Book 1 of Alpha Wolf: Mate Mine
Chapter 27 ~ The Underworld

PS: Plenty of Mirko POV below ;)

Mirko POV

I had not thought about that infamous day in a long time… The day when I met Crucifero, when I saved his life, there in the middle of the Alakasian Mountains…. That wicked place forgotten by the goddess. It had always managed to evoke all kind of emotions within me regardless.

My so-called father had sent me there when I was barely an 8-year-old boy, even before I shifted into my wolf. When normal children played with toys and their main problems were to avoid bathing and eating vegetables, I, on the other hand, was forced to spend two entire years of my life over there… where my every day was a constant struggle to survive, replace edible food or simply a warm refuge to spend the night… until Craken was born. From that moment everything changed.

The Alakasian mountains, that atrocious place that I called hell, then had become home.

That place where I was abandoned, all alone and scared... then it had gifted me with Craken and Crucifero.

That place where I arrived as a prey and left as a predator…

That place where I arrived as a kid… and left as an Alpha.

Yes.

I ended up becoming the Alpha of a pack over there…a pack that was still somewhere in the middle of those mountains, waiting for my return.

With a sigh and a faraway look, I let the memories come back to life.

I knew that the time where I had to go back to the Alakasian was near.

I used to go back every year, usually for a whole month, sometimes two, to take care of my Alakasian pack. And I usually liked to go back, however this time I found myself sceptical, doubtful, because I had found my mate and I really didn’t want to leave her for so long. I just couldn’t.

Someday she would make the perfect Luna. So brave and fierce when the case needed it, but at the same time with a pure heart.

And since mates should complement each other… what better mate than someone with a heart as black as mine?

Oh, if my father could have seen her…

“Alpha?” My guards called, bringing me back to reality.

“That’s all. From here on I will go alone.” I declared in a serious voice, waving at them to go back. Their sigh of relief didn’t go unnoticed, but I understood.

Although they were two of the toughest guards I had ever had, nobody enjoyed going ‘down’.

Beyond this floor laid the pathway towards the Underworld. If you thought Black Devil’s dungeons were the worst place on earth, you were wrong…because you had never been to the Underworld.

Built by the first Alpha of Black Devil, 200 years ago, during the medieval times, it was used to hold the most dangerous wolves of all the time such as feral alphas or mad werewolves. Other times, it served to make unwanted people disappear: an unfortunate witness, a son born from a secret lover, the pregnant lover herself, or even mates.

In the past, having a mate was seen as a tremendous weakness, especially for an Alpha or a Beta. And certainly, it was no secret that several mates had been locked down here.

Forgotten and abandoned.

While their other halves, the same ones that had ordered to make them disappear, became crazier every day, due to the loss of their mates. Those fools dug their own grave without even knowing it.

After several turns, I overcame the door engraved with the words “Enter at your own risk”, nodding at two beasts placed in front that were guarding the entrance.

All the guards who worked down there were more wolves than humans. Normally they were members of my pack who had lost a beloved, or who had a dark past and had decided to be part of the Underworld, making sure that what was enclosed down there, remained there.

Ignoring the screams, malicious laughter, cries and curses, I marched towards a specific cell.

I halted when I came across a heavy set of steel bars, in front of which stood 2 wolves. These were werewolves who lost their human side completely, and their beasts had taken control. And they only followed Craken’s orders, recognizing him as the absolute Alpha among all werewolves.

Even though I was in my human form, Craken was on the surface. My eyes sparkled with dark blue undertones, radiating the Alpha power.

They bowed instantly and I snarled in response.

After greeted me, they proceeded to open the cell for me, without following as I entered.

Dirty and emancipated, Ciro, Lord Skull’s Ex Alpha, barely looked like the man he used to be, sitting on the corner and compulsively chewing a finger while whispering to himself.

My guards had informed me that he had nightmares every damned night. Probably the ghosts of his innocent victims had come to haunt him.

When the man finally noticed his visitor, certain raw emotions crossed his dark facial features: surprise, fear and then pure fury. But he had managed to quickly hide them, showing off his usual poker face.

“Oh, hello there, Black Alpha!” Ciro grinned in a mocking way, his voice hoarse and scratchy.

“I was wondering when Your Highness would pay me a visit!” His irritating voice made my lips curl down.

“I thought that last time I have visited you was enough, since you were screaming like a bitch.” I grinned, showing my elongated fangs as my ears and hairs grew under the eyes of a paled Lord Skull’s ex Alpha.

Lord Skull’s Ex Alpha POV

Even a tough Alpha like myself couldn’t avoid lowering his head in submission under the mighty of Mirko with his damn huge wolf. He had not earned his reputation by collecting wildflowers and distributing candies.

His power radiated from him in a tsunami, hitting everything that was on his way. Me included.

In my long years of life, I had never witnessed someone who could partially shifted into their wolf, and not so quickly. Alpha Mirko was appalling, his reputation deserved.

Everyone should stay as far away from this beast as possible.

After recovering from the shock that I experienced every time I came face to face with Black Alpha, I sat cross-legged, resting my elbows on my knees.

A wicked smile crept into my face.

If Black Alpha wanted to play, then let’s play.

After all, I had nothing to lose…..

….Oh, if I had known how wrong I was!

Mirko POV

“So, have you come here to entertain me again? Oh, and where’s that Beta of yours? I’d like a blow job from him!”

I scoffed at the confidence of this man despite the torture, depravation and isolation.

“You are a funny old man, Ciro.” I stated, enjoying his scrunched nose and gritted teeth. Guess he doesn’t like being call old!

“It’s Alpha Ciro! You, disrespectful kid!” He roared as he jumped forward. The sound of the chains filled the small, dirty room.

Smirking, I stared at his struggle to try and hurt me but to no avail, he remained chained. With a last push his middle claw managed to nick my cheek.

Obviously, I let him.

As a trail of blood ran down my chin, I grinned cruelly, brushing my finger over my cheek and capturing some drops.

To his dismay, the cut was already healing.

“You think you know me so well, but you are mistaken, old man.” I remarked, studying the blood on my finger as if it was the most mesmerising thing.

“But you have no idea who I really am.” Holding my hands behind my back, I paced around the small space as I spoke. “Or what I am. Because if you did know.” I stopped to look at him, like a hawk who understood where the squirrel hid its nest.

“You would know how much I like to hunt. How much I thrive on the chase as I taste the final kill.”

I shot him a deranged smile, receiving a gulp in return.

“I’m Black Alpha after all. I eat my enemies for breakfast and throw the rest to my pack.”

There wasn’t any hint of humour or joking, only neutral seriousness that had scared the hell out of Alpha Ciro.

“Oh, and about my Beta.” I continued with an evil smirk.

“I’ll pass your message. I’m sure he’d like to pay you another visit.” A dark chuckle escaped my lips realising how much his eyes had widened in fear and heartbeat accelerated.

Last time Mirko and Crucifero had dropped by, the first thing my Beta had done was cut Ciro’s right hand…undoubtedly a symbolic gesture.

And I had to persuade Crucifero several times, suggesting that Marco wouldn’t enjoy seeing the chopped hand itself.

“You are going to tell me, in this exact moment, where the rogues’ hideout is located.”

Ciro pursed his lips and spitted on the floor next to me.

I had to admit, this Alpha had courage…or maybe he was simply crazier than what I thought.

Shaking my head, like a parent would do to his misbehaving kid, I approached him slowly, ignoring his threats and growls.

Soon his screams started to fill the room as I began to break each finger from his remaining hand.

The loud cries didn’t affect the guards waiting outside, used to that type of event.

“Ok!!! Stop” He pleaded before I could break his fourth finger.

“I-I will tell you, you scary boy, just- just go over there!” He stammered with a whimper.

Chuckling, I nodded and leaned on the door, crossing my arms over my chest.

Waiting.

Staring at my prey.

“I used to control some of the rogues’ groups. But we only used each other to gain more territories, they are too disorganized and uncontrollable to make a real alliance” He explained, his eyes wandering around the dark room.

“From the moment they had finished their duties, I would have killed them all. Those beasts, stench of the world. They don’t deserve to live.”

His words didn’t surprise me: stabbing in the back had always been his style.

“Some of them hide behind the Reno river. There are several caves there, all interconnected underground.”

Shaking my head, I sighed at him.

“You are disappointing me, Ciro. We have already killed them all.” I started to walk towards him, rubbing my palms together.

“What?!” He exclaimed, trembling like a leaf. “I told you all I know about the rogues! It’s not my fault that you have found them” He blurted out, fear coming out of all his pores.

“Ok, ok. Relax.” I chuckled, smelling pee.

What kind of an Alpha pee on himself!?

“And now tell me, why did you attack the school?” I inquired, ignoring the blood dripping from my hands. Because it was not mine.

“I want the truth. I would know if you were to lie.” I added glaring at his calculating expression, as if he were elaborating an excuse.

“Was that a cover to make us believe something else?” I cooed as I proceeded to break another finger.

“Perhaps to allow your rogues to scatter around our territories and wait for the right moment to attack all the packs?”

Another broken finger.

“So then you could be the Alpha of all of us?”

Before I could start breaking larger parts of his body, he motioned me to stop.

“I already told you!!” He yelled, scrambling to the furthest corner of the room and hugging his knees.

“I wanted to capture Elena, that Full Moon bitch. And the other gay prick, the son of the Beta.”

Naïve Ciro, ex Alpha of Lord Skull, didn’t know yet that he was about to unleash the wrath of the beast...