in life. He was so much like his father, and yet, it seemed in some ways, he was the polar opposite.

“I think it’s true, Vax. I think there are times that a witch can best a shifter. Their spells make it so.”

“I’ve never met a witch.”

Isabel thought of Desideria, Esmerelda’s sister, who was her and Ana’s teacher at their boarding school. Desi had become a good friend to the two Valenti sisters.

“Some witches are okay.” Isabel kept her voice low. She knew that there’d be no way Giovanni Tiero would be fine with her saying that. She could see his rigidity would interfere with his accepting any other supernaturals. She also knew that many shifters went an entire lifetime without ever encountering a different type of supernatural being.

“Have you ever met any?” Veila asked, wiggling her brows.

“I have.”

“Tell me about it,” Vax demanded, as if he were alpha and already running the show.

Give it a few years, little man.

“Ask your father if I can regale you with tales of supernaturals, and if he says yes…” Isabel let her voice trail off.

She knew they’d never ask that, and they’d never get their father’s permission. Their crestfallen expressions affirmed her belief.

“So can we go see the fox? We can slip out the secret way Veila and I discovered. We left the little fox some food. It’s very friendly.”

“Who’s friendly?” A male voice came from the doorway.

Giovanni.

Isabel was saved from answering, but now there was a new question at hand. Would the children tell him who was friendly? Would she feel guilty enough to reveal their secret? Did they really have to keep it a secret? Was he that rigid?

One glance at his jawline, the firm set to his expression, and she knew, this man had the makings of an alpha. He epitomized it from his unyielding expression to the hardness in his eyes.

What have you gone through to make you so inflexible, so distant?

Not exactly a question she could ask him, considering she was a trespasser on his land, and he seemed suspicious about their motives.

And yet, when she caught him looking at her yesterday, there was something in the depths of his eyes that reached out to her.

“No one, Daddy.” Veila delivered her father a slight moue with her answer.

Isabel studied Veila.

Oh, that one will be trouble when she’s full grown. She’d wrap men around her little finger. They’d underestimate the core of steel in Veila. Hopefully, she’ll find that right man who gets it, who gets her.

It didn’t seem that Giovanni would be in danger of being fooled. His expression didn’t yield an iota. He nodded, and let out a low, “Uh, huh.” Definitely, he wouldn’t be fooled by Veila’s charming ways. Giovanni turned toward Isabel, a questioning look on his face.

Isabel shrugged.

“Vittorio?” His deep voice called on his son to answer.

“I’m not sure you’d like the answer.”

Oh, boy. This young man will be trouble, too, for his father later.
Isabel hid the smile at Vax’s rebellious side. There’d be hell to pay later. Hopefully, Giovanni’s unyielding ways wouldn’t drive his son away.

A measure of sadness plagued Isabel, for she’d liked to have known what would happen between the father and son.

By then, she imagined she’d be a distant memory for the children and their striking father who she couldn’t seem to stop thinking about.

“That’s all you have to say?” Giovanni’s eyes had narrowed as he studied his son.

“Yes.” Vax stood his ground.

The energy between father and son crackled.

Isabel prayed the repercussions wouldn’t be harsh. God knew, these two kids had it difficult enough without a mother in their lives.

Giovanni leaned closer to his son and said, “I can respect that.”

Whew.
Isabel kept the shock from showing, though her gaze remained locked on Giovanni’s dark stare.

Giovanni rose, turned. “Dinner’s in an hour and a half. Don’t be late. Clean up.” And with that he was gone.

Not big on affection, is he?

Vax stepped toward the threshold and peeked down the hallway. “He’s gone. Now, let’s go see the fox.” He grabbed Isabel’s hand, tugging her to a stand.

“Vax.” Isabel stood firm. “Stop.”

He glanced back and up into her face. He must have read her expression because he said, “No. Don’t tell me you don’t want to go. You said we’d do something I wanted to do.”

“I didn’t say it could be something that would be against the rules.”

“Rules. Rules. Rules.” Vax snatched his hand out of hers. “I’m sick of rules.” Red splotches of fury colored his cheeks.

Veila wrapped her arms around his. “One day.”

He put his hand on hers. “One day, we’ll run our own world. Our way.”

“One day, we will. We’ll have our own world.” Veila repeated. “I’ll be with you the whole way.”

“And Gavin too. We’ll take him with us. I miss him.”

“I miss him, too. Let’s ask Father to invite him to stay with us while we are here.”

“Who’s Gavin?”

“Grigorio’s son,” Vax answered.

Before Isabel could ask who Grigorio was, Veila supplemented Vax’s answer. “Grigorio is on the Tiero security team. Gavin stayed in Rome.”

“Why are you all here now? Why not in Rome?” Isabel didn’t mean to pry, she wasn’t trying to get nosy, but she did wonder about the Tiero—especially Giovanni, though a part of her wished she didn’t.

Giovanni Tiero was dangerous the way a murky bottomless pool of water could be dangerous. The way an electrical field could be dangerous. Or a volcano. Or a hurricane.

But goodness, he was tempting, the way the darkest chocolate could tempt with the heavenly aroma and decadent taste.

“This place is the only place he hadn’t brought our mother,” Vax whispered.

Veila gasped. “What? How do you know that? Who said?” she asked. “And why didn’t you tell me?”

It struck Isabel that these two were far more mature than most counterparts would be. It made her sad to think this had happened because they’d lost their mother at such a young age and had a very no-nonsense alpha of a father.

“I heard Father telling Uncle Tito that we’d be safe here and it was the only place Vanessa hadn’t been.”

“Vanessa. That’s your mother?”

Both nodded.

Maybe Giovanni was avoiding the memories he’d shared with Vanessa in the other places, perhaps that’s why he’d come here. Isabel pinched off the irrational twinge of jealousy.