"Veni, vidi, vici."

When I was training to become Alpha my father always told me there was one thing that I must never forget. Alphas are never confused. If you make a decision stick with it because everyone looks to you for guidance.

Well, it's a good thing he's not here now because I am so fucking confused that there's no way it's not showing on my face.

I stare at the painting, looking deep into Lorenzo's eyes, my eyes. I think back to Donata and Salvaza's words, they talked about him with such admiration as he was a hero.

But as I glare down the man that looks just like me, I see the truth. He was no hero. He was a villain.

Maybe he twisted it in a way where he seemed like the good guy but he was anything but. I can see it in his eyes, the deep love that runs in his irises for the woman standing next to him. The very love that pushed him into committing a massacre.

There lay the difference between him and me. He was a man ready to burn down the world for his beloved, but I was a man who had already destroyed his.

It would stay that way too because I never want to look like how Lorenzo Moretti looks like in that painting. I don't want that look in my eyes ever again, because it was there once before and all it left behind was destruction.

Alessandra's looking at everything but me. On the contrary, I'm looking at her, committing her picture in my memory.

Her brown hair falls down her shoulders in waves. The red fabric of her dress sticks out against the dark colors of the room.

Beauty.

Alessandra has always been pretty. Even when we were younger my eyes couldn't help but be drawn to her. She seems to get prettier as more years pass by. Yet she looks so different now. The last time she looked at me there was a glimmer of hope lingering on her face. Now she looks at me with indifference.

Good.

"Zane!"

"What?" I ask her.

"You're bleeding," she tells me.

I touch my forehead and feel the warm blood dripping down the side of my face.

"What the hell.." I stop my sentence midway as Alessandra's body is slammed against the wall.

"Alessandra!"

She's laying on the floor, clutching her ribs. Her face pinches in agony as I run towards her.

"Zane," she whispers.

"I don't understand, you should be healing by now!" I shout. I touch her ribs and she winces.

Her breathing gets slower and I wrap her in my arms.

"No, no,"

She's in my arms. Her mouth is opened slightly but her face has lost all of its color. Blood covers my hands as I try to stop the bleeding.

"Rosanna!"

"Alessandra!"

I shake her body but she's giving out. How is this possible? She was fine moments ago.

"Donata! Salvaza! I need help!"

The sisters run in and assess the situation.

"What happened?" Donata asks.

"We were talking and then all of a sudden she slammed against the wall and fell unconscious," I say with fear coating my voice. The air leaves my lungs as Alessandra lay limp in my arms.

Both of them look around the room with wide eyes.

"Grab Alessandra! We have to get out of here," Donata shouts.

I gather Alessandra in my arms. I hold her bridal style and try to limit my movements in case her ribs still hurt.

I look down and there is blood dripping from my face onto hers. The crimson color matches her dress and I would describe it as beautiful if I wasn't so scared for her. My hand comes up to her face in a gentle caress. I wipe the blood from her face but it leaves a slight tint on her tan skin.

We finally reach the grand doors and Salvaza slams them shut behind us as we exit, our bodies barely crossing the threshold.

"What was that?" I ask them.

"The spirits are angry, very angry," Donata says to herself. I let out a growl and face her.

"Get to the point!"

"They want revenge," Salvaza finally says.

"Revenge? Revenge for what?"

"For their murders," Donata mummers.

"Murder? Alessandra didn't murder anyone!" I yell.

"Don't you get it Alpha? It wasn't her who killed them. It was you! Or should I say, Lorenzo?" Salvaza says.

I know this Lorenzo person was technically me, but goddamn did he leave a mess behind.

"You know what? It doesn't matter! Get the healers here now!" I yell.

Every time I search for answers I am only met with more questions.

Maybe it's time I stop searching.

Alessandra lays on a bed in her room as the healer inspects her. Her parents and Ricardo hover over the healer while Isabel looks bored. Vincenzo is pacing around the room while he yells into his phone in Italian.

I stand outside of her room and observe them all from a distance. I can tell when I'm not wanted and if Ricardo shoots another glare at me I might lose it.

"Do you believe it?" Hiro asks me. I filled him in on everything Donata and Salvaza revealed.

"I didn't at first but it seems to make sense to me now," I say.

"So you and her are like the reincarnations of Alpha Lorenzo and Luna Rosanna? How is that even possible?"

"I don't know. We have to wait for the next blood moon so my wolf can give me some insight," I tell him.

The healer stops her inspections and looks at us.

"Alpha Zane? You are going to want to hear this," she says. I respond with a nod and enter the room my mate has been staying in for these past years.

A room that other men have been in.

A growl escapes from my mouth and everyone looks at me.

"Uh, my bad. Something is stuck in my throat," I say and follow it with some coughs.

"Do you need some water?" Isabel asks.

"No."

Ricardo shoots another glare at me and I'm pretty sure Antonio and Valentina are trying to find a way to murder me discreetly.

I sure am the man of the hour.

"It seems the reason the spirits attack affected her like this is her heat. It is approaching and could be here in a month or two or maybe even a couple of weeks. Maybe less, it's hard to tell but this seems to be how it works for most women," the healer says.

Kill me now.

Talk about terrible timing.

"What? I've never heard of people becoming weak before their heat," Valentina says.

"Well, this is a bit different. Waiting so long to mark a mate can make the process more grueling. Plus, she is an alpha mate. The need to bring an heir into the world is stronger for alpha bloodlines."

My eyes nearly bulge out of my head. Kids? Alessandra and I can't be in a room together without causing a fight and we are expected to raise children together?

"What nonsense! My daughter is only 20 years old. She will not be having any kids until she is at least 30! Or 40! We are wolves it's not like we have a biological clock," Antonio shouts. His face is becoming redder by the minute and I don't blame him. This isn't what a father wants to hear about his child, especially his youngest child.

"Aye amore, calm down. We had Riccardo when I was 21 remember?" Valentina tells him in an attempt to console him.

"No! Alessandra is different. She's my little fighter. She's my little girl Tina, how can my baby have a baby?" Antonio says in a sad tone as his eyes drop to the floor.

"And we missed out on 2 years she could have spent with us because of you!" he points at me.

"I'm sorry," I say. I am actually apologetic. I didn't handle the situation as an alpha should.

"Are you sure she's not pregnant? Clearly, she was getting around when she was here," Isabel says with a proud look on her face.

I growl, a warning for her to shut up, but Isabel never did listen.

"What Zane? Is that why you want her? Because she's pure. News flash, she's not!" Isabel shouts.

"I think you need a lesson in respect Isabel Romano!" Valentina shouts.

"How is this my fault? She stole my mate!" Isabel yells with tears in her eyes.

"Isabel-" Antonio says.

"Your mate is dead!" I yell at her.

Her face transforms into shock. The tears that were welled up in her eyes fall down her face.

"Yeah? Well at least my mate wasn't a whore!" she shouts with anger.

Everyone's breath stops for a second. I've always had the alpha command but now that I'm actually alpha it's different.

"I was going to be luna! It's me everyone should respect, not her!" Isabel shouts. Her parents look at her in shock. Disobeying an alpha command is the ultimate form of disrespect. I feel Rafael peeking at the surface, ready to come out and display his power, and I let him. I never knew my wolf was responsible for a massacre hundreds of years ago, but maybe it's time people see the truth.

I grab her by the throat and keep her at my knees. I crouch down so we are at eye level. Her eyes show victory and I can tell by the slight smile on her lips that she thinks she has won by disrespecting her sister.

My change in voice was evident. Isabel looks like she's about to shit her pants and no one dares to look me in my eyes.

I walk over to Alessandra and caress her cheek, then I pick her up and walk out of the room. Everyone was in that room for Alessandra, yet somehow Isabel made it about herself.

She doesn't need to be around that negativity while she recovers.