Chapter 14

fourteen

GIOVANNI

A few minutes earlier…

Fuck me sideways.

If someone told me a few weeks ago that I’d’ve been following a petite little Omega around like a lost puppy while she shopped , I would’ve dismissed them before they’d even finished the damn sentence.

And yet, here I was, spending the day in a fancy ass shop that had a name that sounded so pretentious, I just knew the people who worked there had sticks so far up their asses, they didn’t need spines to hold them upright.

I’d been done after the fiasco at Maison’s, ready to whisk Kitania home and punish anyone who’d said a bad word about her, but Dimitri, the sneaky fucker, had lured me back in with a promise to take her to FierceFit.

Of course, he knew I wouldn’t be able to resist introducing her to a place I loved… especially since it meant dressing her up in tight, sexy as fuck spandex.

Her body was made for the clingy material that left little to the imagination, and as much as I relished seeing her all dolled up in some of the dresses and shit she’d picked out, I wanted to see her in the type of comfortable attire I was accustomed to wearing.

Watching her browse various athletic wear and pick things out had felt like welcoming her a little more into my world. Giving her a glimpse of who I was.

As we moved through the store, I pictured Kitania in each outfit—running on the treadmill in our home gym in a sports bra, stretching in yoga pants that were molded to her perfect ass, her lithe body moving gracefully as she swam in our pool in a tiny little two-piece I could untie at the sides. My dick stirred to life at each passing image until I had to angle my hips into a clothing rack to adjust myself discreetly.

It wasn’t until I saw the light dim in her eyes when we talked about going to the dressing rooms that I picked up that something was off. I watched her closely, striving to read her mind by studying the micro-expressions that so often crossed her face. But the moment a negative thought or emotion pulled down her delicate features, steely determination followed directly on its heels.

This tiny little woman was a dichotomy of emotions I couldn’t make heads or tails from. Not that it stopped me from trying. I noticed everything about her, like the way she brushed her fingers along the clothing with a longing she didn’t think we could see. Or how her corn-flower-blue eyes darted around the stores and sidewalks, always assessing her surroundings for danger. She did it so unconsciously I wasn’t certain she was even aware of it. Then, there was the faint blush that so often infused the apples of her cheeks whenever that gaze landed on me or one of my brothers.

But the longer we shopped, the harder it was to shake the feeling that something was wrong. Kitania’s usual grace had given way to an unsteady gait, and her skin had taken on an almost translucent quality. I should have insisted we stop, should have listened to those goddamned instincts. But I was so focused on wanting to provide for her and make her feel at home in our space that I fucked up.

We all did.

Because the next thing any of us knew, we stepped out of the store and our Omega swayed unsteadily.

My heart lurched.

“ Dolcezza ?” I called, my voice sharp with concern.

She didn’t respond. Instead, she listed sideways. Time seemed to slow as she fell.

“Fuck!” I growled, dropping my bags without a second thought. I lunged forward, catching her just before she hit the ground.

Her small frame collapsed against me, her body limp in my arms, head lolling back.

My knees met the cobblestone.

“Kitania!” I barked, voice rough with panic. My heart pounded so hard I could feel it in my throat. Staring down at her pale face, my gaze immediately flew to her chest.

Fuck! Was she breathing?

The air stalled in my lungs as I waited, watching her like a hawk for any sign of life.

There . A slight rise and fall. Relief flooded me, but it did little to quell the fear coursing through my veins.

My brothers crowded around us, their expressions mirroring my alarm.

“What happened?” Tommas demanded, his usually laid-back demeanor replaced by tense worry.

“Don’t know,” I growled, cradling Kitania closer. “She didn’t seem to be herself inside, and then she just... passed out.”

Marco crouched beside me, reaching out to feel Kitania’s forehead. “She doesn’t have a fever,” he reported, his brow furrowed. “Why the hell would she faint? Should we take her to the hospital?”

Dimitri’s jaw clenched as he scanned the area and barked orders. “Get the car.”

Marco gathered the dropped bags and took off at a run while Dimitri turned back to me.

“She ate this morning, didn’t she?”

I nodded, already rising to my feet with Kitania in my arms. She felt so small, so fragile. How could I have let this happen? I was supposed to protect her, keep her safe. And instead, I’d pushed her too far. All of us had.

“Hold on,” I murmured, my lips close to her ear as we waited for Marco to pull up to the curb. “I’ve got you. You’re going to be okay.”

At those words, Kitania stirred, her eyes moving behind her lids before those pretty lashes fluttered. My heart leapt into my throat.

“Dolcezza?” I breathed, hoping she’d come to.

My Omega’s blue eyes slowly opened, unfocused at first. Relief rushed through me so fast my head spun.

“W-What happened?” she rasped.

“We could ask you the same thing,” Dimitri scolded, but it was full of concern—full of fear. “You fainted, Kitten.”

Tommas threw a hand over his heart, clutching at the organ. “I think you stole one of my lives.”

“What’s wrong?” I demanded, my voice low and raw with worry. “Are you feeling sick?”

Her hands curled into my shirt, and I kept my hold on her firm yet gentle, being careful not to crush her against my chest.

Kitania’s cheeks flushed pink as she dipped her head, her long dark hair falling forward to shield her. “I’m not sick, but I... I threw up before we left,” she admitted quietly.

Dammit. My stomach clenched with guilt. How had I not noticed?

“It must have been too much food too quickly.” I cursed myself for urging her to eat so much at breakfast. “Fuck, Dolcezza. I’m sorry.”

Dimitri scrubbed a hand down his face, looking torn between anger at himself and torment that we’d pushed our Omega so hard she became physically ill. “We all are,” he growled. “We should have realized you weren’t feeling well.”

I watched Kitania’s shoulders hunch, making her seem even smaller. The urge to keep her wrapped in my arms and never let her go was so fucking strong.

Tommas stepped closer, his usual mischievous grin replaced by genuine concern. “You can always tell us we’re being pushy assholes, you know,” he offered, clearly trying to lighten the mood. “We’re new to this whole courting thing.”

I squeezed her gently until she met my gaze. “Never be afraid to let us know when something’s wrong. Your health comes first. Always .”

Kitania nodded. “I’m sorry. I-I should have. I didn’t want to disappoint you.”

I shared a devastating look with my brothers. Disappoint us? Fuckin’ hell.

My protective instincts went into overdrive, and a low growl rumbled in my chest.

“You could never disappoint us. This is our fault. We should’ve made sure you ate small amounts and fed you more often until your body adjusted,” I muttered, jaw clenched tight. The weight of my failure pressed down on me like a physical thing. The Alpha in me roared at my shortcomings. I’d let her down. Let her get sick. It was fucking unacceptable.

I saw the same need for redemption in my brothers’ eyes as we shared heavy looks.

“We’re gonna fix this,” I promised, rougher than I intended. Gratefully, the SUV screeched to a stop beside us. Marco was already out and rounding the vehicle, ripping open the side door so I could whisk Kitania inside.

Tommas paused instead of climbing into the car, glancing up the cobblestone sidewalk. “She has to eat before she passes out again,” he said. “We could take her to the Iron Crest Pub. It’s just down the block.”

“Don’t know it well enough,” I grumbled, jerking my head to motion that he should get into the fucking car. “Her safety comes first.”

“Which means she needs to eat. Now .” He refused to budge.

“Let’s split the difference,” Marco called out as he slid back into the driver’s seat after loading the rest of the bags into the trunk. “We’ll take her to Vino’s. It’s closer than home, and we know the place inside and out.”

Tommas sighed, giving up and climbing in. “You realize our… uh… family … will most likely be there.”

Dimitri shut the door behind him and then slid into the passenger seat. “Fuck it. Vino’s is the closest and the most familiar. Besides, the family being there will provide extra backup, should we need it.”

“Which we won’t. You’re safe, Dolcezza,” I promised the quivering woman in my arms. It took everything in me to set her in her own seat and buckle her in because I didn’t want to let her go.

Thankfully, Dimitri and Marco had been right, and five minutes later, we were pulling into the parking lot outside the best little Italian joint in all of New York.

Tommas released her seatbelt, and I immediately scooped her up, climbing out of the car with her in my arms again, where she belonged.

“Gio,” Kitania whispered, that adorable blush adding some color back into her pale cheeks. “I can walk. You don’t have to—”

“Shh,” I interrupted, softening my tone, “Let me take care of you.”

When she relaxed infinitesimally, I smirked, taking the win. I whisked her inside as Marco held the door. The scent of garlic and freshly baked bread welcomed us as we entered. The moment the owner spotted our group, he rushed over, replacing the hostess.

“Signor Cristenello,” he greeted Dimitri, bowing slightly. “How may we—”

D cut him off. No time for pleasantries. “We need our usual booth. Now.”

The owner’s gaze flicked to Kitania in my arms, then to me, before returning to Dimitri. Understanding dawned in his eyes. “Of course, of course.” Vino snapped his fingers for a busboy, and together they ushered the current occupants out of our preferred corner booth with hushed apologies and promises of complimentary desserts.

I watched impatiently as they hastily cleaned and reset the table.

“Right this way.” Vino motioned forward.

“Almost there, Dolcezza,” I murmured to Kitania. “We’ll get some food in you soon.”

“I’m—”

“If you say you’re fine, I’m going to spank you when we get home,” Dimitri grumbled as he slid smoothly into his usual spot.

“S-Spank me?” Kitania’s eyes widened, her fingers flexing where she gripped my shirt. “I don’t like to be hurt.”

D softened instantly. “Trust me Kitten, I’d never harm you. It might be a punishment, but I’d only do it in a way you enjoyed.”

My Omega’s lips parted as she sucked in a breath. It was only after she tore her gaze away from Dimitri she noticed I’d settled her on my lap when I sat down. She scrambled to move, but I banded my arms around her, keeping her right where I wanted. She gaped at me like an affronted kitten.

“I can sit by myself,” she promised.

I smirked. “Of course you can. I’m just substituting myself in as your seat.”

She squirmed against me, and I grunted.

“If you’re trying to convince me to let you go, that’s not the way to do it.”

She stilled, resembling a mouse who knew it had been spotted by a hawk—the prey to my predator. My arousal was prominent against her ass, and she suddenly seemed attuned to it.

Those pretty blues blinked up at me. “I’m sorry.”

I lightly gripped her chin, running my thumb along her bottom lip. “I’m not.”

We ordered quickly and our food arrived promptly while my brothers and I chatted as normally as we could with as many eyes as we had on us. Aldo had nodded when we’d taken our seats, a quiet greeting, but his gossipy wife Monica kept sneaking nosy glances our way. Then there were Alec, Federico, and Dante across the restaurant, who had barely stopped staring at Kitania. I sent them a scathing glare, warning them without words that if they didn’t knock that shit off, there would be consequences.

Only when they finally dropped their focus to their plates did I turn my attention back to my Omega, my arm tightening around her waist. She was still so goddamn fragile, her body a delicate weight against my thighs. My throat tightened as I remembered how she’d crumpled on the sidewalk. Fuck, I never wanted to see her that vulnerable again.

“Let’s start with this,” I murmured, forking a small piece of meatball from my plate. “Nice and easy, Dolcezza .”

Kitania hesitated, her eyes darting between the food and my face. I could practically feel the tension thrumming through her body.

“Yes, I know you can feed yourself. Appease me, okay?” I asked, then purred when she leaned toward the fork, her lips parting. “Good girl,” I praised, low and gravelly. “Just a little at a time.”

I fed her the morsel. As she chewed, I found myself transfixed by the movement of her throat as she swallowed.

Christ . Even that simple act was fucking mesmerizing.

“Like it?” I asked, already forking another bite.

She nodded, that familiar flush painting her cheeks again. “Yes, thank you.”

I was a complete asshole, because all I could think about were what other things I could put in her mouth that she’d thank me for someday.

A few bites later, Dimitri leaned forward, his eyes filled with concern—the gentleman to my hound dog. “How’re you feeling now, Kitten?”

“Better,” Kitania whispered, her fingers unconsciously curling into my shirt. The gesture sent a wave of possessiveness through me. “I’m sorry for causing so much trouble.”

Marco scoffed, waving his hand dismissively. “You’re zero trouble, Angel.”

“It was our fault, anyway,” Tommas chimed in, his usual jovial tone tempered with genuine remorse. “We got carried away. It won’t happen again.”

Kitania shook her head. “It was me. I should’ve told you I’d been sick, or at least that I wasn’t feeling good. I’m not—” She swallowed, glancing around at each of us before lowering her gaze.

Marco, who was sitting beside me, reached over and hooked a finger under her chin, lifting her face. “Finish what you were gonna say.”

With a shaky breath, she continued. “I’m not used to having anyone looking out for me. It’s going to take me some time to… adjust.”

I had so many damn questions, and I saw the same reflected in Marco’s gaze as he stared silently at our mate. Slowly, he nodded. “This is all new for us, too. We’ll all have to learn together, it seems.”

I grunted in agreement, offering Kitania another small bite of food. As she ate, I couldn’t help but notice how right this felt—having her in my arms, caring for her needs. It was a foreign sensation, this urge to nurture and protect. But fuck if it didn’t feel like the most natural thing in the world.