Chapter 44 44
Chapter 5 – Cazzo
“I’m surprised your father let the jet take off,” Santino said as I watched the runway grow smaller and smaller beneath the plane.
We had boarded a small Learjet in Athens that was bound for Florence, Italy. My father insisted on accompanying us to the Athens airport to see us off. For a moment, I thought he might consider opening a sinkhole and making Santino disappear. My heart echoed with emptiness knowing I wouldn’t wake up tomorrow and go for a morning run with my father.
Tomorrow I would wake up in northern Tuscany, as part of the Nightshade pack. Aleksei was my past, and Santino would be my future. If I was going to be a good Luna, I needed to know everything about my pack, and I had two hours to learn.
“How many members does Nightshade have?”
“We have just over nine hundred members,” he replied.
“Uncle Hades told me your family has a long history in marble?”
“Among other things,” he reached for a bottle of wine. “Our territory is nestled in the lower mountains of the Apennines. My family has a large marble quarry in the Apuan Alps where fine Italian marble has been quarried since ancient Roman times. It’s Tuscany, so we’re also in the wine business.”
“When in Rome…” I smiled.
“This is our Merlot, but Chianti is our main product line.
Would you like a glass?” He offered. “Sure.”
Alcohol had no real effect on werewolves, but many enjoyed the taste. I watched as he unbuttoned the sleeves of his shirt and rolled them up to reveal perfectly carved forearms. He poured two glasses of wine and handed me one. My nerves were getting the best of me, and I found myself wishing the wine had the same effect as it did on humans.
No part of me was prepared for what had happened. I knew I would never have a second chance mate, and here I was with this handsome Alpha who wanted to be my chosen mate. He wasn’t intimidated by my wolf or strength. This was all a good sign.
The next two hours of the flight seemed to pass quickly as he told me more about his pack and life in Italy. Santino asked a lot of questions about my family and my life in Greece. He seemed particularly interested in Uncle Hades, who had become an oil tycoon in a few short years. My attention was drawn to the window when the jet started its descent. A stunning bird’s-eye view of Florence took my breath away.
“Firenze is beautiful, is it not?” He asked in his smooth Italian voice, pronouncing Florence with its proper Italian name.
“I’ve only seen it in pictures,” I smiled taking in the buildings below us. “I’ve been to Italy a few times, but never to Florence.”
“See the big red duomo?” He pointed to the iconic landmark. “That’s the Basilica Santa Maria del Fiore. It’s the largest brick dome ever constructed and was built during the Renaissance. It was an architectural masterpiece ahead of its time.”
“Is that where Michelangelo is buried?” I asked.
“Close, he’s over there at the Santa Croce Basilica. He’s entombed with some of the likes of Galileo, Rossini, and Machiavelli. I’ll have to bring you back for a weekend of fun once you’re settled in.”
“I’m going to hold you to that promise, Alpha.”
The jet touched down and we were greeted by Massimo. His aura was strong, and Azura sensed he was Santino’s Delta. He had light olive skin, natural sandy colored hair, and green eyes. I didn’t see any claiming marks on his neck, which meant he was still unmated. He looked to be about my age.
“The helicopter has been refueled and ready when you are Alpha,” Massimo said as he retrieved my luggage.
“We’re taking a helicopter?” I’m not sure why I sounded so surprised.
It’s not like a wolf pack would be living in the city center of Florence. My father and uncles also had helicopters to reach Athens, the islands, or other packs quicker. Then I realized I had no idea where the pack was, and if it was secluded in the mountains.
“It’s so much faster than dealing with the crowded Italian roads,” Santino replied. “Not to worry, Massimo and I are excellent pilots,” he placed his hand on my lower back and
guided me to the waiting helicopter. Santino reached for the door, and I noticed a dark purple coat of arms with a leaping wolf on it.
Thirty minutes later, all signs of civilization were gone. The helicopter hummed over the foothills of an impressive mountain range and all I could see was a small road twisting and turning below. In the distance, I saw rolling hills with smatterings of forested lands.
The helicopter took a sharp turn and that’s when it came into view. The most charming little village imaginable. Nestled in the valley between two magnificent forested peaks was a secluded village that looked like a medieval fairytale. The small town had red-tiled roofs with brick and stone structured buildings. The surrounding areas were spotted with farmhouses, villas, and vineyards. There was a large pond or small lake to the east of town and behind it, perched on top of a small vibrantly green hill, was a breathtaking castle.
“Is that a castle?” I gawked.
“Castello Russo, your new home,” Santino smiled as he lowered the helicopter.
“Tuscany is the land of a hundred castles, and Italy has thousands of castles,” Massimo added.
Most of the castles in Greece were in ruins or uninhabited, but as the helicopter got lower and lower, I could see this castle was beautifully maintained with stunning gardens. My LaRue ancestors from France built Crescent Castle in Canada, where my mother had grown up. It had secret passages, a swimming grotto, and an astronomy tower. I couldn’t wait to find out what secrets this castle held.
“It looks medieval, hope it has indoor plumbing,” Azura whispered.
The helicopter landed on the edge of the garden in a flat clearing. The stone-laid castle looked larger than life from where I stood with its crenelated rooftops. I felt like I had somehow stepped into a time machine and landed in the Middle Ages of Italy.
“What’s that?” I pointed to a purple flag being raised from the top of the tallest tower.
“The flag has our pack insignia on it. When it’s raised, it lets the others know the Alpha is home,” Santino explained. Reaching for the small of my back, he led me down a pebbled walk through the side garden towards the front of the castle. It was a large park-like garden with arbors, trellises, flowerbeds, fountains, trees, trimmed hedges, and even a statue of a wolf.
“Ah, just in time. Simona is setting out lunch,” a tall wolf greeted us as we approached the heavy wooden doors. Azura recognized him as a Beta.
“Anabeth, this is Rafael,” Santino told me, and Rafael rolled his eyes in annoyance.
“What Santino meant to say, is that I’m his—” “Beta,” I finished to his surprise.
“So, he spoke of me,” Rafael’s bruised ego seemed to be mending as his smile grew wider.
“No, I didn’t,” Santino told him. “She’s an Alpha, she can sense your rank.”
“An Alpha?” He looked skeptical. “Are you sure?”
“As sure as I am he’s a jackass,” Azura scoffed in my mind.
Santino reached for my hand and wasted no time navigating around Rafael into the castle.
“How are you doing that?” Santino asked me. “Doing what?”
“Hiding your wolf?”
“Oh, that... I always suppress my aura when I meet new people. It’s something my father trained all of us to do, though not everyone can do it,” I told him. Alice couldn’t do it, but her wolf was not as strong as mine.
To my surprise the castle wasn’t the dark and cold cellar I imagined it would be. It had been modified and modernized though it still maintained some of its originality. The ceilings were high and the floors stone. Natural light filtered in from the windows and it gave the castle a warm feel. A stunning marble staircase with ornate iron rails graced the center of the grand entrance hall.
“The original spiral stairs are in the back of the castle. Let’s eat, then I’ll give you a tour,” Santino continued guiding me.
“This is Italy, so lunch is always served at one in the afternoon,” Rafael said as he followed us into a dining room.
“Ciao! Sono Danilo,” the wolf seated at the table introduced himself as he stood to shake my hand.
“I’m Anabeth,” I took his hand.
“Lei non parla Italiano,” Santino told Danilo I didn’t speak Italian… which was partially true.
My brothers spoke Italian fluently from a young age, but I had skipped most of the lessons. My father also insisted they learn Spanish, French, and English for business purposes. I knew a little Italian but not enough to keep from embarrassing myself.
“It’s a pleasure to have you with us, Anabeth,” Danilo nodded his head and returned to his seat. Santino introduced him as the Gamma, but his wolf was Beta born. Interesting.
Santino pulled a chair back from the table for me to sit in, it reminded me of a cushioned throne style antique chair.
“Your luggage has been taken to your room,” Massimo said as he entered the room and took a seat beside Danilo. Massimo’s light complexion and hair stood in contrast with the dark hair and eyes of the other three men seated with me. There was something about Danilo and Massimo my wolf instantly liked, but I could feel her uncertainty about Rafael. Perhaps it was the way he kept glancing at me when he thought the others weren’t looking.
My eyes took in the table and the ornate features of this room. Everything was beautifully carved, including the mantle over the fireplace. I heard the squeaking sound of a door being pushed open and the smell of food wafted in. A short round woman entered the dining room, followed by two younger females. All three wore a similar uniform, and all three held serving platters.
“Anabeth, this is Simona, she runs the kitchen and house,” Santino introduce the woman who quickly bowed her head to me. “This is Valentina,” he introduced one of the girls with shoulder length, light brown hair, and hazel eyes. She gave me a cold stare and I could sense the tension radiating from her.
I could have easily released my aura to ensure she understood who I was, but I maintained my cool. If this was going to be my new home, I wanted to earn their trust and respect. I wanted to see what they were like without the intimidation of my wolf. Azura was the strongest one in this room, even stronger than Santino. My elemental gifts only magnified my strength.
“This is Ashley, she was born in California and moved here to live with her grandparents two years ago. She speaks perfect English and Italian, I’ve assigned her to assist you,” Santino added.
Unlike Valentina, Ashley gave me a warm smile as her aura pulsed with excitement. I was looking forward to spending time with her and getting to know her. She was from California, and I couldn’t help wondering which pack.
“Which pack did you come from?” “Pinecrest Lake,” she replied.
“In the Sierra Mountains,” I knew of the pack. “My cousin has Silver Moon, on the northern California border,” I smiled.
“You’re a LaRue?” She asked in surprise.
“Yes. Well, my mother is, my father is a Theodorus,” I replied, but my attention turned to Valentina. She slammed
a glass of water down with too much force next to Santino, the water splashed around and spilled onto the table.
“We heard stories about your grandmother growing up!” Ashley squeaked and quickly used a towel to clean up the spill.
“I’m sure Anabeth is looking forward to hearing all about the stories you’ve heard later,” Santino gave a nod to Simona, dismissing them.
Most of the lunch was spent on pleasant conversations, primarily between Danilo, Massimo, and me. Rafael continued with his silent observation, his eyes glazing over a few times in a mind link with someone. Massimo seemed fascinated with the idea of woman warriors. Apparently, it wasn’t customary for females to fight or train with the males here.
“Yep, we’ve definitely been warped back to the Dark Ages,” Azura snickered at such a backward notion.
“Do your females have a separate training?”
“No. Shifting into wolves helps them maintain physical strength, but there’s no formal training,” Danilo explained.
“But they are skilled archers,” Massimo added. “Anyone that dares to attack would have to come through the pass, and there’s only one road to the village. Archery has long been important in protecting this pack.”
“There are only two other packs in Italy, are you really expecting an attack?”
“It hasn’t always been like this. Our families have feuded for centuries. Italy and France have the highest vampire
populations as well as rogue wolves,” Santino added. “We never let our guard down.”
“Some of our best warriors have been female.” I couldn’t believe the archaic garbage I was hearing.
“Nonsense,” Rafael finally chirped up. “Females are naturally built weaker than males. That’s why Alphas are always male. Their strong auras can be felt when you’re in the same room.”
“Let me at him,” Azura snarled, ready to put him in his place.
The only thing that was nonsense was Rafael’s backward attitude. My grandmother was a golden wolf who could create her own fire and incinerate anything she set her eyes on. My mother was an Alpha with two elements, she could control water and fire. Both could have easily taken a pack of their own and ruled as Alpha but preferred not to. Instead, they stood beside their mates and became ideal leaders together.
“Surely, you’re not afraid of losing a fight to a female, are you?” I poked at the chauvinistic Beta. He was ridiculously offensive.
“Do not challenge me!” Rafael held back a growl. “You may be Alpha born, but you are still a female.”
“You are correct about two things, Beta,” I struggled to keep Azura calm as she pushed for control. “I am Alpha born, and I am a female,” a low growl ripped from me, and I could feel Azura surface.
“Anabeth?” Santino reached for my hand to calm me, but he wasn’t my mate yet, so it had no real impact.
“The next time you insult someone, be certain you can beat them!” My full aura pulsed from me in angry waves. “Can you sense me now?” I tilted my head to the side, reading his expression, sensing his heart rate increase. His throat bobbed as he swallowed hard.
I narrowed my eyes at him. “You may be the Beta of this pack because of your birthright, but the Gamma’s wolf is stronger than yours.”
Rafael sneered when I pointed out an obvious truth and opened his mouth to speak, but Santino cut him off.
“ENOUGH!” Santino growled at his Beta.
“Cazzo!” Massimo whispered a curse word in shock.