As Anita followed Gotti behind, the hallway seemed longer than it was.
Her heart was beating so loud and she knew the bad wolf in front of her could hear her racing pulse.
If there was anything she'd learnt about Gotti, it was how he basked and revelled in people's fears.
She tried her best to stay calm but each time she saw the tall figure walking in front of her, her fears returned double fold.
Fear of the unknown.
Suddenly, the alpha stopped walking in front of a door, standing beside it, and locking his eyes on Anita's form.
"Get in," Gotti ordered calmly.
Anita gulped as a certain kind of shiver ran down her spine. It was fear and something else she couldn't point out.
As she approached him, she hugged herself with her arms, biting the side of her lip.
Slowly, she paused in front of him, staring at the door alone.
"Alpha?" She called very quietly, her voice would have been missed if the hallways weren't deathly quiet and Gotti wasn't a wolf.
Gotti clenched his jaws, realising that he might have let his thoughts wander off to a place it should never have wandered to.
He pushed the door and quietly cleared his throat, "Go." He commanded.
Anita lifted her face and stared at the dark room. Her instincts told her to run, but where exactly would she run to?
The whole mansion was guarded by the Alpha's men, and there was no way she was getting past Gotti without dying.
Helpless, she dragged her feet into the dark room.
A soft sigh surprisingly left her mouth as cool air welcomed her, cooling her head that was hot from overthinking and fear.
The AC in the room was the only good thing that was going on for Anita.
Click.
The door closed behind her.
In that moment, she realised why people felt claustrophobic. She had no wolfand could not see in the dark like a normal werewolf.
She would have managed the darkness, but, that was all she had to battle.
Behind her, she heard the slow footsteps of Gotti walking over to her.
Her world thinned, hands shool, and sweat broke out under the AC.
'What is he doing?!' Anita's lip trembled as she felt his body's temperature right behind her.
Gotti paused behind the wolfless female, his curiosity overshadowing his reasoning.
He wanted to find out who, or what Anita truly was.
He thought that the strange pull he felt from the moment he set his eyes on Anita was his own imagination, but after seeing his son hugging a stranger the way he did, it made him question everything.
Ge moved in, not touching her, but close enough to feel her warmth and hear her racing pulse.
"What are you?" Gotti's deep voice asked behind Anita.
Anita gasped as Gotti's warm breath fanned the side of her neck, sending shivers down her entire body.
She couldn't allow herself stand that close to a killer.
She slowly lifted her leg to step away from him but her arm was roughly caught from behind.
"Ah," She moaned in pain, Gotti's hand relentlessly tightening around her slim arm.
But, beneath the pain of Gotti's touch, Anita could sweet she felt an indescribable warmth seeping from his skin to hers.
"Don't make me hurt you, Bunny." Gotti's low growl came out harsher than he intended due to the sudden electric current that zapped through his body.
He withdrew his hand from Anita immediately, frowning.
He stepped away from her and walked over to the side of the room, turning on the light.
Anita blinked a few times before she adjusted to the new lighting. She realised that she was in another study, a quieter and more proper one.
Turning her head, she saw Gotti standing beside the wall, his hands in his pockets.
She sighed, unsure of what to say or do.
"You did something to my son," Gotti spoke calmly, watching Anita's reaction.
He left himself out of the picture, choosing to keep whatever he felt from Anita to himself. He would personally figure out why he was feeling weird when he touched her.
She was wolfless, almost human, and an Alpha never felt anything for a wolfless female. He couldn't describe it as the popular mate tingle. Rather, it was some sort of magic, perhaps, she was a witch in disguise.
Anita frowned, shaking her head. "No, I swear it, I never did anything to him. I simply introduced myself –"
"What are you?" Gotti asked again, his eyes slowly swirling with a mix of gold.
"I'm—Anita— Anita Stone. A werewolf –"
"Quiet!" Gotti growled, appearing in front of her in a flash.
Anita reeled back, covering her hands over her mouth and staring at Gotti's golden eyes with a mix of fear and awe.
Gotti lifted his hand, almost touching Anita, but he muttered something inaudible and turned away.
He walked around the glass desk behind Anita and lowered himself into his chair
"Sit, Ms. Stone," he said, voice devoid of any known emotion.
Anita was panting now, feeling so insecure around Gotti.
'He could kill me any time. I can't stay here forever,' She thought inwardly as she slowly walked over to sit in front of the Alpha's desk.
Gotti sighed, "You're still breathing because my son approved of you. But, trust me, I will not hesitate to kill you if you dare to hurt my son. Are we clear, Ms. Stone?" He asked sternly.
Anita nodded, "Yes, Alpha." She replied.
He didn't have to worry, she had no plans of hurting his son, or anyone. The only plan she had was how to escape him and his household.
Gotti pulled out a large white envelope from his drawer and slid it across to Anita.
"Sign," he slid a pen across next.
Anita's brows pinched together as she stared at the envelope.
'Sign what?' She wondered.
Was she about to sign her life away? To be his slave forever?
"Alpha –"
"Do not test my patience, Ms. Stone. Sign it," He ordered darkly.
The vibration of his deep voice reverberated right through Anita's body, forcing her trembling hands to open the envelope and pull out the white document from it.
"Nanny?" Anita mumbled, stealing a glance at Gotti from across the table, "I'm to become Nero's Nanny?" She asked slowly.
"Then we shall arrange when you start working at the club," Gotti said, leaning over to take the document from her.
"N-no!" Anita snatched the document from him, holding it against her chest.
She would be a fool not to sign it. This was her safety contract, her shield from Gotti's crazy life.
She looked up to find Gotti scowling at her, his perfect face squeezing in anger.
"I'm sorry, boss-Alpha, I'll sign it. I will be Nero's Nanny," she placed the document back on the table and quickly signed it without hesitation.
"I, I signed it, Alpha," She took a deep breath to steady her trembling fingers.
"Drop it," Gotti said, avoiding anything that would cause their skin to touch.
Anita obeyed and placed the signed document on the desk, placing her hands on her thighs and staring at them like it was the most fascinating thing on earth.
Gotti walked around the desk, standing in front of Anita, "Your sole concern is Nero. You will never use your closeness to my son to make advances toward me. Always remember, you're unworthy of me, and can never be my luna." He stated coldly, sliding a hand into his pocket, his eyes never leaving Anita's figure.
"If you dare to try, I have lots of ways to punish you.
Only take care of Nero. Nothing else is your business in this mansion, are we clear?" He asked.
Anita nodded, "I promise, Alpha, not even in my dream would I think of seducing you. I never want to become your luna, not even as a nightmare. I shall only take care of Nero, and Nero alone, I swear with my life." She said wigbher head lowered.
She needed to make it clear to Gotti that she had absolutely no interest in his dick or heart—if he had one.
She couldn't let him think that she was being nice to Nero to win his dark heart. No.
Gotti's face darkened.
Not in his entire life had any woman so blatantly stated their disdain for him, his heart, or a position as his Luna.
They worshipped him, craved him, begged him.
No one, absolutely no one, has ever stated such pure aversion toward him.
He chuckled, a deep rumble that had Anita's nails digging into her palms.
"W-what, what are you doing?" Anita suddenly gripped the arms of the chair as Gotti slowly leaned in toward her.
She could feel his hands resting dangerously close to hers on the chair, but never touching her, hus face leaned in, and his warm breath fanned the side of her turned face.
Her back pressed against the chair, face turned to the side, fingers digging into the leather of the chair. She had nowhere to run.
"Look at me," Gotti's husky voice commanded.
Anita gulped, licking her dry lips, "A-Alpha, I promise, I don't want you –"
"Look at me!" He growled, startling her and himself.
This time, it wasn't him, it was his wolf demanding that the female acknowledge him as the Alpha that he was.
His wolf wanted Anita to admit that she wanted him, just like every other female.
Anita almost jumped out of the chair, her heart kicking against her ribs like it wanted out.
Trembling, she lifted her face to Gotti and gasped.
His eyes were glowing gold, his wolf was fully present.
"Alpha, please, I'm sorry— I— Alpha!" she gasped as Gotti suddenly pushed his nose under her chin, inhaling deep and long.
Anita swallowed hard, her toes curling against the floor as his scent wrapped around her—smoke, iron, something ancient.
Then—
A soft, broken sound slipped from her lips.
Not a plea.
Not a sob.
A name.
"Gotti," Anita gasped.
Gotti froze.
His wolf went dead silent, like the world itself had held its breath.
Slowly, painfully slowly, he pulled back just enough to look at her face.
"Say that again," he demanded, voice no longer a command—but shaken.
Anita's eyes fluttered, unfocused, her lips parting as if the word had been dragged from somewhere buried deep inside her bones.
"I… I don't know why I said it," she whispered. "I should never—"
The door slowly opened—
The room pulsed once, sharp and wrong, as the mansion itself had reacted.
Nero stood by the door, staring at his father leaning so weirdly close to Anita.
Gotti turned toward the door instantly, moving away from Anita.
Anita's gaze snapped to her trembling hands.
For just one heartbeat, she thought she heard a voice in her head, but she shook it off, blaming her fraying nerves.
Could it be what she thought?