Raven

Chapter 9

As unreasonably happy as I am to see him right now, I know this wasn’t a smart move on his part. His pack won’t take kindly to him assisting a shapeshifter. In their eyes, it will be the social equivalent of docking themselves a few notches in the werewolf hierarchy – like a notable, famous artist selling their paintings to someone unworthy. The association itself will drop their value. From the information Zander provided me, Luna Rossa is the top tier as far as werewolf packs go, and aligning himself with me is something that’s looked down upon. Shifters are near the bottom of the barrel as far as strength goes and we are significantly less powerful, so werewolves don’t stand to gain anything by assisting us. It’s also not an intelligent decision to speak with him in my territory based on the possibility of information leaking out to my own cluster. Yet, here he is, completely unfazed by any of the possible repercussions of our actions. I’m sure he realizes all of this information as well as I do, but it’s a little too late to backtrack now. He’s here and clearly not leaving anytime soon.

“Have you lost your mind, Reid? This is the second time that you've come into my territory after I told you not to. What if someone from Noctis finds out you are here?" I question.

"Did you know I was here?" he annoyingly points out, and I narrow my eyes at him.

"Look, I've recently come into some knowledge about who you are and what you do, so I'm not entirely sure I want to delve into some sort of partnership with you. I don't have a death wish.” His eyes mischievously light up as soon as I speak, so he’s clearly looking forward to whatever information I have even though none of it's good.

“Do tell, I’m always eager to hear what the masses have to say about me.” He pulls up a chair in front of my desk and takes a seat, patiently waiting for me to begin. I walk back to the opposite side of my desk and drop down onto my chair, leaning against the backrest slightly.

"Well for starters, I know that Luna Rossa doubles as an Italian mafia that sells drugs and weapons on the black market."

Reid shrugs his shoulders with a nod, not seeming surprised at all. "What else did you find?"

"I know that you're the Alpha of Luna Rossa. I also know that you weren't born an Alpha. You took the title from your former leader and basically cleaned house of anyone loyal to him once he was dead. You control the entire country of Italy, as well as most of the northwest. But, probably the most important piece of information that I picked up on is the fact that you are an extremely dangerous person, and working with you would be stupid," I bluntly respond. Reid raises his eyebrows and nods his head. I tilt my head to the side and hold my hands together on my lap, feeling quite pleased with my little reveal. Most of it was probably just some history that got lost in translation, so I'm interested to see what he has to say about everything.

All of it can’t possibly be true.

"Well, that was right on the money," he sighs. "I’m impressed, dolcezza. You actually did your homework." My eyes widen when he doesn’t deny any of it, and instead just confirms what Zander told me is authentic.

“Wait, so it’s all true? Even the part about killing people in your pack who were still loyal to the Moretti's?" I inquire.

"Yep, it's all true. Especially cleaning house of Moretti loyalists. You can't exactly overtake an entire pack without ensuring you've got the dedication of its members, and the best way to do that is by eliminating anyone who poses a threat. I gave them the option to submit to me; most did, some refused. If they declined, they became a necessary casualty. The only dumbass who jumped at the chance to submit was his son, although I can’t say I was surprised. Without his father around to cover his ass and fix his f**k ups, Matteo is weak. He always has been.” As soon as the name Matteo leaves his lips, my blood runs cold. Reid is definitely referring to the same Matteo who cornered me in the bathroom at Dixons; the same Matteo who recognizes me. For some reason, I hadn't put two and two together when Zander explained it, but now I have. If Matteo knows me, it’d stand to reason that Reid might have met me before as well. If they’re in the same pack, I theoretically could have interacted with others in Luna Rossa prior to losing sixteen years of memories.

"Reid…have we met before a week ago?" I cautiously ask and he smirks at me.

"No amore, we’ve never met. I’m positive that your face isn't one I'd easily forget," he responds. My eyes hold the dark pools of his irises for a while as I try to locate dishonesty. I want to believe him so badly, but it’s extremely hard to do so when the only facts I know about him are riddled with red flags. My brain is telling me the connection between them is a caveat that can’t possibly be good. Reid could be lying because he has no real reason to be honest in the first place. He owes me nothing. My intuition, on the other hand, redirects my thoughts down a less concerned path. My instincts flat out refuse to believe he’s deceitful or that he means me any harm. Nothing about him makes me panicked or worried, he only leaves me wanting more.

More of his time, more of his undivided attention, more of him.

"Now, about my idea…I was thinking I could train you in self-defense and help eliminate your threat. Only a handful of people will be involved since an alliance between a shapeshifter and werewolf isn't necessarily something anyone will be too fond of,” he suggests.

“Absolutely not,” I disagree. He leans forward a bit, placing his folded palms on the desk.

“You need help, Raven. We both know I’m your best bet, unless you think Zander McCain can do a better job.” I stare back at him with skepticism and annoyance. Apparently I wasn’t the only one who did a little research regarding the affiliation of the opposite party. He easily figured out who holds the Alpha position in Noctis, and it didn’t take much for him to determine how useless Zander would be, given my current situation. His knowledge of the even keel temperament that seems to span across my cluster led him to the rational conclusion that they wouldn’t be able to get anything done, which is true. If I bring this situation to light in front of my cluster or Zander, it won’t change the facts or make them less prominent. Noctis doesn’t have the monetary capital, willpower of its Alpha or strength of its members to do anything worthwhile for me. But, Luna Rossa does; their connections on the black market and seemingly infinite resources can offer me a seek-and-destroy solution I won’t get anywhere else.

For whatever reason, the Alpha of Luna Rossa seems to have a vested interest in helping me out and I know it’d be stupid to turn him down. Plus, he doesn’t seem like the type of man to listen to others or take no for an answer even if I did reject his offer. He’d probably just do it anyways, only I’d be left in the dark with no information. My rationality is screaming at me that none of this can possibly end well, but I don’t have a choice. Someone is gunning for my death full throttle, and the only one who can help me out of this situation, is Reid.

•••

I carefully step over a moss covered log lying directly in my path as I trail behind Reid a few feet. We’ve been drifting through the pine laden woods of Luna Rossa grounds for almost two hours now with no end in sight. Reid has a specific area conveniently situated in the middle of nowhere for us to train, so that’s where we’ve been headed. After a ton of deliberation and resistance on my part, he finally convinced me to leave work early and start training with him today. Initially, I wasn’t a fan of conducting our secret alliance within the confines of his territory, but I guess it’s better to be here than on my own turf. Reid has the added leverage of calling the shots here whereas I don’t even have that luxury on my own land yet.

I’m inclined to say that this entire walk has been nothing but a giant waste of time when we could have simply shifted to get there in a fraction of the time, but it actually hasn't. Reid and I have been casually chatting during our little adventure and I feel like I’ve gotten to know him a little more. I haven’t offered up much information about myself other than my obsession with any type of food, my disdain for banana runts and affinity towards any music created by Lord Huron, but Reid has told me quite a bit about himself;

His favorite food is sushi with pizza coming in at a close second. He likes dark colors more than bright ones; black and navy blue seem to be his preferences. Shockingly enough, he enjoys the music of Lord Huron almost as much as I do. A .45 caliber Glock is his gun of choice because he likes the weight and accuracy of the bullet trajectory. He’s extremely proficient with throwing knives and daggers and is self-taught in their usage. Being in Luna Rossa his entire life has made him fluent the Italian language, and he often finds it more comfortable to speak in Italian than English. He loves tattoos and is going to convert his quarter sleeve into a full sleeve once he decides on something worthy. And probably the most entertaining tidbit of information I learned is that he’s quite afraid of spiders which I inadvertently picked up on after watching him panic in an empty web.

All in all, I'd say the journey to Reid's preferred training grounds has been pretty informative.

Our trip finally comes to an end as we arrive in a clearing with the soft sound of bubbling water and birds chirping provided as our soundtrack. There is a small creek shaded by trees that runs off on the left hand side, characterized by an array of smooth pebbles ranging in size and shape at the water’s edge. The stream twists and turns through the trees until I can no longer see where it empties or begins. Reid stands on the short green grass in silence and carefully observes his surroundings, making sure that the coast is clear. I slowly walk up behind him and nod my head in approval, smiling as I look upward at the clear blue sky. I love the outdoors, and being in a secluded location like this just means freedom and reduced stress for me.

"So, where do we start?" I question, my eyes flitting between the treetops and surrounding woods. Reid turns around so we are now face to face and he grins at me.

"First things first, I want you to hit me," he states. I huff to myself and shake my head at him. I might have an aversion to physical contact, but the opportunity to punch a werewolf in the face is one thing I can’t say I’ll regret. Without another word, I quickly wind my arm back and launch it at his face with force. He effortlessly ducks to the left and I stumble forward from hitting nothing but air. My gaze darts over to his while he smirks at me with a cocky expression.

"I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but things are going to operate a little bit differently when I'm already anticipating your moves. No free shots here like the one in the alleyway, dolcezza." I grit my teeth in frustration and take a step forward, driving my leg upwards in an attempt to knee him in the groin. His palm immediately catches my ankle and he yanks me forward, causing me to lose my balance and fall backwards onto the ground.

"You know, I'm also not ashamed to admit this isn't the first time a woman has attempted to damage my manhood," he grins. I glare at him before my instincts take over and I push myself up off of the grass. I start throwing punches at him left and right, and each time, the skin of my knuckles barely grazes anywhere on his body and he’s able to successfully evade my attacks. Blow after empty blow, the frustration of making no progress is beginning to set in as I realize that I am expending a huge amount of energy with nothing to show for it. My aggravation finally gets the better of me, so I stop attempting to fight and accept defeat. I turn away from him as sweat pricks my brow and my breath come out in shallow bursts, staring at the empty woods before me in irritation. I was really hoping I’d be better at this than I actually am so I’d have less progress to make. Now, I know that was a farce created in my own mind. I’m not even remotely prepared to defend myself.

The magnetic pull of Reid's presence becomes stronger as he walks up behind me and I’m increasingly aware of how close he is getting. He's only about a foot away from my back right now and my heart rate is beginning to raise quickly in response. I know he can hear my frantic pulse right now, but he doesn’t back away. I make the uncomfortable decision to turn around and face him, and when I do, those piercing black eyes are focused on nothing but me. In this moment, part of me wants to put more space between us so we aren't standing so close to one another…but the other part doesn't feel all that concerned.

"Can I show you something?" he calmly inquires.

"Yeah, sure…anything helps at this point," I respond. He slowly extends his hands out towards my arms and I quickly retract from his advance. I know he’s got to touch me in order to show what he’s talking about, but it doesn’t make letting go of a lifetime of fear any easier. I still don’t trust him, and the thought of anyone waltzing into my life by way of willing physical contact makes me uneasy. Reid can immediately tell how uncomfortable I am at the prospect of being touched and his naturally domineering demeanor softens up.

“I promise I'm not going to hurt you, Raven. I just need you to trust me," he reassures me. I swallow the lump in my throat and bite my bottom lip, reluctantly nodding my head at him. He takes a step forward and carefully grabs a hold of my forearms, spinning me around so that my back is to him once again. His touch lightly travels down to my hips and he gently angles me so I am standing with my left foot forward. He brings my arms up into a fighting stance and rotates me so I am ready to punch again. Goosebumps of agitation ripple across my entire body, starting at the location of his fingertips and spanning down to my toes. I close my eyes in an effort to drown out the anxiety stemming from hands touching me, but with his chest hovering just above my shoulder blades. Every cell in my body is on high alert.

"Whenever you throw a punch, put yourself into this stance and work on channeling your anger and frustration. I know that as a shapeshifter you aren't bound by rage like werewolves are, but it will work all the same,” he offers. “You are a fighter, Raven. I can feel it in your energy and I can see it in the way you carry yourself." His soft breath brushes along my ear, sending silent shivers up my spine. "Now, use that energy and direct it into attacking me like I know you can. Push yourself and forget about your reservations. They’ll only hold you back and make you weaker and you are not a weak person by nature.”

I take a deep breath with my eyes still tightly shut, allowing the warm wind to pull agitation out of my skin and into the air. I want the worry and trepidation to be sent elsewhere in the breeze, somewhere those feelings can’t haunt me anymore. Thankfully, the longer I stand stationary with his hands on my forearms, the more my heart rate begins to even out. I gradually become familiar with the feeling of Reid's strong presence and touch, so much so that it’s bothering me less and less by the second. His hands slowly retract from my waist and I open my eyelids. He takes a step back and walks in front of me, shooting me that staple look of intensity that I'm growing more and more accustomed to.

"Good. Now, let's try this again."