Chapter 1

Farren’s Point of View

Lupitum was nothing like Makatza. The streets were horrible, even the main ones. Litter everywhere. Potholes in the road. People standing and begging at every street corner. I was shocked to see the home I had once longed for become nothing more than a sinkhole of crime. And to make matters worse, my brothers worked for the people who had deteriorated this place.

But I was back and that counted for something. After years of not seeing this place, my heart ached at the familiar buildings. The somewhat familiar faces. Although, the smell was off and so were the sights just past my happy memories.

Gone were the days when Lupitum rivaled Makatza as the best werewolf city in the world. Gone were the days of peace and prosperity for these people. Each person I passed had a hollowed-out look. No joy in their eyes.

When I ran into a street boy, barely age ten, I couldn’t take the pounding in my chest anymore. Mom had sent me to take food to Benicio and Leon, the brothers in question, but this boy needed some of it. She had packed a feast fit for kings and this boy just needed to be a person. Alive.

His cold brown eyes watched me closely as I extended out a sandwich for him. Wrapped in wax paper and sealed with a sticker my mom still had. He looked skeptical. Stood a few meters away from me. I smiled and extended my arm more.

“You can take it if you want.” I encouraged. The statement felt stupid to my ears. His clothes were torn, ribs poking through. There were no shoes on his feet. Dirt covered him. Of course, he wanted the sandwich. It was me he didn’t want around.

Placing it on the ground, I took a step back. There was a back street I could take. It would give him some privacy to take the sandwich. Clearly, the pride of these people hadn’t fallen yet. I smiled at him again and turned on my heels. Headed into the back alley. From the corner of my eye, I could see him dive for the sandwich. Rip it open.

The mighty had fallen far. Which was devastating, to say the least. These people had lived well once upon a time. More than well. But that was before my time. Before things had gone so terribly wrong. Now, all that was left was the mafia family. Those people couldn’t care less about anyone besides themselves.

At least there weren’t more beggars on my way. Although there was a lot more rubbish. The deeper I strolled into the heart of the city, the more terrifying their reality became to me. Most of the buildings in the heart of it all had collapsed in on themselves. Water, whether it was clean or otherwise I didn’t know, ran through the street like a river.

I tried my best to look away. To grin and bear the situation. I had come back for my mother. Only for my mother. Because my brothers were beyond saving. All except the one who had given me the life I had now. They ran with the cartel. The mafia. Did goddess-only-knew what. But I was sure nothing they did was good. Or did any good for these people.

Soon enough, I reached the nicer part of Lupitum. Here, there were overflowing lawns. Portly gentlemen with sheers in hand. All of them waved. Some bowed their head, recognizing me from my previous life. When they did this, the handkerchief holding back my hair felt oddly like a tiara crowning me. I smiled, nonetheless. Kept ambling forward.

It was almost midday. Lunchtime. They should be ravaged by now. Brothers tended to eat more than sisters and my mother made sure I understood that, even in my younger years. She always pestered me when I wanted to eat as much as my brothers. Scolded me when I snuck a few spoonfuls without her consent. Women had figures to uphold and eating away wasn’t going to get me any suitors.

We had mates for a reason but when I mentioned it, mother would always go quiet. Soon enough afterward, Priamos, the youngest boy but still my older brother, would take over looking after me for a while. He never cared how much I ate, just as long as I did. He would even egg me on when I ate too little to his liking.

Those were the days. Innocence. Kindness. No care in the world besides what mom would make for dinner. Playing outside with the butterflies. It was those days that I missed when I realized my mom had moved houses. Away from the modest four-bedroom home I had grown up in, into a mansion that could rival Nerezza’s back in Makatza. Money was no longer a problem to them, then.

No matter. It was the people inside it that counted. Although I barely counted my brothers for anything except trouble.

The road narrowed out after a certain point. Became canopied in by various large trees. Wildflowers grew in their shades. Pinks and blues and purples. The first gate came up on my left. Large and imposing but unlike the one mother had described to me.

When she told me to take the car, I had opted out. It couldn’t have been that far away. Now that I was drawing closer, I knew I had made a mistake. My lungs were hissing. Legs cramping. At least the poofy short dress I had worn gave my legs enough air so as to not sweat. A car would have been much easier, but no, I had wanted to see the city through the eyes of my childhood. Silly girl. This body was made to look pleasing. Not for walking.

Finally, a second gate appeared beside me. It was also large and imposing but vines had snaked through the metal. Made it look as if it belonged in some fairytale. A gateway to another realm. This was the right one to take.

Creaking open the gate, I walked into the unknown. I could feel eyes staring me down. Feel them following my every step but I could see none. See nothing beside the trees spiraling up to the house.

Several cars stood outside when I closed the distance. All with fancy rims and blacked-out windows. None looked the same. Which meant I was in the right place. The sheer size of the home in front of me was boggling. It was larger than most of the homes Nerezza had. Had a roman feel to it with pillars and marble. Even the roof was of terracotta-colored tiles.

Taking in a steadying breath, I approached the front door. Several stairs lead up to it. The front of the house was surrounded by a veranda. Figures and plants kept guard over the posts in between. It looked more like a fairytale castle than a home.

Upon entry, I noticed the subtle hum of the place. As if it was alive and waiting. Ready to devour all who entered. There was a slight chill in the air. Caused goosebumps to erupt across my arms. Voices drifted through the halls. Laughter broke out closest to my right.

This was as far as mother had come to explain to me where to go. The rest of the house was a mystery. Left me spinning in a circle, trying my best to figure out where Benicio and Leon might be. Until the laughter came closer.

Two men, maybe in their early thirties, appeared to my right. They were deep in conversation when they spotted me. Smiled crooked smiles as they took in what I wore. For a second I wondered what Benicio would do to them if they harmed me. Would they die?

“Look here. Good morning little lady. What brings you to the den of sin this fine morning?” The man asked. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up. I looked to my left. Waited for someone to trot down and rescue me. No one came.

“I am looking for Benicio Torrez,” I explained, voice meek. The man’s eyebrows shot up. Looking at his buddy, the two exchanged a few more looks. “I am his sister.” I clarified, trying to sound more in control than I felt.

My mother had warned me of this place when I was younger. Foul men and beasts lurked within these halls. If you gave them half an inch they would devour you whole and never spit you out. From the look of these two, I thought that to be a possible outcome.

One of the men opened their mouth to speak but a crisp voice cut right through them. Female. Gentle. Chastising in a way that reminded me of Nerezza.

“Abrador and Lenon, leave the poor girl alone. She is just looking for her brothers,” The voice cut them down before they even had time to rise. I looked towards the stair leading up into the house. A girl, close to my age but far exceeding my beauty stood at the top. She had cream pants on. Riding boots. A polo shirt that hugged her breasts. “I’m sorry if these brutes gave you a fright. They mean well,” she spared them a glance. “well, not always but sometimes. Come up. They are in a meeting with my brother.”

I looked back at the men. They were smiling up at the girl. Turned and left. So, she had some kind of power over them. Which was good to know, seeing as my mother would most likely send me here more often. Her health was failing her and making the trek every day to bring them food was out of the question.

Once I reached the top of the stairs, the girl smiled down at me. She was several inches taller, even in her flat riding boots. “I’m Isabelle, nice to meet you, Farren.” Her knowing my name took me aback for a moment. She could have seen the question on my face but chose to carry on walking.

Even up here, the house screamed luxury. With paintings and statues. Several plants. Isabelle walked down several halls and somewhere along the lines, I lost my bearings. She stopped just short of another set of double doors. Looked down the hallway the way we had come.

“Sadly, this is where I have to leave you. My brother doesn’t like it when I mix with business. Just go in there. The meeting hasn’t started, so they won’t mind you entering.” She explained and turned on her heels.

“Thank you. I appreciate it.”

The smile she threw back at me was filled with untold stories. Promises. Cunning and devils. “Think nothing of it. I am glad there is another girl in this forsaken place. I get lonely.” With that, she disappeared down the hall. I furrowed my brow but focussed on the door in front of me.

It was closed. No sounds came from behind it. Taking in another deep breath, I advanced. Twisted the knob to open it but to no avail. Shoving a shoulder against the wood, I twisted the knob. Felt the door give a bit then nothing. Sighing in frustration, I tried again. Shoved with all my might, only to tumble to the floor in the room.

The basket I was carrying spilled to the floor. Along with the rest of me. My knees barked against the marble floors. Dress hitched up as I tumbled. The sound of a chair scraping-out beneath a table stopped me.

Looking up, I noticed a man peering over the table. He was utterly gorgeous. With a chiseled jaw. High cheekbones. Intelligent brown eyes. I felt the pull. Felt it snap into place. All the air I had in my lungs rushed out at once.

“Mate.” He growled and shivers ran down the length of my spine.

The den of sin had claimed another sinner.