The night air was soft and heavy, brushing gently against the silk curtains of their bedroom. Elena lay curled in Lorenzo's arms, her head resting on his bare chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. The whole mansion seemed to be asleep, except for the faint hum of guards stationed outside. It felt peaceful — too peaceful.
Lorenzo brushed his fingers through her hair, smiling as she playfully placed his hand on her growing belly. "She kicked again," she whispered, eyes gleaming with happiness.
"She?" he teased. "You're already choosing sides?"
"I just know it, Lorenzo. It's a girl. I can feel it."
He laughed softly, a rare sound that melted through the darkness. "If she's anything like you, I'm doomed."
Elena smiled, but there was a flicker of worry in her eyes. "Promise me something," she said quietly. "No matter what happens… promise me you'll never go back to your old ways. No more war. No more blood."
His hand froze for a moment. "Elena—"
"Promise me," she insisted, her tone trembling.
He exhaled and kissed her forehead. "I promise. For you, and for her."
The moment hung between them, full of warmth and trust — until the first sound shattered the night.
A faint click.
Then another.
A whisper of boots against marble floors.
Lorenzo's body tensed instantly. His instincts roared to life like a beast awakened. He slipped out of bed, motioning for her to stay quiet. Elena's heartbeat quickened as she clutched the blanket, watching him move toward the door with silent precision.
Another sound — a door creaking open down the hall.
Lorenzo opened a drawer and pulled out a gun, his eyes hard and cold once more. The gentle man she knew seconds ago was gone. Now stood the ruthless Alpha the world feared — only this time, his fury was driven by love, not hate.
"Elena," he whispered, "lock the door. Don't move until I come back."
"Lorenzo—"
"Do it for our child."
Tears stung her eyes, but she nodded, her trembling hands turning the lock as he slipped into the shadows.
The hallway was dark. Too dark. He moved silently, the sound of his heartbeat loud in his ears. Two guards were already down — unconscious, not dead. Whoever was here didn't come to fight fair.
Then he saw it — a shadow slipping toward the east wing, where Elena slept.
Not a chance.
Lorenzo charged, his gun raised. The intruder turned, firing once — the bullet missed by inches. Lorenzo tackled him to the ground, their bodies crashing into a glass table. The sound shattered through the silence like thunder.
Elena screamed from the room.
"Lorenzo!"
He didn't answer, just fought harder, slamming the man's arm until the weapon fell. In seconds, he had the intruder pinned.
"Who sent you?" he snarled.
The man laughed weakly, blood on his lips. "She… she's worth more than you know. Everyone wants her gone, Lorenzo. The girl, the child—"
Lorenzo's blood ran cold. "You'll regret that."
The man tried to reach for his pocket, but Lorenzo was faster — he knocked him out with one punch. Another guard rushed in, breathless.
"Sir, two more outside! They're trying to escape through the west gate!"
"Catch them alive," Lorenzo ordered sharply. "I want answers, not corpses."
That command alone stunned the men — Lorenzo never spared lives before. But this wasn't about revenge anymore. It was about protecting what he loved.
When he finally returned to the bedroom, Elena was crying in fear. The moment she saw him, she ran into his arms, trembling so hard he could feel her heart racing against his chest.
"I thought I lost you," she sobbed, clinging to him. "I heard the shots, I thought—"
He cupped her face, forcing her to look at him. "You'll never lose me, Elena. Not now, not ever."
"But what if—"
"No." He shook his head firmly. "No one touches you. Not while I'm breathing."
She cried harder, burying her face in his neck. He held her close, his arms wrapping around her protectively as if his strength alone could keep her safe from the world.
"I should've listened," she whispered. "I made you promise no bloodshed, but I didn't know danger would follow us here."
He pressed a kiss to her hair. "You don't have to be sorry for wanting peace. You've already changed me more than you'll ever understand."
She looked up at him with watery eyes. "You could've killed him, but you didn't…"
Lorenzo smiled faintly. "You asked me to be better. So I was."
Her tears fell again — this time not from fear, but from love. She kissed him with everything inside her, her lips trembling against his, tasting his warmth and the unspoken vow between them.
He deepened the kiss slowly, resting his forehead against hers afterward. "As long as I have you, nothing else matters. You and our baby — you're my world now."
Elena smiled through her tears. "Then promise me one more thing."
"Anything, my love."
"Don't ever leave my side again. Not even for a second."
Lorenzo kissed her hand and pulled her gently back to bed. "Then you'll never get rid of me," he whispered, lying beside her, wrapping her safely in his arms.
As dawn began to rise outside, the first light touched their faces. Lorenzo didn't close his eyes the whole night — his hand never left her belly, silently vowing that nothing, and no one, would ever take them from him again.