8 Black Alpha is Back

While Elena was watching a movie with her parents and friends, in the comfy living room of the pack house, in the heart of Full Moon Territory, someone else, several kilometres away, was being beaten.

"Tell me why you had crossed our border!" A creepy shout echoed within the humid walls of the dungeons. The air was heavy with a strong smell of mildew and some hints of worst things. Few flickering lights were switched on along the narrow corridors and only a couple of cells contained occupants, more dead than alive. Once you had entered, it was a rarity to see you go out again from that place, if not inside a plastic bag.

A crackling laugh was heard, followed by a loud crash.

"I wouldn't behave like that! Just make it easy for all of us." Another voice, more neutral, vibrated from the same dark cell.

"I was lost, and I crossed your border before I could find my way around in the darkness."

This time, no punches or growls followed. Just some muffled sounds.

Then, out of nowhere, a scream of sheer pain enveloped the whole prison. The grey walls and a few rats the sole witnesses.

"We weren't born yesterday. Just tell us what you were really doing and you may even live." The same voice that a few minutes ago had warned the prisoner, spoke again.

"Don't you want to keep all your fingers? You might still need them."

A weak whine was the only response.

"Here we go. See? It wasn't so difficult. So why did you cross the border and try to run away when you saw us?" Now the voice had a hint of sweetness, as if it was speaking to a crying child that just fell down by accident, rather than to a prisoner that just lost three fingers.

"I-I had to c-check if you had a w-w-weak p-patrol... on the south side near the big river." The prisoner stuttered with a final gulp.

"Here, have some water. You did well." The sweet voice was now even gentler.

"Why the river?" Another voice demanded harshly. Pure brutality and rage radiated from his figure.

"We-we-" The prisoner tried to speak, heavily shaking at the owner of that creepy voice.

"We what? Go on." The sweet voice intervened again.

"Our Alpha wanted to invade you by swimming!" He spat out, giving up to his captors.

"Ssssh, it's ok. You did very well. Now, who's your Alpha?"

After another sniff, the prisoner pronounced the name that caused riots, silent assassinations and nightmares all over the packs.

"Lord Skull."

The captors and the prisoner were silent for a while, evaluating the information with all its implications.

"Very well then." The 'sweet' captor said, with an evil smirk.

"Wha-" The scared voice was interrupted by the sudden sound of broken bones.

"Why did you kill him? He could -" The harsh captor finally spoke again, not concerned at all by his friend's murder.

"He didn't have anything else my friend." The other answered, his sweet lips had a malicious grin now, as if just breaking the neck of someone was a natural habit.

"Now let's get out of this pigsty... Alpha is back."

The two individuals left that horrid place, heading to greet their Alpha, finally back after his 'travel'...

"Are you ready to tell him the great news?" One of the two mocked the other, with another huge grin.

"You are enjoying this, aren't you?" The Beta muttered with a groan.

"It's not everyday that a Black Devil finds a mate!"

After a pause, he continued.

"Especially YOU!" A chuckle followed the statement, receiving a scoff in response.

When they reached the main entry of the pack house, they suddenly halted. A massive naked man was standing there, occupying the whole door frame, and obviously waiting for them, covered in dirt and old, dried blood.

A smile slowly appeared on his hard features while eyeing his Gamma and Beta.

"Look who's back from the mountains!" The Gamma exclaimed while patting his Alpha's shoulder.

"I assume this blood isn't yours." The Beta stated, noticing all the dried blood.

"Your assumption is correct." The Alpha replied. The deep, husky voice was strange, slightly distorted.

The Gamma and Beta knew why: their Alpha hadn't shifted back into his human form for a long time. His ears were slightly elongated, some black fur still covering part of his extremely large body and yellowish claws still visible on his toes and fingers. And his eyes, normally a mesmerising turquoise, were now glowing with a dangerous dark-blue spark ~ some of the odd rumours circulating about their Alpha included his stormy eyes (in a literal sense) and if you were watching attentively, you could even see the lightening and thunder in them, among the storms.

Alpha Mirko probably shifted back only once he had reached the pack house's perimeter, so as not to scare the maids or the children, or some of the men... not that in this condition he looked like your average friendly pack member either.

Because he didn't. Completely comfortable with being naked in that totally primitive state, Alpha Mirko strode inside the house, with his Gamma and Beta at each side, ready to update him after two weeks of his absence.

"How was your... duty... into the wild?" His Gamma asked, carefully selecting the words.

"Liberating as usual my friend. And how's everything going with the Full Moon pups at the school?" He questioned back, sitting on a stool of the kitchen.

"They didn't cause any particular issues, apart from some exchanges of strong words with some members of our pack... oh and a little fight on their first day." Gamma Rolando summarised, pointedly staring at Crucifero, with a final exaggerated wink. This didn't go unnoticed by their Alpha, who was studying his friends with a small smile. They had several matters to discuss, some more friendly than others.

"Who started the fight?" Alpha Mirko investigated further while simultaneously ordering some food. He didn't need to specify what he wanted, in fact everyone well-knew his eating preferences. "Ours." Crucifero quickly answered with a firm voice. "Full Moon's high-ranked members defended themselves only."

Mirko didn't miss the number of words his Beta used. Normally he was the type who let his Gamma do all the talking. "Well, well... And how do you know that?" Mirko asked with a grin, already connecting the dots. One of the maids had just entered and served him a plate of raw meat, probably a kilo or so; her face extremely red and from time to time she stole a peak of her Alpha, in all his naked glory.

"Welcome back A-Alpha" She murmured shyly, blushing more, if that was even physically possible.

"Thank you Milly." He replied, smiling at the embarrassed female. "You can go now." Beta Crucifero said impatiently, scaring the poor maid to death, who literally flew away.

"Cru, I thought that having a mate was going to make you a tiny bit sweeter!" Mirko remained serious, though a glint shone in those tenebrous eyes.

"How do you-" A shocked (and funny to watch) Crucifero was about to ask. He made him gape.

"Well my friend, your mark's odour is pungent." Mirko stated with a smile that reached his normally serious eyes. His sense of smell was more acute than the usual werewolf ~ you needed it if you wanted to survive in his world.

Normally a mark was visible only, and Crucifero was wearing a convenient turtleneck. But Mirko had managed to detect the slight change of Crucifero's scent.

"So, who is the lucky mate? And where is he from?" He finally asked, curiosity killing him slowly. His best friend, or that brother life had gifted him under tenebrous circumstances, and Beta of his pack, found a mate against all odds, considering his harsh personality, terrifying reputation and turbid past.

"I-" Crucifero was interrupted by Rolando's exclamation.

"It's their Beta!"

His statement was followed by laughter and Crucifero's low growls.

Mirko was the type of 'person' who was hardly surprised, but this was surely one of those times.

"The Full Moon Beta's son?" His face pensive, weighing the various consequences and repercussions.

"Yes, his name is Marco." Crucifero's sweeter tone didn't go unnoticed by the two, who widely smiled at their always brooding Beta.

"Congratulations brother, you deserve it." Mirko patted him on the back, receiving the closet thing resembling a smile.

"How are we going to manage the situation with their pack?" Gamma Rolando inquired, biting into a juicy burger and thick steak at the same time.

"Let's discuss business later. I want to know more about these Full Moon teens." Mirko demanded, his plate already half empty.

"So, Giacomo's daughter is among them. How's the little rat?" Mirko asked, eyeing his Gamma and Beta.

"Male students commented about her and how good looking and fit she is and so on." Rolando reported with a bored expression. Alpha Mirko reflected on Alpha Giacomo and his human Luna and how they only had one offspring.

"She touched my mate." Crucifero growled, his eyes flickering with rage.

Alpha Mirko's deep laughter echoed in the kitchen. "They have probably been friends since childhood, Cru. Let your mate be!" Mirko grinned at the jealousy of his friend.

"Yeah, sure, you talk because you haven't met your mate." Crucifero muttered in annoyance at his Alpha and one of the very few beings he trusted.

"I don't have a mate." Mirko chuckled again at how naïve the Beta was. "How do you know? If we-" Rolando was interrupted by a scoff. "Just because the two of you have a mate, doesn't mean I have one. None of the Alphas of this pack have ever had one." He paused to drink some water.

"Plus, I absolutely do not want or need one." He concluded slightly horrified at the idea.

"Ok let's see who the lucky girl is, if you happen to have one" Rolando said with a sly smile.

"What are you planning to do?" He then asked.

"This week I have some meetings, but I want to at least come by to check things out with the teachers and strengthen the defences around there." Mirko looked serious. "About that." Rolando added with an equally serious expression. "We caught another sack of rubbish from Lord Skull, trying to sneak in."

Mirko's frightening Alpha mode was on; fury crossed his face.

"Where is he now?" He growled, his voice already altered.

"In a pit." Crucifero replied with a grin.

"Good. I think it is time to increase the training sessions, even during school hours." Mirko stated with determination. "Tomorrow, we will personally give a special one to all the students."

With that, they moved to a more appropriate space, discussing various business matters and strategies, not before Mirko finally went to shower and wore some human clothes.

~~~~~

Tomorrow was the day history was taking an extreme turn.

Tomorrow was the day that would be remembered by several generations... and for different reasons