Raven

Chapter 8

I nervously groan as I walk through the grass and towards the ominous structure of Noctis Manor. I called Zander in advance to let him know I was going to stop by to discuss a few ‘Alpha related’ things, but it doesn't make this any easier. The thought of questioning him and lying about a specific werewolf pack makes my stomach clench up with anxiety.

What if he completely shuts me down and I end up with nothing, yet again? What if he drills me on why I'm asking in the first place? Or even worse...what if he already knows that I've been affiliating with a member of the Luna Rossa pack?

I shudder a little bit as I climb the grey stone steps and bite my inner cheek, extending my hand outward to knock on the door. Within seconds, Zander pulls the door open and gives me a warm, welcoming smile.

"Raven, it's so good to see you,” he beams. “Come on in, I've already got some tea made for us in my office." He steps to the side and motions for me to walk inside. I smile back at him and nod my head before crossing the threshold into the house. He shuts the door behind me and motions for me to follow him past the right side of the stairwell and through an antique wooden door which leads to the office. The room is decorated with in-wall bookshelves that are packed full of a wide variety of novels, an old maroon rug and a giant polished cherry wood desk in the dead center of the room littered with papers. He walks behind the desk and grabs a white porcelain tea pot from the left hand side, pouring us each a glass and handing one to me. I take the small white cup from his hand and flash him a half smile. The overwhelming anxiety at what I'm about to ask him is sitting like a ton of bricks on my shoulders, bogging me down to the point where it’s hard to pay attention to anything else. I take a long sip of the tea in an effort to quell my nerves, firmly cupping the porcelain in both hands. I clear my throat before setting it back down on the desk, nervously rubbing my hands together while glancing around the room.

"So, what is it that you wanted to discuss?" Zander questions, both of his palms resting on his desk.

Okay, here goes nothing.

"Do you happen to have any information on a werewolf pack called Luna Rossa?" I inquire. At the mention of Luna Rossa, his demeanor changes at the drop of a pin. Where he was once smiling and friendly, he now seems guarded and reserved.

"Who did you hear that name from?" he asks.

"Nowhere in particular,” I lie. “I overheard a conversation between some shifters at Dixons last week, and one of them mentioned the Luna Rossa pack. I just got curious. Plus, I figured it would be best for me to have as much information as possible regarding any hostile entities. I want to be prepared to take over as Alpha.” Zander peers at me with doubt, his eyes willing me to confess. He’s trying to figure out whether or not I am telling the truth, but I don't budge. I just stare back at him with a blank face, hoping that he won't catch on to my dishonesty.

"Are you positive that's all this is about?" he probes further.

"I'm positive." I smile at him, innocently fluttering my eyelashes. He nods his head slowly before lifting his hands off of his desk and standing up straight.

"Very well…I suppose I can give you some information about them,” he cautiously replies.

Bingo.

My tension loosens up a bit when I realize that he honestly believes me and is going to provide valuable information pertaining to Reid and his pack. Zander has no clue I've already discovered where their territory lies in relation to ours and that I've met one of their members. If he did, my s**t would already be packed up and I’d have one foot out the door. I nod my head and purse my lips as if I am absorbing brand new intel.

Zander takes a deep breath and sits himself on the edge of the desk before beginning his history lesson. "The Luna Rossa pack originated in Genoa, Italy in the early 1800's and they are currently one of the oldest packs still in existence today. They’ve existed as the same entity for about 227 years. Alessio Moretti was the original werewolf who founded the pack and he essentially morphed it into a hybrid Italia mafia. They make their profits by running an underground drug trade and selling weapons to the highest bidder on the black market. They started out solely operating out of Italy, but ended up expanding their reaches into North America under the direction of their recent Alpha, Dominic Moretti, almost 50 years ago. For about 220 years, the lineage of Alpha was always passed down from parent to child. So, each Alpha of Luna Rossa was of the Moretti bloodline. Even female descendants would maintain the Moretti surname in order to pass it on to their child. But, about 7 years ago, someone by the name of Reid Moro challenged Dominic for the Alpha title and control of the Luna Rossa mafia when he was 20 years old. Much to everyone’s shock, he won. Moro killed any pack member still loyal to the Moretti's before taking Dominic out. Then, he beat people from other packs into submission and eliminated anyone who wouldn't support his overtaking. Even Dominic's own son, Matteo, eventually backed down and submitted. If any members of Luna Rossa didn't support Reid's reign, they died at his own hand without a second thought,” Zander continues. “From what I know, Reid had quite a bit of opposition because he wasn't a natural born Alpha. He was the product of an American werewolf mother and a father who was a standard Luna Rossa pack member, so neither of his parents ever held a high ranking position. When he was able to overthrow Dominic and take over as Alpha, no one knew quite what to make of it since he wasn't of Moretti blood or any Alpha lineage. But, his harsh tendencies have preserved his title as Alpha for the past seven years. He and his Beta, Lorenzo Marino, run a tight ship and maintain strict order through brute force. He has a fierce reputation among the werewolf community for being very cold, unforgiving and ruthless when it comes to trespasses against him, his pack or his business. Reid is one of the most dangerous men alive, whether it be in our world or the human population. Most of the northwest portion of the country is under his control, in addition to the entire span of Italy. That includes human run business too. The amount of people he has murdered is insurmountable and he is extremely lethal. He's killed men and women alike, and he doesn't discriminate based on gender or affiliation. This is what he does and who he is." Zander takes a deep breath, using his left hand to cover his eyes and massage his temples.

"The Luna Rossa pack is not a group you want to be affiliated with. If you ever hear anything about them, ignore it. If you see any of their pack members out in public, turn the other way and run. You need to avoid contact with them at all costs. You do not want to get on the bad side of a mafia capo who's got enough time, money, and resources to make someone disappear off the face of the planet for good…so listen to me, Raven, and listen well,” he warns. “Do not interact with anyone who is affiliated with Luna Rossa. This isn’t a suggestion, it’s a demand as your Alpha. Do I make myself clear?" I gulp hard while attempting to swallow back the desert drying out my throat. The look Zander is giving me says if you defy me, there will be serious consequences, and I honestly believe that to be true. My status as a Lancaster and the future Alpha of Noctis means absolutely nothing when compared to defying my current leader and aligning myself with a werewolf. Zander isn't a very confrontational man, but he takes his temporary Alpha role seriously. He won't hesitate to banish me if he catches wind that I actively worked with Reid.

"I understand, Alpha. I’d never do anything to jeopardize the safety of this cluster," I respond while nodding in compliance. Thankfully, this seems to placate him. He pushes himself off of the desk and takes the empty cup from my hands.

"Good. Now why don't you stay for lunch since you've already come all the way out here? I've got a few ideas about your ascension soirée to run by you," he quickly changes the subject, smiling at me once again.

"I actually have to get going. Tessa and I have a few things to do since I work the rest of the week," I counter, flashing him a fake but beaming smile.

"Ah, I see,” he warmly responds. “We'll have to plan another time to discuss everything then.” I offer a slight nod before turning back around to walk out the office door. Zander trails behind me while my feet apprehensively shuffle across the tile. I finally reach the exit leading outside and I try to contain my extreme desire to get out of this house. Everything that Zander told me has my mind and nerves racing. I've got to free myself of his overbearing presence to process all of this new information.

“Stay safe, and remember what I said, Raven,” Zander reminds me once more as I linger on the pavers. I nod my head and take off at a brisk pace towards the woods. As soon as I hear the door shut behind me, I let out a huge sigh of relief while shaking out my clammy hands. I can't believe he actually gave me information regarding Luna Rossa, or that I just lied to straight to his face. Even more startling than that, I received valuable intel about who Reid is.

He is the Alpha of Luna Rossa, one of the oldest, largest and strongest wolf packs still in existence today. Not only is he the Alpha, he’s also a f*****g mafia leader because Luna Rossa doubles as some sort of Italian mafia/pack hybrid. But it all makes perfect sense. All of it.

It explains why he takes pleasure in killing people and the reason he said everyone in this town works for him in one way or another. It gives reason as to why he can easily deactivate a car alarm and why he's had to impersonate a detective on more than one occasion. He's good at any illegal activity because it's what he does for a living and he's basically an expert. What it doesn't explain, however, is why he’s been so cordial with me. I want to be afraid of Reid and I know that I should be, but for some stupid reason I'm not. Even after this bombshell, I’m still not concerned that he will harm me in any way. If he's so cold and ruthless, why has he let me live twice now? Why did he offer to help and kill someone for me in the process? I've verbally insulted and punched him in the face, but he didn't even flinch. He hasn’t tried to kill me or had a forced shift out of anger. He's nothing like what Zander described.

Reid Moro is something else that can’t be put into words.

At least when it comes to me, he is.

•••

It's been a week since the whole ordeal with Reid, Jake and John transpired. Things have gotten back into a fairly normal swing. I wake up, go to work, come home and do it all over again even though I’ve got my head on a constant swivel now. I’m paranoid that I’ll be attacked again, so I make it a point to only show up at work when I know other people will be here. I don’t think the pack hunting me is stupid enough to risk exposure by attacking me in front of any humans. I haven't heard from Reid since that day, although he did send some nicely dressed men to clean up the mess in my office. They didn’t talk much and were in an out in a matter of an hour, leaving no trace of Jake behind. I don't know what Reid has been up to, but I'd be lying if I said he doesn’t cross my mind a ridiculous amount of times per day. I can't get him out of my head no matter how hard I try.

I’ve participated in yoga at the studio next door, only to find that the silence amplifies my thoughts of him even more. I’ve tried running a short loop around my neighborhood in the evenings to burn off some steam even though I absolutely hate running, but that did nothing except make me wish I wasn’t running. I’ve even blessed myself with a glass of wine a handful of nights in the hopes alcohol would drown my thoughts…but, I only ended up dreaming about him once I fell asleep. Tessa has noticed the increase in frequency of which I’m mentally checked out. She knows that every single time, I’m lost in thought over him. She thinks I'm insane for pining over him so much, but I can't exactly help it. He’s still that viral disease attached to my brain. He’s always prevalent; constantly leaving me wondering what he’s doing or where he is. I’m infected by the sheer thought of him, and I'm left wishing there was some type of cure for this ailment knowing full and well there isn't.

I’m startled when I hear a knock on my door. I look up and see an overly excited Hannah through the glass pane and I motion for her to come inside. She hurriedly shuts the door to my office and whips around, dazzling me with her enthusiasm.

"Guess who is standing in our lobby right now?" she exclaims. I raise an eyebrow at her and shrug my shoulders, causing her face to light up even more.

"It's a fine hunk of man meat known as Detective Jacobs. He’s here for you.” My eyes widen and my face flushes bright red. s**t, I didn't even smell or hear him come in.

"I...okay. Can you send him back here?" I nervously stammer while trying to compose myself.

"Of course," she gushes before throwing my door open and walking entirely too fast towards the entrance. I quickly comb my fingers through my hair and run my thumbs under my eyes, hopefully removing any residual mascara that would make me look like a raccoon. I stand up from my desk and brush my skirt off. I can’t believe he’s showing up here completely unannounced like this. I hate being caught off guard, especially by the one singular person I often find myself daydreaming about.

I see his tall frame strolling towards the entrance of my office door with a smirk on his face, sporting a tight fitting black v-neck shirt and dark denim jeans. The way his clothing forms to his tanned skin makes him appear even more brooding than I thought possible. He enters my office and stops a few feet in front of me, shoving his hands into his front pockets. His black eyes hold mine the entire time, and I feel like I’m drowning in him all over again.

"I apologize that it's been a while since you've heard from me, I’ve been a little busy,” he states and I nervously clear my throat.

“It’s not like we’re friends or anything, so I didn’t really expect you to stay in touch,” I reply. That is the truth, but it doesn’t mean that’s what I’ve hoped for. I idiotically don’t even care about anything Zander told me because it doesn’t reflect what I’ve seen. This…him standing here in front of me…is what I’ve been wanting. What I’ve secretly wished would happen.

He smiles at me with perfect white teeth and nods his head, slowly shutting the door behind himself. “So, I’m actually here right now because have a proposition on how I can help you." I raise an eyebrow at him.

Reid Moro, a werewolf Alpha who also happens to be a mafia capo wants to help me.

Yeah, this should all pan out just fine.