"Is she gonna be okay?"

I asked for the tenth time in the last 30 minutes. My heart kept clenching in pain every time Lara would wince. The doctor was tirelessly working to provide a substance that would speed up the healing.

"She'll be alright, your majesty." I nodded at the 6'5 Italian man.

I wrapped my arms tighter around myself. When they found out she was a vampire, they were hesitant to help. One look from me made their hesitation disappear. We were currently at a doctor who specialized in healing supernaturals, although he's never worked on a vampire before.

The leader's name was Nicolo and the other two were Mateo and Gianni. They were guarding the border when they caught an unfamiliar wolf scent. They rushed me, thinking I was a rogue. The trio were pleasantly surprised to have tackled their future Queen. I dismissed it as them doing their jobs, but they still felt terrible. I negotiated that I would forgive them if they could take me to someone who could heal Lara.

"Okay, I think she should be fine." The doctor's Italian accent was heavy.

"Thank you." I bowed.

"It's my pleasure, your majesty." He bowed to me and then left.

"Why were you in the woods?"

"Mateo!" Nicolo and Gianni reprimanded him. "Do not speak so cavalierly to the Queen."

"No, it's alright. You guys deserve to know, especially since you helped me." I took note of Lara's exhausted state. "I had been taken by the king." Their eyes widened. "And she helped in my escape." I pointed at my mate.

"I see. Well, this is a great day! If you would have us... we'd like to escort you to your kingdom." Nicolo bowed, followed by Gianni and Mateo.

"I'd like that very much." They stood with smiles. "Oh, where is this kingdom?"

"Amalfi, the southern part of Italy. It's a bit of a journey since we're in the northern part. Do you think she'll be able to hold onto one of us." He looked at Lara's form. "It'd make the journey faster. We can take a train as an alternative, though." I nodded at the train option, prompting Nicolo to look at different train departure times.

X

It took nearly 10 hours to reach Amalfi. My annoyance was overshadowed by the beauty of the Amalfi coast. I've seen the picturesque view in movies, but nothing compared to its natural beauty.

Lara was a little more healed,so she could walk without assistance. Nicolo and crew guided us through the crowded streets. I wish I was here on vacation and could do some exploring because this place was amazing!

We flagged down a taxi since Lara wasn't physically able to do that climb. She said she was fine after Mateo found her some animal blood to drink. Her wounds were fully closed, with a faint scar that would soon fully heal. I still didn't want to push her body, so we opted for the car ride.

The taxi stopped outside a large villa perched on the side of the mountain. Nicolo touched the button on the call box. It took a few moments for a static voice to sound.

"Chi è la?"

"Mi chiamo nicolo e sono qui con Mateo e Gianni." (

"Non sappiamo chi sei. Va via."

"Posso assicurarti che vuoi incontrarci. Abbiamo qualcuno di grande importanza

There was some debating heard over the system. It finally settled with the gate opening. Before we could step inside, five men in suits were waiting for us. Four of them surrounded us, leaving the last one to guide us towards the villa. This felt like something out of a mafia movie.

"They are a part of the mafia." Lara chuckled as she whispered that.

"What?!" I let out an outburst and stopped, confusing everyone. "You're lying."

"Nope." She said and popped the p. "We shouldn't keep the royals waiting." She said with a smirk.

I rolled my eyes and continued walking. The man in front led us to a study room. There was a single man sitting at the desk while two other men sat in chairs. This really is like something out of The Godfather.

My eyes focused on the man in front of me. He had dark brown hair with brown eyes. His full eyebrows complimented his angular features. His face was sculpted that I'm pretty sure you'd cut yourself if you ran a finger along his jawline. The man looked like he was in his late 20s. He was wearing a well tailored suit since I could see the outline of his muscle every time he subtly flexed. My eyes locked with his and I felt a familiar feeling settle over me.

"Dante." I whispered.