Chapter Nine

Alex tried to take in every detail as Mateo led him down to the training facility, but he couldn’t digest it all. The compound was completely modern right down to the central air conditioning. Mateo wasted no time pointing out various rooms as they walked through the corridors to the elevator that would take them downstairs. Alex couldn’t believe the modern conveniences they had implemented. A full library stocked with all the classics as well as popular reading that came in from online bookstores, a computer room that could access the web and research centers of the top universities. They even had an indoor swimming pool and a full gym as well as a screening room that played the same movies you could find at a local theater.

“We have our ways,” Mateo said when Alex asked how they managed it all.

When the elevator stopped, Alex looked down at himself and realized he wasn’t dressed for fighting.

Mateo followed his gaze and slapped his back. “Don’t worry, we have you covered.”

The doors silently slid open to reveal a large gymnasium. Mats covered the floor while one full wall was dedicated to free weights. The adjoining walls each had a different specialty. Punching and speed bags were set up to one side of the room. A second wall looked as if it would be at home in a dojo. Wooden swords, escrima sticks, Korean bows, yumis, and kamas were lined up on it, and the final wall beside a set of double doors contained weapons of every kind, both modern and antique. Broad swords, daggers and rapiers were mixed in with bows and arrows, guns, and much to Alex’s surprise, medieval lances.

“The doors over there will lead you to the locker room and to the firing range. There you can use anything from the guns to the bow or the daggers,” Mateo explained.

“Looks like you’ve got everything.”

“We need to. We don’t believe in learning one way to fight. We have to train in everything. That’s what makes us such formidable opponents. Our main area of training, though, is hand-to-hand combat. We like to hunt, it’s in our blood, and face-to-face kind of fighting fulfills our every desire for blood.”

Alex didn’t know what to say to that. He’d always been a pacifist, fighting had never been his strong suit. There were several men wrestling and training with swords in the large room. To his left he saw Luca speaking to several teenagers, both male and female. “The girls are trained as well?”

“Yes. Training begins when we’re very young.” Mateo whistled, catching everyone’s attention, but it was Luca he motioned over.

The other man was dressed in dark green sweatpants, his chest bare. He smiled at Alex and bowed slightly to Mateo, and that’s when Alex saw the star above his mark. “You’re a noran?”

“That’s right, you could say I am a lover and a fighter.” He looked at Mateo. “You told him about us?”

“He’s like an adolescent. He’s craving sex and didn’t want to partake of a kianna.”

“Ah, so you brought him here to work it out?”

“Pretty much.”

“I take it you’d like me to take the pup?”

“Yes, but just run the basics. I don’t want him getting killed his first full day of training.”

“You know, I can defend myself,” Alex said, and even to his own ears it didn’t sound very confident.

The men looked at each other before laughing. Luca wrapped his arm around Alex’s shoulders and led him toward the double doors. “Come on, sweetness, let’s put that theory to the test.”

* * * *

Sabine sat on the small chaise in her brother’s office, silently staring at him. Dante was slumped back in his large leather seat behind the desk that had once belonged to their father. He hadn’t spoken a word in the ten minutes she’d been here. She glanced at Carissa; the other woman shrugged, but also remained silent.

Dante stared down at his hand and flexed it. Before today, Sabine had never seen him raise a hand to someone who hadn’t deserved it. Sure, Alexander had provoked him, but his situation did not call for strangulation.

Finally Dante spoke. “I’m sorry, Sabine.”

“For what?”

“For the way I acted in the cell with Alexander. I am not the kind of leader who hurts those who don’t warrant it and I swore I never would be, not if I can help it.” He turned his chair to look at the portrait that hung high on the wall behind him so everyone who entered could see it clearly. The man posed in the painting had dark hair and green eyes and bore a striking similarity to the man seated beneath it. Sabine had always loved that portrait of Marco, the Benandanti’s original High Alpha. He was a fair leader, and as their forefather, a great inspiration to her brother.

Mateo entered the room without knocking. “The pup is down with Luca, training,” he said to Dante, glancing at Sabine with a sly smile. “He has a lot of pent-up energy to work off.”

Dante groaned. “I do not want to hear that.”

“Sorry,” Mateo said, but the glimmer in his eyes told Sabine he enjoyed making Dante uncomfortable. “So what are we going to do with him?”

“I’m open to suggestions.”

“Maybe I should have let you kill him. It certainly wouldn’t have hurt.”

“If you thought that, why did you stop him?” Carissa asked from her perch on the leather chair in front of the desk.

Mateo shrugged. “The Chosen’s honest truth is I didn’t think Dante would stop.” He looked at his friend. “You had bloodlust in your eyes.”

“Well, I’m glad he stopped.”

Dante turned to Carissa. “Why?”

“We have no reason to distrust him. As I said before, Francesca did not sense anything evil in him. I did my own research as well.”

“And what did you find?” Dante asked.

“Almost everything. His birth record, school records, dental records. What do you want to know?”

“The Internet is a scary thing,” Mateo stated to no one in particular.

Dante nodded in agreement. “Who was his sire?”

Carissa smiled. “That is the one thing I cannot find.”

“But you said—”

“I said I found his birth record. It says he was found in Atlanta, Georgia in March of 1973. He was left at a church and put in the foster system almost immediately. The woman that found him, a Mrs. Elina Christofedes, gave him her surname. There was some notation that she’d been interested in adopting him, but nothing ever came of it. He was with her and her husband Stavros for four years before he was put back in the system. I couldn’t find information on why, though. He remained in and out of different homes until he was eighteen. That was when he left Atlanta for Texas and enrolled in college.” She slumped back in her chair. “I can tell you he was an A student, a bit of a geek and a loner. I can even tell you if he went to his high school prom. However, no matter where I look I cannot find any trace of his birth parents.”

In thought, Dante steepled his fingers below his chin. Sabine’s mind raced as well. She knew Cari hated not being able to get information, and if she could remember any rogues in the last forty years it might point her in the right direction. The only problem was they only had complete records from the last thirty-five.

“Will DNA help?” Sabine asked.

Carissa shrugged. “It might, but some of the older specimens won’t give proper results. The best we could do is type his blood and try to get a family connection through that. Unfortunately, when it comes to true DNA testing, we’ve only been able to catalogue the last twenty years or so.”

“What of siblings?” Dante asked.

“It would only work if they share a maternal link. They’re long shots but we could try it. However, I’m not sure he’d be willing to give us a sample.”

“You’ve got plenty of samples on Dante’s shirt. The pup, if that’s what he is, bled all over him.” Everyone turned to Mateo with varying degrees of annoyance. “What? It’s true.”

Dante ran a hand through his shoulder-length hair. “He’s right. I’ll drop the shirt off at the lab.”

“Are we even sure he’s one of ours?” Mateo asked.

“His mark bears Marco’s symbol, the wolf’s paw and moon is unmistakable.”

“I thought we agreed it could be a fake. A tattoo.”

“It isn’t.”

“Why are you so certain?”

Dante leaned back in his chair and stared at the ceiling. “You saw Sabine’s mark. It has responded to his.”

“Fuck me,” Carissa whispered, then slapped a hand over her mouth. “I mean … excuse my language.”

“That was exactly my thought.” Dante’s voice was tired. “This entire situation is wearing on my nerves. I just want a decision made so I can put this behind me and get back to the business of protecting my people.”

“So what now?” Sabine asked. “Will you truly honor him as one of us?”

“Yes. We’ll keep him. Make sure he’s watched, but we’ll have to trust him enough to see our people, to see who we are and learn our customs. It seems we have a new brother among us and it was my bite that turned him.”

“Don’t blame yourself, Dante. There was no way of knowing,” Carissa said.

“I know. It’s been centuries since we’ve found a Blood-Kin member of our clan living among the humans.”

“You trust him with Sabine?” Mateo asked.

Dante watched her for several moments. “I trust her. The mark has chosen him for her. We’ll have to guide him, help him cope with this new version of himself. The Blood-Kin always have a harder time learning to harness the Rising, and that was in the days before everything you wanted to know was in a computer. Plus there are the mental issues to deal with.”

“Will you be able to handle this?” Carissa asked Sabine.

“She’s stronger than we give her credit for.”

Dante surprised her and she smiled. “Thank you.”

“Still, I want a sentinel assigned to trail them.”

“And if this potential Blood-Kin turns on us?” Mateo crossed his arms over his chest.

“We kill him.” Dante’s voice was hard, emotionless. He made sure to keep eye contact with Sabine. She gave him a hopeful smile, and he continued, “But first we make sure he shows us the way to his leader.”

Sabine stood up. “So is it agreed? We keep Alexander Christofedes with us?”

Mateo and Carissa rose as well. “We agree.”

The trio faced Dante. Nothing was law until he said so. He pushed the chair back while she prayed to the gods that had turned their backs on them so long ago that this was the right thing to do. He stood. “Make it known. Alexander Christofedes is under my protection so long as he abides by clan law.”

“So be it.” Mateo bowed at the edict.

* * * *

Alex’s back hit the mat with a thud that rattled every bone in his body. He’d lost count of how many times he’d found himself staring up at the bright florescent lights on the ceiling. The crowd that had been snickering and laughing from the moment he and Luca had faced off was now hissing in pain with him.

Luca’s face blocked his view of the ceiling, his expression full of sympathy. “You know, we could stop this now.”

“No. One more time. I just want to complete this block. If I can get this one thing, I’ll stop for the day.”

“It’s your body.” Luca gave him his hand and helped him to his feet. “You’re a glutton for punishment.”

“Anything to stop the other craving.”

Luca arched a brow. “Ahh, gotcha now, pain to replace horniness, I’ve never thought of that. Does it work?”

Alex shrugged. “Not really.”

“Maybe if you quit thinking about Sabine, you can concentrate long enough to follow through on what I’m teaching you.”

Alex jumped around trying to loosen his muscles. He was going to pay for this punishment tomorrow, but for now it was helping. He flexed his hands as he faced Luca and bowed as the sentinel had shown him to symbolize this was training. He took a deep breath and tried to center himself, pushing Sabine out of his mind. He prepared himself as Luca took his stance. At the sentinel’s arched brow, Alex nodded and Luca attacked.

Alex blocked every blow and managed to get in a swipe or two of his own. He fought with every ounce of his strength, surprising Luca, if the look on the other man’s face was anything to go by.

That was when he smelled her.

Sabine’s scent wafted over him, infusing every cell of his body and causing it to react. Alex turned his face toward the elevator and saw her standing there with her brother. She was smiling, but that smile soon fell as her eyes widened. Too late, Alex realized Luca had moved. His feet left the ground once more and he was flat on his back.

Luca leaned over, a huge smile on his face. “We’ve got to work on your concentration, pup.”

Alex moaned, then laughed. He accepted the hand Luca held out yet again and got to his feet. “What can I say? She’s distracting.”

“That will get you killed. I’m serious, Alex. You and me, we’re going work together until you get this.”

“Thanks.”

Luca winked before looking over his shoulder. He turned and bowed. Alex cursed silently as he saw Dante and Sabine approaching.

“You were doing pretty well there,” Sabine said.

“I need a lot of work.”

“That’s the truth,” Dante muttered and got an elbow to his ribs from his sister. The alpha glared at her.

“You promised.” Her tone was sweet.

He huffed out a breath. Turning to Alex he spoke loud enough for everyone to hear. “Alexander Christofedes, let it be known to all that you have come home and we will welcome you if you wish to stay.”

Alex’s jaw dropped open. “Excuse me?”

“He’s giving you a place here with us. Well, officially giving you a place,” Sabine said with a wide smile.

“We will be your family. We will defend you with our lives as you will defend all of us with yours,” Dante continued.

Alex looked over at Luca and Mateo. “Is he serious?”

Both men scowled, no hint of a smile on either of their faces. Alex knew in that instant Dante was deadly serious. He turned to Sabine. “Is there something official I have to say?”

“No, just whatever is in your heart.”

Alex looked around, dozens of faces waited for him to say something—anything—in response to what Dante had announced. The trouble was Alex had no idea what to say. Here he had a group of people who accepted him, whatever he was. They were just like him and ready to embrace him as one of their own, a part of their family and a true member of the clan. He’d done nothing to deserve it. He would have killed for this growing up—a place to call home where he felt truly a part of the whole. On the other hand, he had a life outside of here, friends who would miss him. What if he wanted to go back? Would he be allowed to?

Sabine placed her hand on his forearm, her expression worried. “What’s wrong?”

“I have people out there who would worry if I just disappeared.”

She bit her lip. “A woman?”

“No, not like that, she’s a friend, my best friend and the only family I have.” He looked at Dante. “Will I be able to contact her?”

He pursed his lips as he thought. “Would she accept you as you are? Would she think you were still the same man you have been or would she see you as some kind of monster? Think on that carefully before you answer, Alex.” He spread his arms out to encompass everyone in the large room. “These are your people now. If you choose to decline my offer, we will lead you out of the compound and take you back to your campsite. You have the answers you came here to find, but know this: if you leave you cannot come back. You will be considered a rogue; an enemy to us and killed on sight should we ever see you near our lands. If you accept, know that my word is law. I am alpha and everyone, everyone answers to me.”

“Understood,” Alex said.

Dante narrowed his gaze. “Take some time to think on what I’ve said. You will be treated as an honored guest.”

“Thank you, Dante.”

“I know the mark has chosen my sister for you,” Dante added, and there were murmurs from the crowd. Alex guessed that bit of information would travel faster than anything else that had happened in the last few minutes. The murmurs didn’t last long, Dante’s stern look around had quieted them almost immediately. “Heed me well on this, Alex; you hurt my sister in any way and I will kill you. So I state for all to witness, so it shall be.”

“It is law,” Mateo said.

“I’d rather cut my heart out than hurt her,” Alex said loudly.

Dante arched a brow. “Good.”

Sabine stepped forward. “Dante, I’d like to show Alex around, perhaps seeing us as we are will help him to understand us.”

“Stay within the castle. No one is to go out until I say it is safe.” He turned and walked away with Mateo on his heels.

Luca approached Alex. “That wasn’t easy for him to do. Dante holds on to the old ways as a way to honor his forefathers, we don’t usually welcome outsiders. I suggest you consider his offer very carefully.” He looked at Sabine and smiled. “And think of what you might be giving up as well.”

Sabine wrapped her arms around Alex’s upper arm and hugged it. “Luca, Alex needs to make this decision on his own. Now, let him go take a shower so I can show him around.”

Luca bowed with a sweep of his arms. “As my lady bids.”

Sabine pushed him down. “I’ll wait for you one floor up.” She rose onto her toes and kissed Alex’s cheek. “Don’t keep me waiting.”

“Damn, pup, you’re a lucky man. Half the men in the clan hoped they’d be Sabine’s mate.” Luca rose to his feet.

“Should I watch my back?”

“No. We respect the mark. We don’t understand it, really. We used to think it was a way for The Chosen to tell us they have found our other half.”

“And now?”

“The Chosen turned their backs on us a long time ago. Now we think it is all chemical. See, pup, even we magickal beings can lean on science when it suits us.”

Alex laughed. “I better get cleaned up. I don’t want to keep her waiting.”

“I’ll keep everyone out. If you’re not using the services of the kianna you might want to take the edge off, if you know what I mean.”

“You say it so casually—the kianna thing, I mean.”

Luca shrugged. “It’s natural for us, Alex. Everyone uses them; it keeps your head clear. If you don’t have to worry about searching it out, you don’t think about it as much. This is why we were created.”

“Everyone?”

“All unmated males and females. Even Sabine, though I doubt she will anymore now that you’re here.”

Alex frowned, he wasn’t sure how he felt about that, but he couldn’t be upset. Not really. Still, it didn’t keep him from tensing in anger.

“Keep that in check, pup. You can’t control it yet and I’d hate to have to put you down.”

Alex took a deep breath and calmed himself. “I feel so stupid.”

“Don’t. There’s a lot to get used to. Sabine will help with it all.”

After a quick shower, Alex headed upstairs to meet with Sabine. The elevator doors slid open with a soft hiss, and Alex found her leaning against the wall in front of it, but she wasn’t alone. Several women surrounded her, talking and laughing together.

He stepped off the lift and waited. As one, every head in the crowd turned to look at him. One tall brunette leaned back into the crowd and spoke, making everyone, including Sabine, laugh. It all brought back vivid high school flashbacks.

Sabine stepped out of the crowd and leaned up to press a quick kiss to his lips. She turned to the woman who had spoken. “I’m sorry, Adriana, but Alex will not need your assistance. He has me.”

The woman, Adriana, bowed her head slightly. “I admit I’m extremely jealous as are all the kianna.”

The women agreed as they stared at Alex. He never felt more like a hunk of beef in his life.

Sabine laughed. “Now you’re making him uncomfortable. Go away so I can show him around.”

The ladies spoke quietly to each other as they left, but Adriana stayed behind. Sabine arched a brow at the other woman. She stepped forward and bowed to Alex. “Allow me to welcome you to the clan. I’m Adriana.”

“Adriana is the prime kianna,” Sabine explained.

“Ah,” Alex said. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Adriana.”

“So you know of us?”

Alex nodded. “Luca explained some things to me.”

Adriana smiled and glanced at Sabine. “He is ready, Sabine, you should forgo the tour and take him back to your quarters. He smells of lust.”

Alex didn’t know who blushed deeper, him or Sabine. Adriana laughed and bowed again before running off in the direction of the other women.

“I’m sorry about that. You looked absolutely mortified.”

“I’m not used to people being so open about sex.”

“It’s a part of who we are. Sex is something to be celebrated and not hidden or ashamed of.”

Alex’s lips tipped up in a crooked grin. “It is a nice change of pace.”

“So you don’t mind?”

He put his arm around her waist. “No.” The contact shot through him like a jolt of electricity. He tensed and began to slide his arm out, but she braced her hand on his forearm and pulled it back as she turned, bringing her chest against his. Alex’s breath caught as her scent enveloped him. He looked down into her green eyes. She licked her lips, and that one small movement rode over his skin with incredible power. He leaned down until he felt her breath on his lips, and waited.

Sabine lifted her lips to his. “Kiss me, Alex, let me see if my dreams can compare to reality.”

He held her close, fully intending the kiss to be tender, to take his time and savor her, but it all changed at the first touch of their lips.

The kiss was electric.

Gripping his shirt tightly, she opened to him. Alex slipped his tongue into her mouth. He reached up to hold the back of her head. His fingers tangling in her long hair, tongues dueling erotically, he slid his free hand to her ass and squeezed it, holding her close to his aching groin. She gave as much as he. Skimming her hands beneath his borrowed black tee shirt, she raked her nails erotically down his back. Alex growled into her mouth as he pressed against her, walking with Sabine until her back met the solid wall behind her. He lifted her and she wrapped her legs around his hips, grinding her pussy against his erection. He pulled back from her lips as desire fired in his every muscle. She moaned as he rolled his hips and took her mouth again.

He could feel his body tightening in ways that had nothing to do with sex. As he tried to back off, Sabine followed him. He kissed her and tried to move away again, but she would not let go so easily. His slid his lips to her neck, licking the pulse he found there. She moaned loudly, the sound echoing in the deserted hall.

Then he bit her.

She gasped as she loosened her hold, and Alex took the moment to push away from her. He couldn’t believe what he’d done and didn’t look up, afraid to see the look of horror on her face. Moments went by until he felt her fingertips on his chin. She lifted his face. She was grinning as she searched his features, her fingertips tenderly caressing his face. “Alex.”

He tried to turn away. “I’m sorry.”

“No, don’t be. Your eyes, they’re glowing. They’re beautiful, like blue ice.”

He stared down at her. Her own eyes were emerald fire. “This has never happened to me before.”

“The glow or the really wonderful kiss?”

He laughed and kissed her forehead. “Both. I feel strange.”

“It’s the Rise. There is a fine line between changing and sexual gratification. I’ve read that for some Blood-Kin it’s the most difficult thing to master. We full bloods are lucky that way, I suppose.”

“Sabine, is there a cure for this?”

She tilted her head. “A cure? This isn’t an illness, Alex. It is part of who we are. We’re born this way.”

“You were born this way. You said that my version of it was activated. If it was activated maybe it can be deactivated.”

She stepped back, putting distance between them. Alex mourned the loss of her touch. “You were born this way as well, you just haven’t had to live with it all your life. Would you cure yourself if you could?”

“I’m going to be honest with you because I don’t want lies between us. I don’t know if I would, but I’d like to know if we could if for no other reason than I choose to go home to live my life normally.”

“Are you saying we’re not normal?”

“Would you?”

She paused to think. “No. To me this is normal.”

“I don’t mean it as an insult. This is all very different for me.” He reached for her hand and held it tightly. “Please don’t be angry with me.”

“I can’t be angry with you. I don’t know what I would do if I wore your shoes.”

Alex smiled slightly at her choice of words. He leaned in and kissed her sweetly. “Show me your world.”

They walked down the hall in silence. Alex always hated silence when he was with someone. It wasn’t that he liked the sound of his voice as much as he hated the lack of any kind of noise. He cleared his throat and listened to the dull echo of it in the hall. Sabine’s lips quirked up at the sound. “Listen, I wanted to say I was sorry.”

“You have no reason to apologize, it wasn’t a hard bite. You didn’t even break the skin.”

Alex grimaced. “Not that. I wanted to apologize for last night.”

“Alex, listen to me. What you did last night is natural. You were scared and you reacted. You didn’t hurt me, you didn’t even threaten me. When it came down to it, you lay down. It’s not every day a male takes on a submissive role to a woman. I liked it and it was very respectful.”

“It was?”

“Come,” she said with a smile as they stopped in front of a set of double doors. The large oak doors were intricately carved with ivy vines wrapped around the edges. The carving in the center of the door on the right showed a large wolf baying at the moon. On the left-hand door the center carving was that of a beautiful woman with a man kneeling before her. In her hands she held a shield and a large sword. Sabine reached out and with a reverent touch caressed the woman’s dress. “Beyond these doors lies our history. These carvings are our forefathers. He—” she pointed to the kneeling man, “is Marco Luna, the clans’ original High Alpha.”

“What is a High Alpha?”

“He presided over all the others.”

“Like your brother.”

“No. Dante is our clan alpha. I will explain inside.” She motioned to the woman. “This is Bellaserra, Marco’s mate.” Her voice was sad. Alex looked at the carving and saw a tear had been carved to her serene features.

Sabine pushed open the doors, locking them behind her. Alex examined the cavernous room. It was something out of a movie set. The room was obviously a library. Wall to wall shelves lined with books filled the space on two levels. In the center of the room were several tables and overstuffed chairs. Computers were lined up in the back and there was a bar to his right. All the furniture was made of mahogany and polished to an exquisite shine. He whistled softly at the grandeur of it all.

Sabine walked to the center of the room where a lone glass case was placed upon a pedestal. Alex walked to stand beside her and looked down where a large leather-bound book sat centered on blood-red velvet. She pressed a button and the glass covering retracted. Caressing the book’s fragile yellowed pages, she said, “This is our history. Within these covers lies the story of how we came to be. I told you of The Chosen and our maker.”

“Yes.”

“So now I’ll tell you of Marco and his Bellaserra. Marco fell in love with Bella shortly after Benural changed him. Bellaserra was a human servant to The Chosen. She kept their altars intact and stocked with offerings, spoke of them to other humans and spread their message.”

“Like a priestess.”

She smiled. “Yes. She and Marco joined in the ritual coupling.” She paused. “It’s a hand-fasting of sorts.”

“I understand. Go on.”

“They lived happily for a time. Until the Great War, that is. Marco tried to protect her but…”

“She died?”

“She became a casualty. She died protecting the clan.” She sighed softly. “She ran into the battle to give the clan time to escape. It’s because of her sacrifice that Marco stated our number one rule is no human involvement.”

“And this protects you.”

“Yes, I also think a piece of Marco died the day Bellaserra did. He forbade the clan from coexisting with a people who could not protect themselves against our strength.”

“This is why you train males and females to fight.”

“Yes.”

“But there are exceptions to the rule, right? I saw you in Arcevia. I saw Luca and Carissa as well.”

“There are always a few who are chosen to deal exclusively with the outside world. We as the council have had some degree of interaction with the people around us. This land is registered as a wolf conservatory.” She smiled when Alex’s brow shot up. “It seemed the perfect cover. When we need to get supplies we have one or two members of the clan go to get them. It tends to keep the curious away from our lands and keeps us from having to protect ourselves from them.”

“And your brother was educated, Luca as well, right?”

“You have been paying attention. All of the members of the clan are given the opportunity to leave the colony and see the outside world. Alphas and betas are accompanied by a sentinel. In Dante’s case, it was Luca.”

“Are there many rules?”

“Not much more than in human society, I suppose. We have laws against murder like anyone else as well as theft and other crimes. We just supplement those with rules that have served us since the beginning.”

“So what are the big ones, besides no humans?”

“The alpha’s word is law.”

“Got that one drilled into me.”

Sabine closed the glass case and laughed. “I must admit it’s the one I have the most difficulty with, but I try to keep it within the council.”

“Who exactly makes up the council?” Alex asked as he made his way to one of the comfortable-looking leather chairs. He sank into its softness with a sigh. He motioned to Sabine by patting his lap. She joined him, making herself at home. Alex stifled a moan as she adjusted herself, sinking her rear beside his groin. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.

“Okay, clan hierarchy 101. We have our alpha male; the alpha is born to other alphas and my family is directly descended from Marco himself. There can be a challenge for alpha status, but only the beta can do it.”

“Are betas born?”

“No. Betas are usually the strongest or most cunning male of the alpha’s generation and they can be challenged by anyone in the clan. The alpha female is a member of the male’s family, usually his wife. If there is no wife, it is a blood relative.”

“So why aren’t you the alpha female?”

She looked away from him. “I didn’t think I was strong enough. When my brother came into power I was very young and he was mated so it didn’t matter. When the bitch left it all fell to me. I wasn’t prepared. Carissa is a much stronger woman, and I am quite happy being the beta. As second, I am trained in healing and I find that fulfilling.”

Alex didn’t believe a word of it. Her voice was too upbeat, not a trace of jealousy. It just didn’t ring genuine to him. He wouldn’t call her on it, not yet. If she wanted him to think she was happy, it would do no harm to let her believe he accepted it. He squeezed her reassuringly and kissed the crown of her head. “Alphas and betas, got it. It’s like a real wolf pack.”

“We are what we are.” She shrugged. “The other members of the council are the chief sentinel, in our case Luca, and the omega. You’ll meet Roberto later. Our omega is a former sentinel and he keeps the litter safe. He’s also in charge of educating them and overseeing their training.”

“Sounds like an important job.”

“And one he takes very seriously. Roberto may be old, but he says he has forgotten more information than we’ve ever learned and can still whip any of us on a battlefield. I certainly believe him.”

“Kiannas and norans are born, right?”

“Yes. You’ll be able to tell who they are by the eight-pointed star above their marking.”

“Eight is a very magickal number in many societies.”

“Is it?”

He smiled. “Somehow, I think you knew that, but yes. The number eight can signify strength, beauty, confidence, good judgment and power.”

“You are very well versed in magick, Alex.”

“I guess I am. I was always interested in other civilizations, especially their legends.”

“You are more like us than you know.”

Alex didn’t want to think about that too hard. He turned his attention to the shelves instead. “Are all these books your history?”

“Each family has a series of books. It keeps our history for future generations.” Her voice was full of pride.

“So you aren’t immortal.”

“No.”

“Can you be killed with a silver bullet?”

She laughed softly. “We can be killed with any kind of bullet. We were created by magick, Alex, but we still retain our human characteristics. The things you see in movies don’t hold true for us.”

“If human interaction is forbidden, how do you get hybrids like me?”

“People leave. It’s not forbidden to leave the clan. You have to seek permission to go, though, and it is up to the alpha to allow you back. If you leave without permission or you’re forced to leave, you are considered a rogue and we don’t endure rogues coming and going as they please.”

“Seems harsh.”

“Maybe a little, but if they left without permission it is usually because they were up to no good to begin with. We have enemies out there and to have an enemy among us is dangerous to the entire clan. Hybrids like you aren’t trusted because you are the offspring of a rogue member.”

“Do you know who my parents were?”

“Not yet. Carissa and Francesca are working on it. All we know is that one of them was a member of our clan.”

“How are you so certain?”

“Each pack’s markings are slightly different in either style or color. Yours is one of ours. What do you know of your parents?”

“Not much. I wasn’t found with anything of theirs. They really must not have wanted to be found.”

“If either of them was part of the clan in the last fifty years or so, we’ll have records of them. We might be able to give you a piece of your past. You might even have some family here.”

Alex hadn’t thought of that. The idea of having family, blood relatives, made his mind race with possibilities. “I tried for so long to find a trace of family.”

She hugged him. “You might find much more here than you ever hoped.”

Alex saw the hope in her eyes and he did not want to give her any expectations without a definitive answer whether he was going to stay or not. He changed the subject. “So it’s assumed hybrids are taught to hate the pack their parent left.”

“That’s the basics, yes. Rogues don’t have it easy. Generally, members of the clan aren’t accustomed to the outside world and we don’t adjust well, at least that’s what we’re told. Most rogues go crazy, yet another reason we don’t welcome them back.”

“Protect the pack at all cost.”

“Yes, and we’re a clan more than a pack. Pack makes us sound more animal than human. We’re the Dark Moon Clan.”

“How did you get the name?”

“There was no moonlight the night Bellaserra died. Marco called it the Dark Moon and named his clan for it, so he’d never forget.”

“Did he ever marry again?”

“He did, but my mother said he didn’t love her the way he loved his Bella. To this day we feel as if she looks over us. Bellaserra protects us.”

“What happened to your brother’s mate?”

“She betrayed him with an enemy. She’s with them still. She made my brother look like a fool, and what was worse, he began to doubt himself.”

“How long ago was this?”

“Seventy, maybe seventy-five years ago.”

“Are you kidding me?”

“Yes.”

Alex’s jaw dropped open; he waited a beat and tickled her. Sabine squealed as she tried to get off him, but he held her down tightly until she was out of breath and hanging off the chair arm slightly. Her face was flushed from laughter, her eyes shining, and Alex knew he had never seen anyone more beautiful.

He leaned in to kiss her, but she stayed him with a hand on his chest. “Are you going to leave me, Alex?”

“Don’t ask what you really don’t want to hear the answer to.”

Her eyes dimmed a bit, but she still laid her hand on the back of his neck and brought his head down. She drew his bottom lip into her mouth and sucked, eliciting a groan from him. He kissed her hard, enjoying the sweet taste of her.

Sabine pushed him back and ended the kiss before it became too heated. “We’ve got other things to see.” Alex helped her to her feet. “So tell me of your childhood, Alex.”

“There’s really not much to say.”

“Let me guess, you never felt as if you belonged?”

“How did you know?”

“I know the feeling.”

He shrugged as he followed her out of the room and down the hall. “Some of my fosters tried, but after being tossed back and forth for so long I started pushing them away. Once I turned eighteen I left for college and haven’t been back.”

“I can’t imagine life without family.”

“It wasn’t so bad. I had my studies and when I was a graduate student I had the wolves.”

“Sounds a little lonely, but who would have thought you’d have both now. Family and wolves as one. Did you always have a calling toward wolves?”

“I have always been fascinated with them. I’d stay up late at night when I’d go camping, hoping I could hear them howling, and I’d get so excited when I did.” He glanced at her. “I guess that was the Benandanti part of me?”

“Possibly, if you believe that you’ve been a part of us all your life and this is your destiny, then yes, it was that part of you that felt a kinship.”

Alex rolled that idea in his head as she walked to a door at the far end of the hall. She knocked gently, before pushing it open and stuck her head inside. She spoke quietly in what he assumed was the Benandanti native language. Turning back to him, she swung open the door with a flourish.