Mate

Arabella's POV

The first time I heard Alpha Luciano Romano's name, I was eight. 

Back then I still had hopes and expectations of my father to eventually warm up to me. I padded lightly into my father's study in my night dress after escaping the watchful eyes of my nannies hoping to surprise him. 

It was empty.

I played around a bit and came across a really interesting necklace. As I lifted it from atop the drawer, I heard the sound of voices approaching the room. 

Spooked, I dropped the necklace and it fell on under the drawer. I looked about hastily for a hiding spot and barely tucked myself into the alcove bordering the armoury as the door swung open.

"How many did we lose?" It was Father's voice.

"The entire troop sir."

 I couldn't identify this voice but it sounded like me whenever I was trying to explain how I hadn't eaten the chocolate cake but somehow still had chocolate smeared all over my face. 

There was a crashing sound and a restrained grunt.

"The drugs?" 

" They took everything."

"Call up the Romero cartel. Tell the humans we'll deliver tomorrow."

"Alpha…" The voice sounded hesitant.

"What is it?"

"The Lupo-Mortale has been delivered to them already."

I heard the slam of flesh against concrete then the sound of someone choking.

"You mean to tell me that," Father's voice sounded so cold and harsh that I shrank back in the alclove in fear. 

"A fifteen year old pup killed my men, stole my drugs and sold them to my clients and pocketed the proceeds. What exactly was my head of security doing when my men were being attacked?"

"Alpha… Alpha… they were too many." 

Father gave a cruel bitter laugh.

"You think I do not hear the whispers, the rumours. That Alpha Luciano Romano is like a demon of insane strength for one so young. You probably handed over the drugs to him in surrender hoping he would not kill you." Father spat out the word Alpha with so much derision.

"Alpha, I would never. Alpha, please have mercy." The wolf choked out.

"Those drugs were worth millions of dollars. Far more than your pathetic life is worth." There was a snap and I heard the thump of a body on a ground. 

I had to see. I had to know what just happened. So I looked out of the alclove to see a man on lying on the ground, his neck twisted at an impossible angle. I covered my mouth with my hands holding back a gasp. 

Father had killed… he had killed him. 

"Should have killed the brat when I had the chance myself. I'll remedy my mistake. Luciano Romano, your head is mine."

I never went to the study uninvited again.

Father was unable to keep his promise to himself. With every year that went by, Alpha Luciano Romano only grew more vicious, powerful and uncontrollable.  He took and took and took.

An ambush here, a robbery there, stealing our clients, buying out our suppliers, slowly bleeding us dry. We dealt in drugs, alcohol, guns, ammunition, anything illegal and difficult to smuggle was our territory. 

Our business supported our pack and made us one of the strongest packs and mafia organisations however with Alpha Luciano undercutting most of our business and slowly but steadily pushing us out of the market, we lost traction and the other packs pounced.

You see the werewolf society is a structured one. 

The strong rule, the weak follow.

Without this rule, chaos would ensue. Alpha Luciano Romano did not have to attack us on a battlefield, he just had to show the werewolf community that we were vulnerable with his numerous sabotages.

They did the attacking for him. To take our land and our business because we were now perceived as weak.

That was the reason I was getting married after all. So that my fiance's pack and mine would join resources and level the Lupo-Mortale Pack, absorbing their lands into ours and taking over their business so that our superiority would be unchallengable and undeniable. 

So that wolves would not continue to die senseless deaths in interpack skirmishes. 

Now I sat on the ground. My dark hair a tangled mess of curls, my gown torn and hiked up, bruised and battered, my pride trampled on as I looked up at the man who'd caused so much suffering. 

Alpha Luciano Romano.

My mate.

Goddess, this couldn't be possible. My mate could not possibly be such a monstrous person who wanted to annihilate my pack. Who had so much blood on his hands that the servants whispered behind closed doors that he was the coldest, deadliest Alpha to ever exist.

He looked at me like I was the lowest vermin. Whatever look had flashed in his eyes before was so far gone that I probably imagined it.

I could hear my wolf baying, urging me to go to him, to touch him, to mark him so that everyone would know he was ours. Only the wolfbane in my system kept me sane.

 My wolf thought he was our mate and that was that. I, on the other hand, knew he was a ruthless Alpha who wouldn't hesitate to kill me if I looked at him the wrong way much less touch him. So I refrained from doing what my wolf wanted.

She raged and whined but I ignored her watching him. Was he really my mate or had that man given me too much wolfsbane? Alpha Luciano didn't even react to me. Surely his wolf was also pushing him to make contact with me. How could he just stand there so emotionless?

Cross walked briskly to meet Alpha Luciano. He bowed to him.

"Have you killed the escorts?" Alpha Luciano's voice was cold and unfeeling devoid of any and all emotions. 

"Yes, Alpha." Cross replied.

"Has Vitalio been alerted?"

"No, Alpha. We subdued them quickly, so there is no way they could have reached out to their Alpha."

"Good. Set the cars on fire. I have a dinner with Uncle Tomasso to catch." 

"Alpha…" Cross seemed to hesitate.

"Shall we also throw her into the burning cars?" Cross nodded in my direction.

Throw me where? I shrank back in fear as Alpha Luciano looked at me obviously considering if it would be a hassle to kill me now or later. 

"As satisfying as that may be. I still need her for something."

"Yes, Alpha." Cross turned to leave but Alpha Luciano raised a hand stopping him.

"Cross."

"Yes, Alpha."

"The men who touched her… kill them." 

"Alpha?" Cross looked shocked. I couldn't blame him. I was too.

"Their orders were to subdue and kill. Nothing else. We loot and raid but we do not take advantage of women or kill children. I will not condone such indiscipline and irreverence."

"Yes, Alpha." The man who had held me down took off and Cross hollered for men to catch him while he dragged the passed out Mattia away. 

Then we were alone. My mate and I.