Inside the closet, Anita sat with Nero on the floor, the growls from below still heard.
Her arm was around his small frame, feeling his steady breathing as he leaned against her side.
"Who is down there, Nero?" She whispered.
Nero slowly lifted his eyes, the most sincere eyes Anita had seen all her life.
"Bad Alpha, mama Ani," he replied, nodding in conviction.
Anita gazed at Nero's face, a soft smile forming on her lips, "You're protecting me so fiercely... why?" She asked, touching Nero's cheek.
Nero smiled, cuddling closer to her, "Because I love you, mama," he said so softly that Anita's heart broke and healed instantly for the innocence and purity in his voice.
"Oh, Nero," she hugged him, carrying him up to her lap to wrap her arms around him.
In that moment, she really wished she were his mother, that way, she'd never have to leave such a beautiful soul behind for Gotti to soil.
