It turned out that there wasn’t much to go over during the briefing, as Carlo had already covered the basics. The Black Shade pack, located mostly in Marche, had been attacked by a mysterious beast a few weeks ago. Sofia didn’t have many details on the creature, but she mentioned that at least fifteen lives were lost in the fight. Carlo had already sent two warriors to assist with training, but their Alpha had requested additional fighters for defensive purposes.
I leaned my head against the cool window of the Honda Pilot TrailSport that Enrico was driving, trying to ease the dull throb of my lingering headache. Sofia sat in the back seat, bobbing along to a song I couldn’t hear, her headphones firmly in place. If I kept my eyes closed long enough, I could almost pretend we weren’t sandwiched between two other identical Honda Pilot TrailSports, and that this mission actually made some sense.
I still couldn’t quite grasp why Carlo had chosen me for this task. He had been raised in this pack and knew its intricacies better than anyone. Why not send Vito instead of me? Vito was destined to be his Beta one day, so it made more sense to use him than someone like me, whom he had only known for a few months.
We arrived at the Black Shade pack early in the morning, and even though it was summer, the wind bit through my sweater and jeans. The town was smaller than Carlo’s, but there was something charming about its worn buildings, as if the pack had faced trials and come out stronger on the other side.
We pulled up to a plain brick building with small windows and a maroon front door. As we exited the car, a few people stood waiting for us outside. The two other Honda Pilot TrailSports carried the warriors. One group would stay behind to reinforce the Black Shade pack, while the others were only there for protection-another detail that left me uneasy.
A young man in his early twenties approached, his blonde hair brushing his shoulders. His friendly face was marred by a scar that cut through his eyebrow, giving him an air of authority that matched the way he carried himself. I didn’t need to ask to know this was the Alpha.
“Welcome,” he greeted us with a nod. “I’ll skip the formalities. I’m Alpha Vincenzo. Beta Maurizio will show the warriors where they’ll be staying. The rest of you are free to move around. I assume you’re Isabella? Alpha Carlo mentioned you’d be speaking on his behalf.”
“That’s me,” I confirmed, wincing internally at how insignificant I felt. “I’d appreciate a moment of your time, if that’s okay.”
Sofia and Enrico followed the warriors, likely off on their own missions. Standing beside Alpha Vincenzo, I felt small and wondered if he was offended that Carlo had sent me instead of his Beta. Most Alphas would take that as an insult, but if Vincenzo did, he didn’t show it.
“Follow me,” he said, holding the door open for me. “This is where I work. My mate threatens bodily harm anytime I try to bring work home, though I end up doing it more than I’d like.”
“I thought you worked from the pack house,” I commented, stepping into the building behind him.
Inside, the space was as unassuming as the exterior-cubicles lined the room, each equipped with a computer. Only a few of them were occupied, with people clicking away at their keyboards. Vincenzo led me down the hall to a glass-walled office that contained a desk piled high with paperwork and a large fish tank full of colorful fish on one side.
“When my father was Alpha, I was just a warrior,” Vincenzo remarked, grimacing at the paperwork. “I miss the physicality of that life. Being Alpha now is mostly about dealing with this-endless paperwork.”
“I can see how that would be boring,” I chuckled, trying to picture him out in the field.
He sat behind the desk, brushing his hair back with a tired sigh. His hazel eyes were sharp but not unkind as they assessed me, as though he were trying to read between the lines of who I was. His next question came as no surprise.
“What’s your relationship with Alpha Carlo, Isabella?” There was no malice in his tone, just curiosity. “I’m wondering why he’d send you instead of his Beta.”
“I’m just a close friend,” I said, forcing a smile that barely masked the pain beneath.
“Alpha Carlo mentioned you’re one of his best warriors,” Vincenzo raised an eyebrow, clearly testing me.
“Did he?” I asked, surprised by the compliment. My cheeks warmed as I deflected. “I haven’t even finished my training, but I’ll take that as high praise.”
“I offer this to any warrior Carlo sends my way, and the same goes for you,” Vincenzo said. “When your training is complete, you’ll always have a home in this pack if you wish. You might even find your mate here.”
I forced another smile, ignoring the sting in my chest at the mention of a mate. “Thanks for the offer, but I have some questions I need to ask.”
“Go ahead,” he replied, rolling up the sleeves of his shirt, ready for business.
“We were told your pack suffered an attack recently by a creature from the Fae realm,” I began. “Any information on this creature and how you managed to kill it would be useful.”
Vincenzo grimaced. “The creature was a Manticore, at least according to what I found online. It’s like a lion but with a scorpion’s tail. The venom killed several of my men.”
“A Manticore,” I repeated, trying to wrap my mind around the image. “How did you kill it?”
“Cutting off its head did the trick,” Vincenzo said. “Its body turned to ash within moments.”
I scribbled the details into a notebook. “Do you know where this portal might be? And is it normal for their bodies to turn to ash?”
“We’ve sent scouts all over Italy but found nothing. Believe me, I want it closed as much as anyone. The last time something came through was 200 years ago, but these things always find a way.” He leaned forward, eyes darkening. “And yes, when creatures from the Fae realm die here, they turn to ash.”