Chapter 1 - Tiberius

It’s been three years since Thales was sent to train in France, free of distractions such as possibly finding his mate. Mate or not, I’m sure he’d have been distracted by his future Beta. I still think it’s crazy, but whatever.

Who’d have known Crista would grow up to be such a beauty? Certainly not me. I used to taunt her growing up for her looks. Unlike Thales, I was still here to watch that knob-kneed Beta heir grow up.

And well, if they aren’t mates and he doesn’t make a play for her, I will. I’m still looking for my mate, but that doesn’t mean I can’t have some fun on the way to finding her.

“Whatever you’re thinking, it’s probably too dirty for me to want to know.” A slightly familiar voice chuckled behind me.

I turned, adjusting my tie with a grin as I spotted my best friend and future Alpha. He looks like his father but with his mother’s blonde hair. It’s so weird to see him all grown up.

“Thales! Hey, man!” I exclaimed, hugging him, picking him up a little.

Shit, he put on muscle, or I lost some. When he left, he was scrawnier, and I could get him off the ground more than this.

“Tie, put me down. Ugh, I’m not a little kid.” Thales grumbled.

“When did you get in? I didn’t think we’d be seeing you until your big debut at the party.” I patted his shoulders after I set him down.

“A couple of hours ago. Mother told me to wait here with you.” He rolled his eyes, fixing his black suit jacket.

“Who someone’s touching.” I snickered.

“Did I wrinkle your clothes, little Alpha? Looking to impress someone tonight? Perhaps a certain Beta heiress?” I teased, wiggling my eyebrows.

“Oh, shut up, Tiberius. I want to impress the pack in general. And if Crista happens to be my mate….” Thales turned pink as he shoved me away.

I laughed cause I knew it. Thales is hoping they’re mates just like she is.

“Aww, aren’t you just adorable? If it makes you feel better, she’s hoping the same. She even got a gold dress to impress you with. Looks hot on her.” I smirked.

“And how do you know that? And don’t talk about her like that.” Thales growled.

“Easy, man. I got dragged along dress shopping. I was babysitting since Christopher and Gwen had duties to attend to.” I shrugged.

“And I’ll call her hot all I want. Until she finds her mate, or I find mine, fair game, little Alpha.” I winked.

“Stop calling me that. You know that after tonight I will be your Alpha. Have you not grown up at all in the years I was away? Are you going to be able to fill the Gamma role?” Thales sighed.

“Gamma role? How many times did your trainers hit you in the head while in France?” I raised an eyebrow.

“I’m a Delta.” I reminded him.

“Yes, but we don’t have a Gamma heir. So I plan to make you my Gamma, and we can look to other families to start a new Delta line.” Thales was grinning, the dimple on his right cheek prominent.

“You’re shitting me? Wait, you want to bump me up in rank? What about Ardito’s nephew Lorenzo?” I questioned.

“We both know Lorenzo isn’t Gamma material even if his grandfather was once a Gamma. He takes after his father, who isn’t of a ranked bloodline plus is a total dick. Unless you’re going to tell me Lorenzo isn’t a tool anymore.” Thales scoffed.

“Okay, fair point. Lorenzo is still a dick. But he’ll feel snubbed, and I predict he’ll make a big stink about it.” I shrugged.

“You better believe I’m going to make a stink about it. I at least have Berlusconi blood. How dare you decide to usurp my family’s claim.” Lorenzo threw open my door like he had any right to be in this wing of the pack house.

“Get the fuck out of my room, you little shit. And don’t talk so disrespectfully to your future Alpha. It is at his discretion who holds the title.” I growled, grabbing Lorenzo by his suit collar.

Lorenzo growled back, grabbing my jacket with one hand and drawing his fist back to hit me. Lorenzo didn’t get a chance as his arm got yanked hard behind him by Thales.

“Enough! Let each other go, now!” Thales snarled his command.

“Sure thing, Alpha.” I smirked, letting Lorenzo go.

Lorenzo growled at me, but it turned into a whimper as Thales applied more pressure.

“I said NOW!” Thales put out more of his Alpha aura.

Lorenzo crumbled, dropping my jacket as his lesser wolf yielded to the power of Thales and his wolf. All even August was making me bare my neck in submission to the authority.

“Get out, Lorenzo. I don’t want to see your face tonight. Tomorrow I will handle your disrespect.” Thales growled, showing Lorenzo to the door and shoving him out.

“Well, this is a fun start to the night.” I laughed.

“Yeah, not how I want tonight to go. I don’t want a night of fights. This is a celebration. I want to have fun and get reacquainted with the pack.” Thales sighed.

“You mean re and better acquainted with Crista.” I teased.

Thales rolled his eyes. His lips parted to deliver some comeback that he thinks will probably stick, but the overwhelming cries in the pack link stopped him.

All other thoughts were forgotten as we rushed down the stairs. Rather than the sounds and smells of a party, we were met by the screams of our pack and the scent of their blood in the air.

The color drained from my face as I glanced at Thales, both of us feeling the pain of Alpha Silvano dying. We didn’t speak. We started running down the stairs, prepared to protect our people, ready for a fight.

I froze at the bloodbath we walked into. It was a damn massacre. How could this have happened? Who could have done this?

Thales snarled as his eyes focused on a slightly familiar weasel standing in the center of the room holding Christopher Fayte’s heart in his hand as our Beta fell to the floor. As he turned his head, I recognized the rat.

“Ignazio…” Thales and I growled in unison.

Neither of us ever liked that kid or any of the ranked heirs of Madonie. Ivan didn’t seem too bad, but Ignazio and Gastone were fucking assholes unworthy of a title.

We tried to rush forward as Beta Gwen snarled and rushed to avenge her beloved before the mate bond would take her. Beyond her, I could see the Fayte sisters.

They looked terrified. Crista had her sisters huddled behind her. I could tell Crista wanted to fight but was torn as she also wanted to protect her sisters.

‘Run! Run Crista! Take your sisters and run!’ Thales commanded through the pack link as Gwen met the same fate as her mate.

Crista paused only a moment before shifting to her impressive white wolf Emelia gathering her sisters on her back to run out the back doors. Ignazio snarled, moving to try and follow them.

What the hell? He’s after them. He must be, or why go after them when Thales is here. If he’s trying to conquer Nebrodi, he would want to kill Thales.

“IGNAZIO!!! GET BACK HERE, YOU RAT-FACED PIECE OF TRASH!” I shouted, wanting to draw his attention from the Fayte sisters.

“OR ARE YOU TOO AFRAID TO FIGHT ME!? DON’T WANT TO GET BEAT AGAIN?” Thales picked up on what I was doing and started taunting him.

Ignazio’s shoulders twitched at the reminder of getting beaten by Thales before either was old enough to have their wolves. Ignazio was always a skinny little shit. He still is, but something looks off about him.

‘Careful, Thales. There’s something off about him. He doesn’t smell right.’ I warned as Ignazio turned with pure hate as he looked at us.

“You both will pay for delaying me from getting my prize.” Ignazio snarled.

His prize? Oh fuck, he was after the girls. Which one? Probably Crista, as she’s the eldest and has a wolf. A white wolf at that, which means she’s rare and powerful.

“Prize? Oh please, Crista wouldn’t give you the time of day. Even if she were your mate, she’d reject your fugly ass because you just killed her parents.” I scoffed.

“I don’t know what you want with my Beta, but you won’t have her. We won’t allow it.” Thales declared, tossing his jack aside, ready for a fight.

I follow suit, ready to back him. There was no way Ignazio could fight us both.

“Two on one, I like those odds.” I smirked.

“Ahem. You can’t count for shit, Bellomo.” Gastone sneered as he and the ever silent Ivan entered covered in blood.

“Oh, look, we found Thales. Guess it’s time to finish the family line of two more ranked families.” Gastone laughed like some Disney villain.

Ivan grunted. A man of few words as always.

I wrinkled my nose as August picked up familiar scents on them. That isn’t just anyone’s blood; that’s my parents’ blood! That’s Alpha Silvano and Luna Sherie’s blood!

“YOU BASTARDS! YOU KILLED OUR PARENTS!” I snarled, August eager to come forward.

Next to me, I heard fabric tears and knew Thales was done talking. His wolf was ready for blood, for vengeance.

I followed suit, letting August come forward. He was by no means close to the same size as Thale’s wolf, but August is no slacker in a fight.

‘Let’s kill these fuckers.’ August growled as his fur began to glow with his gift.

Thales and I lunged forward as Ivan and Gastone shifted, taking a protective stance between Ignazio and us. Of course, the pathetic shithead hides behind his stronger underlings.

‘Thales, stay behind me until I say.’ I instructed.

I didn’t give him a choice, moving ahead of him as I felt August’s power at maximum, sending a burst of light out to blind Ivan and Gastone.

‘Now!’ I shouted, moving to lunge at Ivan, allowing Thales to attack Gastone.

But just as we launched ourselves at them, my light faded as a green glow engulfed us, suspending us midair. What the fuck!?

“Bring them with us. These two may prove useful, and their deaths will still benefit us when they stop being useful.” A female voice instructed just before everything went black.