Book 1 of Alpha Wolf: Mate Mine
Chapter 6 ~ Raising Shadows

Elena’s face lit up, forest green eyes sparkling.

Rex just made his entrance with his hands behind his head, a goofy grin and cheeky dimples.

“What’s up, sis?” He came over to Elena, smacking his lips on the cheek and leaving a considerable amount of saliva behind.

On purpose, of course.

“Eww, I already did my facial, you slob!” Elena protested, hastily using her sleeve to wipe her cheek clean.

Revenge came next.

“Oh, can’t believe you spilled tomato sauce on your shirt! Looks like I’ll have to get you a bib for next Christmas!” Elena said, pointing an accusing finger at Rex’s chest. As her best friend gazed down she swiftly dragged her finger up to his chin, giving it a playful tap that sent his head jerking back, eliciting an exaggerated yelp of pain.

A second later, he had her in an iron grip.

Marco rolled his eyes. “Surrounded by pups. Where do I replace the adults around here?”

“Hey there, Your Grace!” Rex rubbed his chin, inching closer. “Where’s your Crucifix today?” Crucifix as per Crucifero, Marco’s freshly new mate.

Elena winced, her head still trapped under Rex’s armpit as she trushed to get free.

“Shh! Don’t ask that!” She warned, but it was too late.

The Prince Marco was unleashed. “Glad you ask! Well, that mad mate will be my death, I tell you! Do you know what he did yesterday? Mmh?! He dared to-…” And so Marco started to repeat the same tale again…more details added too.

Meanwhile, Elena managed to wriggle free from Rex’s not-so-comfortable embrace, delivering a punch before scurrying away.“Need meet dad! He just mind-linked me!” She lied with ease and a grin aimed at Rex.

“Need to meet dad! He just mind-linked me!” She lied with ease, an evil grin directed at Rex.

“Nooo El! Get back here!” Rex called after her, agony in his grey eyes.

“Rex! Hello? I’m talking to you!” Marco barked at him.

With a dramatic sigh, Rex crossed his arms and sulked, glaring at the door as Elena’s giggles filtered through Marco’s non-stop chatter.

And Marco was unstoppable.

Fiuuu! She was safe!

***

“Princess,” her father greeted her with a forced smile as she entered the familiar office.

She had decided to pay him a surprise visit anyway.

His desk was buried under piles of documents, books were strewn across the small tea table and couch, and a few pages were haphazardly pinned to a notice board.

“What are you working on, Alphdad?” Elena used her favorite nickname. She came close, leaning in to give him a peck on the cheek. She always felt safe and comfortable in his presence, his scent bringing back memories of childhood and Sunday lunches.

“Just dealing with more drama from that loony mutt,” Alpha Giacomo grunted, rubbing his tired eyes.

Elena tilted her head. “Alpha Ciro?”

“Ciro. He’s hardly worthy of the title anymore,” he replied with a scowl. “He’s demanding the return of the pups that fled his pack, showing no concern for their well-being or their mothers.”

Elena pursed her lips. “We won’t let that happen, will we?”

“Full Moon and Crystal Wolf have joined forces. We’ll be ready for any attack. It’s hard to believe we were once friends...”

“What about Black Devil, dad?” Elena interjected.

Alpha Giacomo glanced at his daughter, her curiosity a warning sign. “What about them?”

“I mean, with Marco now mated to their Beta, shouldn’t we try to reconcile with them? Maybe negotiate neutrality or even form an alliance? Strength in numbers...” Elena suggested, believing her proposal made perfect sense and could bolster their defenses against potential threats.

“And Ciro is a ticking bomb, a threat to every pack. I’m sure this Black Devil leader could carve out some time from being the Alpha Nightmare – you know, and leave pups to sleep sweet dreams for a few nights – and agree to hash out some sort of negotiation with us.”

Her father’s hands clenched tightly over his thighs, the veins bulging. “Elena.”

Uh-oh.

“It might work with any other pack that’s typically been a rival to us. But not with Black Devil. Never with Black Devil,” he said between gritted teeth, carefully choosing his words and containing his temper.

In that moment, her dad seemed a creature from the fairy world with the moonlight kissing his skin like he was her favourite among all.

“Even if I turned a blind eye to our history, they are still the mateless pack, and where there are no mates, there is no control over their beasts and structure. Years go by with werewolves remaining mateless, only halves-”

“But Marco found his mate-”

“-with some exceptions, certainly, but still.” He then stood up and headed to the window, where the treetops swayed and danced in the strong wind. The moonlight caressed his skin as if he were its favorite among all.

“But dad, they allowed us to attend the high school near their pack,” Elena countered, hands gripping the head of his chair.

“True, but probably to clean up the fact that they haven’t done much about the Ciro´s situation and all the migration.” Her father turned to look at her, his large shoulders stiffening. To Elena, he seemed aged. She loathed it.

“But if-”

“They just aren’t the pack you want to associate with, Elena. End of story,” her dad interrupted, his tone final.

She almost stomped her foot down, but she suppressed it, knowing her father’s mind was made up. But he was wrong...she could sense that.

“Now go, princess, I need to review these...contracts by tonight,” he gestured the door, moving back to his desk, his gaze to the stack of papers.

The weight of the world, or more like the pack, seemed to press down on his shoulders. Elena longed for normalcy, for his shoulders to return straight and rested.

“Movie night later? Mom wants to use the popcorn machine,” she proposed from the door, one hand grasping the opposite forearm.

His yellow eyes lifted. “Of course, princess,” he said, this time with a much softer tone.

“Later, Alpha” Elena said, mustering a smile as she turned to leave, leaving her father to grapple with his duties and the burdens of leadership.

The burdens of an Alpha.

Alpha Giacomo POV

When my daughter left the room without smelling anything suspicious, I finally released a deep breath of relief. It was never simple to hide out the smell of death, especially from an alpha wolf.

‘You have to tell her,’ my wolf, Rutio, finally spoke, breaking his silence after the entire conversation I had with Elena.

‘She will be a leader one day, you must-’

’I know, Rutio. Just not tonight.′ I replied, sinking back into my chair and scanning the room as if unseen eyes were watching me.

‘Let her be young and happy just a bit longer. The storm is coming.’

As I opened the drawer, the scent of decay invaded the office once more. Alone with my wolf, I stared at the contents of the box delivered to me this morning.

A pair of eyes and a severed head with the mouth still gaping...

For a help that never came.