A Domenico Moretti Scene in My Secret Professor Boyfriend

My Secret Professor Boyfriend - the story of Domenico's younger brother Alessandro Moretti - was supposed to be out before ARH because this story took place before it. However, since ARH will come out first, I think it's best that I also share this little scene just to give readers an idea of how Domenico Moretti was while apart from Misty. 

          Something hit his face, making his head swim as he flew across the room, his back scraping against the floor as he fell.

          “Fuck.”

          Footsteps thundered towards him. When Alessandro opened his eyes, several pairs were staring back at him in concern. He shook his head and groaned at the pain that resulted. “Fuck,” he said again.

          His twin laughed. “Dio, after winning five – ten – against one in public brawls at Lyccan Hall and now you get knocked out by our ancient lovesick brother?”

          The said ancient lovesick brother casually, subtly gave Alejandro a shove, one of full force and enough to have his twin flying to the opposite wall with a grunt.

          Even though it made his head hurt, Alessandro laughed while he let Domenico help him up.

          “I was joking,” Alejandro complained, rubbing his shoulder as he straightened.

          “Are you fine?” Concern lined Domenico’s voice. “You could have blocked that shot easily – you always do except now. Is there something bothering you?”

          Seated at one of the benches inside the fighting hall of their parents’ mansion, Alessandro caught the ice-cold Gatorade one of the Moretti guards on duty tossed to him. “I’m good.”

          “Yeah, right,” Alejandro muttered as he threw himself on the other bench and leaned against the wall. He rotated his shoulder. “That was a low blow, big bro.”

          Domenico gave him the finger.

          Alessandro laughed. Domenico Moretti was the oldest in their brood, the undisputed heir as leader of their pack, a prince of his own right as far as Lyccans were concerned. And to the world, he was no less famous, as one of its most powerful billionaires.

          Once, every Lyccan had been in awe of him, had whispered his name with reverence, but now Domenico Moretti was a shadow of his former self, a laughingstock because all the women were saying that he couldn’t get his cock up anymore – not after his human wife had left him with the faeries.

          As one of his sisters put it, it was like Blake Lively leaving Ryan Reynolds for Perez Hilton.

          It did not make sense, and it did hell to a man’s reputation.

          “Why don’t you ever answer?” The words were torn out of his throat.

          Domenico was silent.

          Alessandro exploded. “All those lies, and all those fucking jerks and cowards talking about you behind your back, not having the courage to say it to your face---you’re the strongest, the most cunning Lyccan I know. Why don’t you give them a lesson---”

          “Look at me, Alessandro.”

          It was the command of a future pack leader, and though he didn’t want to, it was in his blood – in his very nature – to heed it. Alessandro whitened in shock. Ever since Domenico had lost it after Misty left, he had never been able to look at his brother in the eye.

          Ever since he was a child, he had looked up to Domenico. Their father had always been away for business, and their mother had gone with him. Danilo – the firstborn – had gone with his parents, too, leaving Domenico – the second-born - to care for them. Even though there had only been a few years separating Domenico and his younger siblings, he had been their tower of strength, the one they ran to for advice, to play with, and one who comforted them with hugs when they had been little.

          Even when Danilo had died and Domenico and Dio had their cold war, even when Domenico had withdrawn to himself, he had still been there for Alessandro and his siblings. When Misty came to their lives, she had changed them because she had changed Domenico – had made him happy again, really happy.

          But when Misty had left, she had also broken Domenico.

          And sometimes, Alessandro had silently wished that Misty had never come to their lives.

          She had made Domenico appear so pathetically human with his weakness, his silent suffering. And all these months she was gone, Alessandro hadn’t been able to make himself meet Domenico’s eyes because he was scared that if he did – if he saw how weak Domenico had become at Misty’s disappearance, he would lose all respect for the brother he had idolized for so long.

          Even today, Alessandro would never have gone in a sparring session with Domenico if their father had not laid down the law.

          God, he had it so wrong.

          Domenico stood a few feet away from him, bare chest glistening with sweat, which looked even more buffed than the last time Alessandro had seen him. Had Domenico stuffed himself with Lyccan-friendly steroids since Misty flew to Faerie-la-la-land?

          But it wasn’t just the impressive show of testosterone that had Alessandro want to kick himself. Several times.Even though there was sadness in Domenico’s eyes, there was nothing weak about him. If something had changed, then it was that his older brother appeared stronger now. He looked wiser, more humble – but somehow, all those simply lent Domenico an aura of almost-tangible strength.

          “Well, fuck me,” Alessandro said finally, shaking his head at his stupidity – his blindness. He took off his shirt, which was literally drowning after the drilling Domenico had given him, and threw it to the ground. “No wonder you don’t mind about what those idiots say. You’re being kind to them.” He meant it. The way Domenico was now –

          He shook his head, still a little stunned at the transformation that Domenico had undergone. “You should have just knocked some sense into me.”

          “I don’t think so,” Domenico drawled. “I liked seeing you make an ass of yourself too much.”

          “Fuck you.”

          “I’m not into that kind of Brokeback bonding, but Alejandro---”

          He glanced up and saw forgiveness in older brother’s eyes, just before Domenico said quietly, “Welcome back, brother.”

          Alejandro pretended to wipe a tear from his eye.

          “Fuck you, too,” Alessandro told his twin even though he couldn’t help grinning.

          His twin smirked. “No thanks, too.”

          Alessandro had to ask, “How can they not see how much you’ve changed?” Domenico was like a god now – or the closest a future pack leader could be.

          “The eye,” his twin answered in a voice that sounded like Nosferatu reincarnated, “cannot see what it does not want to see.”

          Alessandro threw his empty Gatorade bottle at Alejandro. “Shut up.”

          “It’s true, dude,” his twin said with a fake earnest tone even as he caught the bottle and threw it back at him. “You were such a blind ass. You thought Dom was pussy-whipped---”

          “He was,” Alessandro said.

          “Well, okay, he was---”

          “Do you two want me to kick your pussy-like asses?”

          They grinned at him, all innocent.

          Domenico laughed. “That look…I remember getting that every time I had to ask who snuck off with my car, who stole the keys to the summer house in Tahoe, who---”

          “That’s all in the past,” Alessandro and Alejandro said simultaneously.

          All three of them laughed this time.

          Domenico walked towards him and pounded him on the back. “I’m sorry I worried you.”

          “You didn’t,” he said gruffly, but suddenly there was a sick feeling in his stomach, one he did his best to ignore. Kassia.Kassia.Kassia.Kassia.

          Snap.

          Alessandro blinked just as Domenico drew his fingers away. “Now, I’m getting seriously worried about you.”

Alejandro got to his feet, the customary playful expression on his face not to be seen. “What’s wrong?”

          He shook his head even though he felt sicker by the second.

          “Alessandro.”

          He scowled. “Don’t use that pack-leader tone on me.”

          Domenico just stared.

          Alessandro closed his eyes and groaned, elbows on his knees as he bent forward, kneading his forehead even though what he really wanted to do was pound his head to keep the memories at bay.

          “I think,” he said slowly, “I made a mistake.”

          “What,” Domenico asked just as slowly, “kind of mistake?”

          “I…liked a girl.”

          Alejandro whistled or at least he tried but was cut off. By the sound of Alejandro’s choking, Alessandro guesses his twin got a warning karate chop to his chest.

          “And?” Domenico prodded.

          “She was…great.” He paused. “Like Misty was great.” Fuck, fuck, fuck.

          Kassia.Kassia.Kassia.

          All he could see, hear, think about now was her.

          “Like how Misty is great,” Domenico said sharply.

          Alessandro didn’t take notice of that. He had his own shit to deal with now. “I…did something, blew my chance with her, and---”

          “And?” Alejandro demanded.

          KASSIA.

          “I didn’t come after her.” He forced himself to look at his brothers. “Is it too late?”

          Alejandro didn’t answer, simply turning towards Domenico also in askance.

          His older brother didn’t smile. But in a quiet voice that spoke loudly of just how strong his feelings were about the subject, Domenico said, “It’s never too late if you love her.”