Aiden’s POV
I jumped from the tree above and landed in my wolf form. He ran through the woods for his life, and my wolf followed close behind. Not that I couldn’t catch him immediately and tear him apart, but I enjoyed the chase. I loved watching my victims run and beg for their lives before killing them.
I raced after him. He could’ve shifted into his wolf form too, but he was stupid. He just ran like a defenseless human. I pounced, ripping into him and tearing his head from his body. Lucas handed me a shirt as I shifted back to my human form. This was the thirteenth rogue wolf I’d killed this month.
It’s been seven years of great torture, and I’ve enjoyed every bit of it. The pain reminds me I deserve all the bad things that have happened to me. Seven years since the Shadow’s attack on my pack. Seven years since my once-safe pack became a haven for rogue wolves. Seven years of trying to regain my dignity by hunting every last one of them.
Different Alphas from other territories have come to claim my pack. Sometimes they almost succeeded, but we came out stronger every time. Yet they never backed down. For the past seven years, I’ve been a failure. I watched as my pack fell into chaos, right before my eyes, and there was nothing I could do about it. They ambushed us so frequently that we no longer knew what peace was.
I needed help. I needed to form alliances with other pack leaders, but not with any of the packs in Rome-they were all enemies. And the worst of this torment? I had to live through it alone. I had no Luna to share my burdens with. Not that women weren’t throwing themselves at me, but I only wanted one person. For seven years, I searched every pack in Rome for her, but she was nowhere to be found. It was as if she and her father, along with my pup, had vanished.
My pup is seven years old now. Is it a boy or a girl? What do they look like? I often wondered.
After taking a shower, I returned to the office. Work and hunting were the only things that helped me escape my thoughts. I continued my research on potential Alphas to form alliances with, poring over names and packs from different countries. The door creaked open, and Logan entered.
“Alpha, when should we start preparing for Italy?” he asked with a slight bow.
“Is it necessary to go?” I questioned, weighing our options.
“It is Alpha. We haven’t attended the meeting in seven years, and the Alpha King himself has summoned you this time,” he paused, then added, “And it might be a good chance to find an ally.”
He had a point, but leaving the pack would make it vulnerable. An attack could come from anywhere.
“No Alpha would dare lead an attack while all the leaders are at the summit,” he reassured me. “I’ll stay behind in case anything happens. You can take the head Omega with you.”
It wasn’t that I didn’t trust my executives, but I felt more secure being present. Still, my parents would be here to help, and it was time I ventured out to forge new alliances. As much as I hated asking for help, this was a necessary step.
“Tell Gustavo to pack my things for a week,” I ordered Lucas as he left.
The event takes place every year in Italy at the Alpha King’s palace. It’s a grand gathering of all werewolf Alphas, though not much important ever happens there. That’s why I hadn’t attended in the last seven years-my pack was already vulnerable, and I couldn’t afford to leave. I always feared Mighty, the one who attacked us seven years ago, was still lurking in the shadows, waiting to strike again.
Gustavo parked in front of the Alpha King’s mansion, rushing to open the door for me. I stepped out, taking in the view of the mansion. Cars were parked everywhere, and more still arriving. I made my way to the main hall where the gathering was taking place. Many Alphas were already seated, some with their Lunas, others with their Betas. I, on the other hand, arrived with my Omega.
I exchanged greetings with familiar Alphas from Rome, though I could tell their smiles were fake. I took a seat in the corner of the room, where I had a clear view of everyone. Then my eyes landed on a familiar face.
What? This man looked exactly like Shenaya, except he was taller, and of course, a man. But his face, his emerald green eyes, and most strikingly, his red hair… I’d never seen such a resemblance in my life. It took everything in me not to rush over and ask him questions. I signaled Gustavo to find out his name and pack.
Within minutes, he returned with the information. “Alpha, he is Alpha Ethan Roux Moreau from the Rock Reel Pack in Paris,” Gustavo reported.
I nodded. I needed to find out more about this Alpha Ethan. Could he be Shenaya’s twin? I couldn’t wrap my head around it, but I would find my answers soon enough.