Lacrimosa

Chapter 1

“Welcome home, dearie.”

After several months away in Europe, Annabelle McCade was more than relieved to finally come home to her condo. Due to her musical skill and reputation, she was a desired concert pianist who played for thousands across the world. It was common for her to be constantly travelling but Anna felt most comfortable and at peace at home. Thankfully, she had the next six months to herself, but she was fully aware that it would only be a matter of time before she was forced to pay her aunt and uncle a visit. Anna knew that she should expect a call sometime this week but for now, there was nothing stopping her from having some much-needed time at home.

“Thank you, Mrs. Wells,” Anna replied to her elderly housekeeper as she felt the familiar arms wrap around her.

Despite the fact that Anna was technically her employer, Sophie Wells was more of a doting grandmother. They had met many years ago when Sophie Wells ran a café with her late husband, Victor, that Anna frequented after her time at the music studio. They had no children and treated every customer like family, but they absolutely adored little Anna McCade. They always brought her fresh blueberry muffins and a treat for Wolfie whenever she came for a visit. Unfortunately, after the death of Mr. Wells, the building landlord closed down the café and evicted Sophie from her upstairs apartment. Luckily, it was at that time that Anna received a generous paycheck for playing in New York and she had decided to move out of her aunt and uncle’s home. Upon hearing what had happened to Mrs. Wells, Anna immediately opened her home to the elderly woman and asked for no rent. Of course, Sophie only accepted as long as she could fulfill the housekeeping duties that Anna was unable to do.

“Have they been feeding you or do all Europeans believe in tiny meals,” Mrs. Wells asked as she led Anna to the kitchen, “I swear, you have lost some weight! Your clothes are much too baggy!”

“I’m just a fussy eater. You know that” Anna chuckled as she felt the stool by the island counter, “But if you’re going to be making blueberry muffins, I’ll take a dozen.”

Hearing Mrs. Wells mumble about how she looked like she lost ten pounds, Anna couldn’t help but smile. It was good to be back home, and she was looking forward to being able to take a bath in her large bathtub later that night. Wolfie seemed pleased as well since she heard him chewing away on one of his many antlers. Judging from the sound, Anna figured he was on one of his beds in the living room. That was one of his favorite spots since Mrs. Wells mentioned that if he wasn’t with her, Wolfie was on his bed, lounging in the sun.

She was about to move over to the living room when she inhaled the faint sweet smell. Undoubtedly, they came from amaryllis lilies, Anna’s absolute favorite flower. Only two people knew that and one of them was busy in the kitchen, still complaining about small meal portions. A smile crept onto Anna’s face as she followed the scent to her room. She stopped before her vanity and reached out to touch the delicate petals. They still felt fresh, meaning they must have been delivered a short time ago. Her fingers found a thick card and she traced the indentation from the writing on it, knowing exactly who they came from.

‘Welcome home, Bells

-M.M.’

“Markus had those sent over just yesterday,” Mrs. Wells’ voice came from the bedroom door, “He personally brought them over himself.”

Since that day almost six years ago, Markus and Anna had become close friends and he was the only one she allowed to call her “Bells.” He lived a few hours away from Denver, but he made it a point to call her few times a week and visited her once a month, except when she was touring. Then the two would exchange emails on a daily basis. Markus was her closest friend and even though Anna didn’t want to admit it, she felt her heart flutter each time she got a chance to contact him. There was just something that was calming about him. She felt safe with him and trusted him knowing full well that he would protect her no matter what. Markus never treated her like some sort of high value item, like most others did, yet he never treated her like a child. Despite their six-year age difference, Markus saw Anna as an equal and treated her as such.

It was just before Anna left for Europe that they last had spent time together and she knew it would only be a matter of time before Markus showed up at her door. She had gone on tour before, and he always had a habit of showing up within the next twelve hours after she arrived home. Though, when she was home for however long, he’d never say when he would be visiting next. Markus liked to surprise her whenever he got the chance.

“That doofus,” Anna smiled, placing the card down on her dresser before heading back to the kitchen, “Did he say when he would be stopping by again?”

“Nope,” she could hear the whimsical notes to Mrs. Wells’ voice, “You know how that boy is.”

Mrs. Wells was also fond of Markus. It was clear as day that he treated Anna very well and was very protective of her. Growing up, she noticed that Anna never had any friends. The only one she had was Wolfie and spent all her time practicing. She was brought to the studio by her family driver in the morning and then was picked up just before sundown each day. Then Markus came around and it all changed. Mrs. Wells saw that little girl smiled more and was just overall happier with him.

A loud knocking sound followed by Wolfie’s deep barking soon filled the room. It wasn’t an aggressive bark which led Anna to realize that the very person she was thinking about was now at her door. Markus had an uncanny ability to just show up whenever she was thinking about him. Instead of getting up and heading towards the direction of the door, Anna sat down as she listened to the lock turn. Despite having a key, Markus always knocked to let her know he was there.

Wolfie immediately trotted over to the door and judging from the little taps of his nails, Anna could tell he was doing his happy dance. It was only reserved for people he liked: Anna, Mrs. Wells, and Markus. The door opened and soon a deep chuckle came. Instantly, she felt her heart flutter at the sound of his warm voice.

“There’s my favorite boy,” Markus laughed as she heard him do a little play wrestle with her dog, “Where’s your momma?”

“Hi, Markus,” Anna called, placing her elbows on the counter, “Mrs. Wells is making muffins.”

Counting his steps, she knew how many seconds it would be before he was right behind her. Forcing herself to keep from sighing aloud, Anna felt herself relax as Markus wrapped his strong arms around her, placing his head on top of her own. Regardless of the fact that she had never seen what he looked like, she could easily tell that Markus was pure muscle and strength. He radiated absolute power and authority and she knew that no one would ever dare mess with him. Yet, with her, Markus was pretty much a big teddy bear. Mrs. Wells would often joke that he would do anything for her but would slaughter anyone who looked at him the wrong way.

“You look like you lost weight,” Markus muttered as she felt him bury his nose in her hair and inhaled deeply.

“Thank you!” Mrs. Wells jokingly yelled as she closed the oven door. “She’s almost skin and bones!”

“I’m just picky,” Anna snarked.

“More like a child.”

Markus laughed as Anna gave him a light slap on his arm. They both know that wouldn’t do anything to him, but it indicated that she was slightly annoyed with him. Though, her displeasure never lasted long, especially when it came to him. Markus was just the one person that she couldn’t be mad at. Frustrated, sure, but Anna could never seem to stay mad at him. Of course, he always used that to his advantage and loved pressing her buttons.

“Jerk.”

“Yeah, but I’m your favorite!”

Markus Madigan felt incredibly calm as he walked with Anna down the street. He spent most of the day helping her unpack her luggage before the two decide to talk a walk around the city. Looking over towards the mountains, he saw the sun was setting and that dreadful feeling started gnawing at his gut. It would soon be time for him head back to his pack and resume his duties as Alpha.

Throughout the years, he had risen to be a greater Alpha than his father. He was dedicated to the survival of his pack and every single person under his rule admired him for it. Every single pack knew the name of the Night Hunters, and none would dare challenge their authority. Those who were stupid and foolish enough to do saw were quickly met with a quick death, usually dealt by Markus Madigan himself. Even the Wolf King was impressed by the strength of the Night Hunters and often called on their members to help train others.

Though, there were concerns with the fact that Markus had yet to find a mate. At twenty-four, he was still mate-less. There were many female wolves that often vied for his attention but none every captured it. There were a handful of trustworthy wolves that knew about his monthly visits to Denver, and they wondered if Anna could very well be the one, including Markus himself, but she was still only seventeen. He wondered how his pack would feel if it turned out Anna was truly his. Would they accept a Luna who wasn’t even wolf? What if they had children? Would they be wolf or human or a strange combination of the two? Countless questions ran through his mind but there was one that was the most important: how would she feel knowing he was not human? What would she do if she found out that he was actually a werewolf and an Alpha at that? Markus knew that if she turned away from him, he and Fell would go insane. Six years of friendship and he still hadn’t come up with a way to reveal his darkest secret to her.

Instead of dwelling on the constant what-ifs, Markus let his thoughts drown out as he focused on the woman beside him. As expected, Wolfie accompanied them but in all reality, he knew that she was quite capable of finding her way back home. Even without the ability to see, Anna was extremely comfortable in Denver and knew every inch of the city. Her other senses made up for her lack of sight and she could tell where she was. Markus was used to this and often followed her wherever she went, only stepping in when needed.

“When do you have to go back?”

“How do you know its close to that time?” Markus asked as the two of the stopped and waited for the crosswalk to sound, indicating it was safe to cross

He studied her, like he did so many times before. In the time she was gone, Markus saw that her hair had gotten longer, now reaching the middle of her back in silvery waves. Her delicate skin had a hint of a tan to it, proving to him that she did in fact get to spend some time lounging on a beach by the Mediterranean Sea. Her pouty lips were pulled into a little smirk, something that was always on her slender face. Dressed in loose clothing, he could still see the gentle frame. Throughout the years, Markus shamelessly admired her body’s transformation from child to woman. Still tiny compared to him, there was a little hint of muscles that added to the feminine curves that made her and he often wondered where he got those from.

“The temperature is dropping, and you’ve stopped talking.”

‘Of course, she would notice that’ Fell growled in his mind, ‘The little one always notices.’

Like him, Fell was very protective of her which further fueled his theory that Anna was destined to his mate.

“Soon,” Markus replied in a gruff voice, shoving his hands in his jean pockets and ignoring his wolf.

“And you’re mad about it.”

Markus said nothing as he watched Anna let go of Wolfie’s lead to walk towards him. Silently, she wrapped her arms around his torso and buried her face in his button up shirt. He knew that she was well aware of his hesitation to go back even if she wasn’t aware of what he truly was. No, to Anna, Markus was her favorite person in the whole wide world, and nothing would ever change that or at least that was what he hoped. He knew one day; he would have to show her that beast that he truly was.

“I’m not mad,” Markus muttered, wrapping his arms around her, “I just don’t like it.”

“It’s not like you can’t call me or you can’t find me. You have pretty much every single way to get in touch with me. You always find me.”

‘The little one has no idea,’ Fell chuckled as he also inhaled the light body wash that she often wore, ‘You were the one waiting at that restaurant across the street from her apartment, waiting for the car to bring her home.”

‘Shut it, Fell,’ Markus mentally snapped back, ‘You missed her as much as me.”

‘True. But it still wasn’t my idea.’

It took nearly all of Markus’ self-control to keep from growling out loud but luckily, Anna was still holding onto him, keeping him distracted. Instead, she turned her head to face his and he found himself looking into those eyes. Even though they couldn’t see him, Markus stared into the stormy greys and marveled at them. It was like a maelstrom of emotions and thoughts that were constantly swirling in them and yet, they were incapable of looking into another’s.

“Markus?”

“Sorry.” Markus blinked, returning back to reality. “I was arguing with myself.”

“As long as you don’t bait yourself into ending up in jail, it’s perfectly acceptable to argue with yourself. Though if you do end up jail, establish dominance quickly.”

Markus couldn’t help but chuckle. Even if she didn’t know it, Anna always had the ability to make him smile though Fell couldn’t help but comment on how easy that would be for them.

“You better go, I don’t want you travelling when it gets too dark,” Anna said, relaxing her arms, “But-”

“I’ll remember to let you know I’ve made it home safely, Bells,” Markus snarked, cutting her off “I always do.”

She always worried about him even when she didn’t realize that she didn’t need to.

Letting go of her, Markus gently tugged on a lock of her silvery hair as a good-bye. For some unknown reason, he did it all those years ago and continued to do it, becoming a bit of a thing between them. He was well aware of the fact that he was the only one she allowed to do this and use that little nickname and he treasured that.

“Till next time,” Anna said as she placed her hand on his, “Laters, Markus.”

With that, Markus watched as Anna turned down the street with Wolfie leading her. He knew that the Doberman would dutifully lead her home and protect her when he wasn’t around, so he sighed as he turned down the other way down towards an empty parking lot. The streetlights flickered as Markus did a quick look to see if anyone was nearby. As usual, there wasn’t a single soul, and he was safe.

Taking a deep breath, Markus relaxed as he released all control and gave it to Fell. He felt his heart pump faster as his bones shifted to accommodate the change. When he first shifted, it was incredibly painful, and he couldn’t comprehend why anyone enjoyed the transformation, but he soon discovered the freedom that being a wolf provided. He felt strong, yes, but there was something about being connected to the Earth that just provided……more.

Feeling the asphalt shift beneath his paws, he looked back and saw Anna’s figure slowly disappear into the city lights of Denver. He didn’t know when he’d be back to see her, but he knew that it was time to become the Alpha of the Night Hunters once again.