A wolf for a wolf

September 3, 2005.

"Do not move."

I had lost my sense of anticipation. That's what happens when you become a lone wolf.

"Do exactly what I say or you die."

I could feel my heart racing despite my best attempt to compose myself. The accent was masculine and Italian.

There was no quake or tremor in the man's voice. His tone sounded calm and detailed. This was no hoax, if I went out of line, I would die.

I tried to rack my brain to figure out how I had gotten into this position but at the moment, my head was synonymous with a blank sheet of paper.

There was no mistaking the fact that he was a wolf as I was. I could smell his scent, the musky smell, kind of like a wet dog or a bear and the unmistakable feeling that he was a wild creature and a top predator. I had to thread carefully.

"What do you want?"

I asked fearfully as the cold steel of his gun pressed into the small of my back. I could smell the power radiating off him, he was a high-ranked wolf, not an Alpha like I was but he commanded respect and he knew he had all the chips and he intended to use them judiciously.

I needed a distraction and I needed it fast before he got trigger happy and my insides were sprayed out on the white tiles of the bathroom floor.

My first instinct was to lean into the barrel and spin sharply to his right, turning the barrel away from my body. The man was probably left-handed, he would need a second or two to adjust his aim and that was enough time. He would be exposed on his right-hand side and I could land on a blow through that exposed gap giving me enough leverage to break his arm and bury a bullet into his forehead. I also had the option of breaking my long-standing rule and shifting into a wolf and tearing him to pieces, there were very few wolves that could take me down in single combat and despite his obvious strength, I knew I would take him down eventually.

Old memories. But the guy who could do those things wasn't around anymore. He was consigned to the grave along with my past which I happily buried and moved on.

"I know what you're thinking, Logan. No need for that."

He knew my name.

Something wasn't right. I didn't go by that name anymore, he was a man from my ugly past and I couldn't fathom what he wanted from me. I had made sure to cover my tracks and remain under the radar for quite a long time.

Everyone from my past was either dead due to circumstances or by my own doing. I had a knack for remembering scents or voices but I couldn't quite place this man's, I was at a disadvantage this time around.

Slowly, I lifted my head and looked into the mirror in front of me. His face was unfamiliar, I had never seen him before.

He was a gigantic man, with tattoos stretching over his shaved head, running down to his neck, and disappearing underneath his big black coat. His face was partially charred making him look even more lethal, maybe that was why he was unrecognizable.

I wondered how he had gotten past the security at the front door. Sam's kitchen was one of the best food restaurants in New York City and it was exclusively for the rich and successful. A meal here costs more than what many people earned in a month and I had dinner here anytime I needed to put in a night shift at the office or any time I was running late. From my observation over the past few years, men like him weren't welcomed here, it was bad for the brand and business as well.

Sam loved nothing more than making sure his businesses had no issue, everyone knew what a perfectionist he was, and knowing how strict the employees were, there was no way the big man would have gotten past the security guards.

Except, if he had gotten in through the back door. It was either someone had tipped him off about where I would be or I was being watched and that meant my family could be in grave danger as well.

There was no need to check if the CCTV cameras conspicuously hidden in the bathroom were working, they wouldn't be. You wouldn't risk coming into one of the safest restaurants in New York without taking care of every little detail that mattered, especially one as important as this.

"Who are you?" I asked again. More composed this time.

"You don't remember me, do you?" His tone was more chilling than the cold during the winter months in Russia. A slight shake of my head gave him the answer he needed and he chuckled.

"You messed with the wrong people in your past. It's time for you to answer to the murders you committed."

He snarled at me, I could feel the anger radiating off him in waves. I gripped the faucet, my fingers wrapped around its porcelain composition as I stared hard at his reflection in the mirror directly above the faucet.

His eyes were beginning to glow, he was slowly losing control and I needed to continue to push him over the edge to take control of the situation before it escalated.

"I don't know what you're talking about, you've got the wrong person."

The man said nothing at first, it was eerily quiet. He narrowed his already glowing eyes, deep in thought. He just glared at me quizzically. There was no sound, other than my heart jackknifing in my ribcage. I recognized the accent but I couldn't make any trace to any Italian pack I might have crossed in the past but I couldn't come up with any asides from one I watched burn to the ground decades ago.

"We have your wife and son, Logan."

My stomach clenched. My mouth hung in awe as salvia trickled from it. I covered my mouth and coughed hard. I fought to regain control over myself as waves of fear coursed through me repeatedly. I wasn't expecting the news, it was the last thing I thought would happen. The man and his cohorts had been planning this for months, there was no other explanation.

My family had one of the best-trained security guards in the state, all belonging to a highly respected wolf gang. How they had managed to get past them within the three hours since I last spoke to my wife, Amy, was beyond me.

All traces of my composure vanished. Time, motion, breathing - everything stopped. I was finding it hard to concentrate on trying to escape now I heard the news of my family being held captive. I tried to remember where I had gone wrong since I finished university but I could think of none. I had managed to build a reputation for myself as a thriving young businessman here in the city of New York without having any skeletons in my closet. I knew I had enemies and I knew every single one of them, it was part of the job.

People would hate you for being more successful than they were especially if you were a lone wolf like I was, lone wolves weren't associated with success, I had changed the whole narrative by putting in blood, sweat, and tears, but never in my wildest dreams did I think someone would physically threaten me and my family.

"If you so much as hurt a strand of their hair-"

The words died in my throat as he brought out a cellphone from his coat and showed me a video on the screen.

My wife and son were snuggled tight in a dimly lit room shivering due to fright. The sight before my eyes broke my heart, everything I worked so hard for was on the verge of crumbling before my eyes and I was helpless to do anything about it.

"You have 72 hours to do what we want or you lose your family. So I advise you to take a trip down memory lane and remember the very day you destroyed my family because the lives of your wife and son depend on it."

His voice was surprisingly calm despite it being filled with anger as he spoke. His movements were so sudden, I didn't expect them. I felt his large hands as they gripped me and pulled me towards his large body and before I could brace myself for what was coming, he slammed my head into the mirror as I sunk into oblivion.

***

Lying down on the raw concrete, I could feel the walls closing in around me. I felt the vicious pounding of my heart banging repeatedly against my ribcage. I shut my eyes tightly. I could still hear myself yelling my wife and son's names over the cacophony of a billion shards of glass as my head slammed into the mirror. My wolf was fighting to let loose but I had to maintain maximum control. I didn't know where I was or how strong I would be to take on several wolves all at once, judging from the scent emanating from the half-burnt man, he was a powerful wolf and a high-ranking one at that, I didn't know how many of his type were in on this, so I had to act smart in order keep my family alive. I couldn't bring myself to bask in the pain I felt.

I had less than 72 hours to do what these men wanted or my family would be dead. As a lone wolf, I was sort of a pariah in the wolf quarter. Given the fact that I abandoned the pack of my own volition, I had nobody who I could fully trust with my life or that of my family. Instinctively, I touched where a shard of glass had cut me. The wound had already healed. I had to give it to them, they had thought everything through before they made their first attack.

I was like a recruit thrust into the heat of a raging war, I needed to find a safe place before I was blown to bits out here in the open.

I groaned as I struggled to sit up, I had no idea how I got here but I didn't care about that right now. I had more important things to worry about, I needed to be up on my feet, thinking. I needed my brain working overtime, everything I held dear depended on it.

My fear had toned down a little; slipping away from me like a nightmare slips away from a haunted man, who wakes eyes-wide, gulping with goosebumps covering every inch of his cold skin, who takes deep breaths trying to recollect the terrors, making sure it was all a dream and slowly, he begins to forget it ever happened.

Half of it is gone as soon as his wobbly feet hit the cold tiles in his bedroom, a quarter of it by the time he emerges from the shower; and all of it by the time his weary head hits his plush pillow.

I rubbed my eyes fervently and my whole body was on high alert as the door was thrown open and a man walked into the room, holding a new suit. I immediately recognized the scent. It was the same man that ambushed me at the restroom in Sam's kitchen.

The clock on the wall chimed and I glanced up, it read quarter past nine. I did a mental calculation in my head, I had been out cold for nearly twelve hours. My head felt like it would explode any minute, I needed something for the throbbing dull ache.

"You need to change your clothes, Logan. You can't go out there looking like shit, cleanliness is a watchword around here." He said.

There was something personal about his voice, I could have sworn that I'd heard it somewhere but the details were a little bit vague in my head. I needed to bring myself to remember if I planned on getting myself out of this mess before things escalated into bigger proportions.

"I'm fine with what I have on. All I want is to see my family and confirm their safety before I do anything else." I rasped.

"You will see them. But, you need to see my boss first. He'll give you instructions to carry out. I need you to understand something before we proceed with anything else, despite your status as the legitimate Alpha of the Zorander pack, you will be regarded and treated with disdain as the pariah which you now are. Is this clear?" He snarled, flexing his muscles. I looked at him unfazed at his show of braggadocio, I've dealt with men more vicious than he was and here I was.

His attempt to instill fear in me was never going to work. I might be a lone wolf but my roots were firmly rooted in one of the most powerful wolf houses in the country.

"If you fail, your family will suffer. If you don't cooperate, your beautiful wife will serve our men, you know what I mean right...?" He trailed off deliberately, taunting me with his words.

I let out a low growl and stretched out my left hand as my fist connected with his jaw sending him tumbling backward, I drew back my fist and landed another blow into his solar plexus making him double over in pain.

I lunged for him and at the same time he held up his hands to shield himself from more blows. My right hand slipped into the man's jacket, lifting his wallet. It was clean and fast, the man was oblivious to what had just happened. I hadn't lost much speed after all. I was still as good as I had been two decades ago. The man didn't notice anything, he was busy trying to fend off my attacks.

"Wait wait. Take a look before you do anything stupid, Logan." He mustered with great difficulty.

I stopped, relaxing my stance and loosening my grip around his neck. The man held a small device in his hand. I knew a detonator when I saw one and that could only mean one thing.

"You wouldn't be so stupid as to plant a bomb here." I taunted him, trying to call his bluff. The man wiped his bloodied nose on his sleeve as his laughter resounded around the room.

"Don't be silly, Logan. The bomb isn't here." "Then where is it?" I asked, curiosity getting the better of me.

"Your wife and son are both wearing an explosive device." He paused and took a deep breath, letting his words sink before he continued.

"One little push on this red button would bring severe consequences, so think about your next line of action very carefully or I would be forced to hurt you."

I looked at him, stunned. Unable to momentarily think about what my next line of action would be.

"And the next time, you pull off a stunt like this. You won't have a family to return home to, I promise you."

He pushed my arm away from his neck and rearranged this tie. He wasn't as strong as I had made him out to be, I could easily take him down but that would happen some other time. For now, I had to play the willing wolf and do everything they asked of me.

Two hours later, I walked briskly into the large room, it was a typical, bleak coffee-stained room with dirty walls. The scent of sweat, cigarettes and musky cologne hung in the air like a chandelier, there were pictures on the wall which were some kind of modern art, and the furniture looked plain, uncomfortable, leather and black.

My eyes landed on a large man sitting in the center of the room. A long metal table with paper strewn across the surface separated me from who I assumed to be the Alpha, there was this air of authority surrounding him. He was flanked by several men quadruple my size, some I hadn't seen before in my life and that said a lot about the kind of people I was dealing with here.

Despite the sizes of a lot of these men, I could tell that many of them were level one wolves, omegas. They had no important rank and they had the largest population in the werewolf society. Their main objective was to serve the higher ranking wolves, they were foot soldiers to the trinity leadership in any pack, the Alpha, Beta, and Delta.

They were certainly higher in the hierarchy than Rogues wolves, who were wild and pack-less, there were a lot of nasty rumors about the rogues and a whole lot of them were true, they were a psychotic bunch with zero empathy and regard for life. It has been said that as a result of their broken pack bond, it is said that if a pack turns its back on any of its pack members, the effect can lead to damaging effects on the particular wolves. They were generally recruited by Alphas who had ulterior motives and my wolf nose could pick up their distinctive smell as I entered the room.

Then there were wolves like me, lone wolves who had rebelled against the Alpha and willingly left the pack to fend for themselves. There were very few of us scattered around the country, a lot of us were hiding because we were being hunted to be killed. I was one of the few who could still live a regular life, majorly because I was the first son of my father.

I took a close look at him as I approached the table, my gaze wary as it darted from face to face trying to pick up a hint or read their stoic facial expressions. The skin on his body looked like grade-three sandpaper, the consistency was unreal.

He lifted his face, smiled cynically, and pushed away his bowl of cereal as he saw me coming toward him. His face was badly burnt, the top of his head was charred and hair would probably not grow on it again.

He scratched his face, his fingers grating over his hard skin.

Francis, as I had come to know him, was in front of me leading my every step, my eyes were glued to his black coat, he had put the detonator in one of the pockets.

I went over different scenarios on how to take the device without being suspicious, but I shook my head at all my ideas.

It was too dangerous, I couldn't risk my family being blown to pieces. A small part of me didn't believe any of this but I wasn't ready to call his bluff yet, till I knew my wife and son were both safe.

These men looked like traditional wolves and they wouldn't have gone through all this stress if they could have easily blown me and my family in our sleep. There was something else they wanted from me and I didn't know if I had what they wanted. I hated being at a disadvantage, I was like a blind man who had no knowledge he was being led to the slaughterhouse. The first time I had ever been at a disadvantage in my life, it changed me forever, I still bore the scars to this day.

"Welcome to Asgard, Logan Zorander. This meeting has been long overdue, forgive me for the time I wasted in setting up this meeting. I had to make sure I took care of every little detail that needed to be reviewed, I hope you understand."

I looked at the man who spoke as he stood, he was a big tall man. I was by no means small, I weighed over two hundred pounds and stood at six feet four inches but I felt dwarfed standing in front of him.

I shook his outstretched hand as Francis pointed me to my seat. His grip was surprisingly light and friendly. I wasted no time in getting straight to the point, there was no point in frivolous nonsense, and I couldn't deal with any of it. I had already sized him up and I was a damn good judge of character, he looked like a businessman and businessmen only wanted one thing - money.

"I'm willing to double the amount you were offered to harm me and my family if you let us go. And, if you give me the name of who contracted your organization, I'll triple the amount." I started as I adjusted my tie and crossed my leg, giving him a few seconds to process what I just said.

"So, what do you say? Do we have a deal? I can get you the money in ten minutes if you decide to take me on my offer. I get my family and your smile at the bank, it is a win-win situation for everybody."

I watched the man take out a cigar from one of the many trays on the table and lit it. He took a long drag before puffing out the smoke into the air. He glanced over to where I sat, a small smile playing on his lips as his eyes roamed over my body.

I've played this game several times. He was sizing me up, trying to decide whether I meant what I said or call my bluff, I maintained eye contact and waited for him to speak. My next line of action depended on whatever decision he decided to take.

"The weather is always a bit harsh during this time of the year. I've always hated the cold, Lo."

"I can call you Lo, right? You always loved that name, everybody called you that in your high school days."

I merely shrugged unsure of what to say, I couldn't lose my cool. I was dealing with an extremely dangerous and intelligent man. They had done their homework, I had to give it to them. They were meticulous and they knew how to work discreetly. I paid top dollar to several agencies to keep my real identity hidden and to pass information if anybody came sniffing around, I've dealt with a couple of acquaintances from the past who tried to get to me but somehow the agencies had failed to pick up on this threat, my usually impenetrable security detail had been taken part, my family held captive and here I was, haggling for my life and theirs with an enemy I knew nothing about.

The name caught me off guard but I couldn't let it show. My composure would play a big part in how everything would turn out. If I let them see how close I was to losing my cool, it would be the same as an Omega wolf trying to duel with an Alpha, there was only one way it was going to end, in death.

"Do you smoke?"

He said again, interrupting my train of thought. His accent was much thicker than that of Francis. And, for the second time that morning, I cursed myself for my forgetfulness. I had spoken to these men before. I could remember the voice, it was the kind you could never forget. But, the face was difficult to place, maybe it was because theirs had gotten messed up by the fire.

"Not anymore." My smile was forced. I tugged at the collar of my shit, clearly uncomfortable. I had gotten it wrong from the start and with the deliberate, annoying long pauses, it was obvious that he was dropping subtle hints for me to remember them.

These men weren't sent by anyone, no one in this city knew of my past. No one alive did. I had made efforts to keep that part buried, I did things that made me hate myself but I was left with no choice, the horrors from my past were things I walked dead and forgotten for good. These men were from my past, a loose end I had overlooked. Their tattoos were hidden from sight and they wore gloves and scarves to cover the ones on their necks and hands. They wanted me to remain in the dark for as long as possible. I had taken out nearly every member of my old pack who came after me and the few who knew of my existence kept their mouths tightly shut and were sworn to secrecy. If someone had tried to come after me, I would have known instantly or so I believed.

He took another long drag of his cigar blowing the smoke into the air. He was deliberately mocking me, I watched him repeat the procedure over and over again till he held the dying embers of the cigar.

"Who are you and what the hell do you want?" I exclaimed, unable to keep my anger at bay any longer.

"Take it easy, Logan. There is no need for you to raise your voice at me. Before you spiral out of control, remember, I have your wife and son. I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Antonio, everyone calls me the Alpha around here, and you've met my brother, Francis."

The names didn't sound familiar, I was still in the dark and it was becoming quite frustrating but I waited for him to continue, I had no other option, I was a pawn in his game now. He crushed the butt of his cigar as his expression suddenly grew serious.

"Do you know why you're here?" He cleared his throat and clasped his hands together.

I sighed, running my hand over my hair.

"No." My reply was curt.

Another agonizing pause followed.

"Do you remember the events that took place 15 years ago on Evangel street on the 28th of January 1992?"

The memories were beginning to fall slowly into place now.

"That was a long time ago, exactly two decades. What business do you have with the past?"

My hands were beginning to clench and unclench, as I fought to keep the memories from flooding back in but in as much as I tried, I couldn't stop myself from remembering everything that night vividly as I exhumed the ghosts of my past from the grave where I had buried the horrors of that night. I still had nightmares about it every single night despite getting the best psychological help I could. Some things never left your memory, no matter how hard you try or how many pills you shoved down your throat.

My therapist had suggested penance for my sins, she said turning myself into the authorities and serving time might help me find the peace I sought but that was a road I would never take, three days later, she was found dead in her apartment.

"After surviving that night, I spent all those long years planning my revenge against your pack. Taking out your father and a few wolves from your pack wasn't enough for me, it was only the beginning. I would only find satisfaction if there are no more Zorander wolves on the surface of the earth. Until then, I shall not rest until I am dead."

My head whipped up sharply as I registered his words. I had always thought my father had died of a stroke five years ago. I never bothered to attend the funeral despite pleas from my uncle. He had been dead to me for a long time. I could remember everything now, that fateful night flashed before my eyes, every detail, every scene, every cry coming from the burning house.

"Antonio Goretti? I thought you died in the fire?" My eyes grew wide as my headache intensified, nearly knocking me out of my chair. I stared at him incredulously, it was like I was staring at a ghost.

"I thought I did too, I thought I would never survive. The last thing I remembered before I woke up in the building next to ours was passing out from inhaling too much smoke. Somehow, my father managed to get us out of the fire and into that building, according to Francis, who was barely conscious at that point, but we paid the price for it." He said, pointing to his head.

The scars on his body served as a daily reminder of what he had gone through. Of what my father had put his entire pack through with my help. If I hadn't done his bidding and used sweet Maria as a pawn to my pack's benefit, we would never have been here. I wouldn't be pleading for the lives of the only other woman I've managed to fall in love with in the past 20 years and my little boy.

"After months in the hospital using different names, we went back to Italy and picked up what was left from the wreckage. For nearly 20 years, I waited and watched from the shadows, plotting your downfall, and finally, I have you. I was always there, just out of your reach but you couldn't tell I was there, I guess it's because you felt my family's existence was already wiped out by your father's ridiculous ego to become supreme. I want you to suffer the way I did and so help me, I intend to keep my promise."

I opened my mouth to speak but he cut me off.

"I've always wondered how it was easy it was for your father to launch an attack on our home where we felt protected the most, he unlocked our defense in a matter of minutes like he had a sketch of the landscape before the attack, we hadn't even fully comprehended what was going on before he hit us hard. Either he had an inside man or someone had infiltrated our pack and was siphoning information to the enemy. It took me years before I found out about your discreet relationship with Maria. Imagine my surprise when I discovered the only son of the Alpha who sought the extermination of my pack was sharing a bed with the only daughter of my father. Everything that has happened was of your doing, you killed my family, you killed Maria. The blood of everyone I've killed in retaliation is on your hands and soon, the blood of your wife and son will be too."

January 16, 1985.

As much as I tried, I couldn't bring myself to sleep for more than five minutes. I tried several times but I ended up tossing and turning on my bed. I even resorted to counting the number of squares on my ceiling. By the time I got to the 265th square, I accepted that there was no way I would be able to bring myself to sleep. I ended up practicing my martial arts skills to pass time. As much as I wanted to change into my wolf form and go on a run, a father would skin me for breakfast if he ever got wind of it.

I was only hoping I wouldn't look like someone who was sleep-starved when morning came. It would ruin my plans and that wasn't my goal. My goal for tomorrow was to look perfect. I was fully aware that perfection doesn't exist, but I was aiming for something close to it. Today was the day I've always silently prayed to the moon goddess and my dreams were about to be a reality.

I stretched out on the bed and pushed the covers off my body, just as my alarm rang, it was pointless anyways, I had no use for it. I was always up before it rang. I pushed the black curtains to the side as the rays of the morning sun found their way into the room. Even though I had enough time to kill, I skipped into the bathroom. I was still feeling the excitement from yesterday when I got the news. Within a short time, I was done with all I had to do inside the bathroom and I made it back to my room and stood in front of my large closet. I always had an outfit ready at the get-go, but today was different. It wasn't like any other day, I found myself contemplating between plain trousers and a cashmere sweater or denim jeans and a basic white tee.

I was aiming for something close to perfection and I needed to get everything right or my plan would go up in smoke, I couldn't even begin to fathom that even happening.

"You're going to be late." My chef calls out from the kitchen where I'm sure he would be, he's usually the only one home whenever it was a work day for the pack. My father had an uncanny habit of working everybody into the ground, he says it's for character development. I glance at the clock on my marble nightstand, 7:40 AM. He was right on time, I needed to leave the house in five minutes if I planned to get to school early and rehearse my lines. My friends would tease me endlessly if they ever found out that the notorious playboy, Logan Zorander was rehearsing pickup lines. But, they wouldn't understand, it was beyond trying to get a girl into bed, his reputation and stance as the next Alpha of the famed Zorander pack depended on the success of this mission.

"I'll be out in a minute," I yelled out, so he would be able to hear me. I took one last long look at my mirror, I cleaned up to the best of my abilities and I was confident of getting this over the line. Very few girls could resist my charm on the first try but they eventually succumbed.

I shook off the jitters as I made my way downstairs. But it was hard to ignore. When you've spent all of your life trying to get your father to acknowledge your presence and efforts, you would grab anything he throws your way with both hands no matter how small it might seem at that moment.

My father was a very powerful man, authority exuded him and he dominated every room which he walked into, even other alphas recognized his authority despite being of the same rank as he was. I had become used to the nervousness he made me feel anytime he walked into a room where I was present, I'm used to mixing up my words anytime he speaks to me directly and not through a third party.

Imagine my surprise when he vehemently refused the advice from his Beta and gave me this task along with his blessings and a command to make the family name proud. That was the proudest moment of my life yet, getting my father to acknowledge me. I silently vowed not to fail him no matter the circumstance.

***

The air smelt nice despite the sleety rain that fell impartially on the cars in the parking lot and on the high-rise building in front of me. St. Jude's High School was founded in 1948 by a group of British expatriates, to provide education of equivalent standard to that obtains in the United Kingdom before it eventually switched to the curriculum used in the United States a few decades later. I shivered as I wrapped my arms around my waist, I wasn't feeling cold, I never did. I had just always hated the cold weather, it made me feel nauseous now and then. I fervently prayed that this year would be an exception. I brought out a cigarette from my backpack and lit one. Smoking was prohibited on the school grounds, but I had a habit of breaking school rules and since I couldn't get kicked out of school due to my status as Alpha Raymond's son, I was pretty much allowed to do whatever I pleased. Besides, my father was the largest donor to the school, he always had been.

I took a long drag of my cigarette as I watched her alight from the car. I quickly brought out my phone and stared at the picture on the screen, it was a bit blurry but it was her quite alright. I swiped to a much clearer one and took in every inch of her face.

I lifted my head at the same time a limousine stopped a few meters away from where I parked. I instantly recognized it. The limousine was part of the Goretti family signature, you would rarely see a Goretti in anything else. I watched as three teenagers alighted from the car, almost immediately, the boys took off, leaving just her standing there momentarily.

For a few seconds, my mouth hung open before I recovered and snapped them shut as fast as I could. She was way beyond what I had been expecting, the pictures on my phone didn't do her justice.

I wondered why I hadn't seen her before or heard anything about her from my notorious friends. I had heard all about her brother's reputation but never about her. I could understand why daughters of powerful alphas were protected even more than the firstborn sons of the alphas. If she had stayed under the radar for this long, it was because everyone feared crossing her in order not to incur the wrath of her father.

There were very few families ranked about the Goretti's in the entire country and mine was amongst the selected few.

I wasn't any ordinary wolf, I was the next alpha of the biggest wolf pack in the city and I feared no one.