The Alpha's Promise ✔️

C H A P T E R 20

From This Life To The Next

"Important encounters are planned by the souls long before the bodies see each other." -Paul Coelho

The wind bristled outside of the Luna Rossa Mansion. The stone walls watched as hundreds of pack members gathered for the big day. Today was the day of the marking, the day they would receive their new alpha. Even with all the excitement in the air, the old walls were aware of the truth. There was nothing to be excited about.

Once upon a time, this gloomy palace was lively and loud. It was filled with children and hundreds of pack members. The pups were eager to become wolves and protect their pack, while the adults were ready to pass down their traditions. Somewhere along the way, the pack lost its culture and traditions.

Its history was stained with blood and instead of embracing it, everyone fled. The Luna Rossa pack became the Blood Moon Pack. It no longer called Italy its home. Of course, there were still people living in the Italian mansion. Except, all those people were there to train or to watch over the grounds.

However, deep in the woods, you could hear the howls of some wolves at night. The wolves who grew up here, the ones who felt the blood of their ancestors flowing through their veins. They weren't aware of the truth, that this day was supposed to be much more monumental than people were giving it credit for. Today was to be the day that two wolves who were broken apart connected again after 500 years.

Unfortunately, fate doesn't always go the way we want it to. Instead of marking his other half, Zane De Luca was going to mark her sister. Not because of love, no, it was all for convenience. He needed a luna for political reasons and choosing his childhood girlfriend was quite believable. That's the thing about love though, you can't fake it. It was clear to most people that Zane didn't love Isabel, not like he used to at least.

This day wasn't just about two soulmates reconnecting again. It was much more than that. This was about the mass murder of all those werewolves centuries ago. They were killed by the hands of the person whose sole duty was to protect them. Their sacrifices were for love and loyalty, all of which were being thrown in the dirt by this marking. Centuries ago, Alpha Lorenzo Morreti filled Selene's temple with the corpses of her children. He didn't stop till she complied with his demands that his mate and him would be given one more chance. It was barbaric, but the loss of a mate has driven werewolves to the edges of morality.

In the eastern wing of the palace was the woman of the hour. Isabel Romano sat in a white cushioned chair. Three mirrors surrounded her as she got ready for her big day. Her brown hair sat on the nape of her neck in a bun of fishtail braids. Two white lilies were pressed into the bun, similar to the bouquet that she was going to hold as she walked to Zane.

Typically during these ceremonies, the woman would wear a white dress made of silk. It was usually loose and slightly revealing. This was to hint at what was to come once nightfall approached. The woman would wear no jewelry or makeup. The point of the ceremony was to unite the two souls in the most natural form.

The man would wear white linen pants that almost resembled pajamas. Their chest would be revealed to everyone as they marked their mate. This symbolized the idea that he would always expose his heart to his mate.

Both of them would be barefoot, to be more in touch with the earth. It connected them with the goddess of the earth, Gaea. Additionally, marking ceremonies were only done on full moons to receive the blessing of Selene, goddess of the moon.

Everything was almost prepared for the ceremony. Isabel kept looking in the mirror, specifically her neck. She touched the area where her shoulder and neck connected. A smile pulled at her lips as she imagined Zane sinking his canines into it. Once upon a time, when she was younger and nicer, she thought the possibility of bearing a mark had been lost forever. Now she was here, defying the odds.