Location â Rose, Calabria, Italy â Luna Foresta â Casa dei Lupi Luna
Time â 5:28pm
Setting â Rose, Italy is hardly a city compared to the nearby cities of Rome, Milan, Venice, and Naples. It is still a beautiful little town, nonetheless. It's a quiet place and not really much goes on around there, easily overlooked by most people and not exactly a tourist hotspot. It is home to an ancient and proud Pack of Werewolves, though the numbers have dwindled since a major attack on them ten years ago. They are one of the many Packs that are dwindling in numbers, as many Packs across the world rarely have any more than ten or twelve members, most of them under the age of thirty. Their territories grow larger each passing month as the Cacciatori close in and wipe out the surrounding Packs. Living in Rose is also a small Coven of Vampires, finding it easier to dodge the Cacciatori than the Werewolves but still endangered as many of their fellow Immortals. The danger is not as much in Rose as it is in their neighboring big city -Venice- where the Cacciatori rule the world of daylight more so than ever. But every day, the Cacciatori get closer to discovering their whereabouts. After a close scare one week ago, the Vampires have teamed up (and moved in with) the Werewolves, hidden in the large forest outside of Rose.
âPapa! Papa!â Janelle was the first to greet her father as he walked through the door. The burly man had anticipated her jump and caught her midair, swinging around with her. âJanelle, quello che ti ho detto di battere la gente a scuola?â His deep voice was stern as he stopped spinning with the small girl and watched as her green eyes were cast down. âMantenere al minimo e non dimenticare di farle tenere la bocca chiusa.â He nodded as he set her down on the floor. âEsattamente. Quindi - La prossima volta, meglio tornare a casa per una storia la vittoria meno la chiamata dai vostri insegnanti.â The Italian man planted a kiss atop his daughter's head and ushered her off to finish her lunch before taking off up the stairs to the âAlpha Caveâ. His room was the largest bedroom in the house and it was filled with things that you'd think you'd find in a hunter's lair; Trophy heads from various animals, a bear skin rug, fur blankets. The only things he didn't have were guns, having a particular distaste for the weapons.
The Alpha shed his uniform suit and tossed it into the hamper before donning a simple black tank top that hugged his cut muscles and a pair of loose denim pants, sliding a belt through the loops; he wasn't a fan of the sagging style. He let out a brief sigh of relief, hardly feeling comfortable in a suit even after so many years of being stuck in one. He ran his fingers through his thick, ebony mane as he left his room only to come face to face -sort of- with his son. Little Monster Mike looked up to his father with his innocent, soulful blue eyes as he spoke. âHo bisogno di un nuovo libro. La Psicosintesi. E ' del dottor Assagioli tesi di dottorato.â, he stated plainly before walking away from his father to join his twin in the dining hall for steak before dinner would be started. He was hoping that his father would take them hunting.
The Alpha gave a curt nod with a lifted brow and parted his lips to warn his son about his hijinks, knowing that Monster and Trouble were planning something for the vampires, but the adorable boy was already running away to plot and chow with his sister. Shaking his head, the older man found his gaze shifting to the left. He walked down the hall some to meet a dead end where the wall was covered with picture frames holding portraits and pictures of all members of the Lupi Luna Pack, past and present. His favorite was that of himself with his mother. Janelle Chloe Carter (nee Molinelli) was one of the eight children of Alberto Molinelli and the last one to die. His mother, his uncles, his aunts, his grandmother, and his grandfather. They had all died at the hands of the Cacciatori but all of them -even himself- were too fool to look past their war with others to think the humans were capable of it. As Michael looked back now, thinking about how some things didn't add up... He knew it had been them.
And they would pay.
He didn't know when or how, but they would. Lately, he felt like giving up and sometimes he felt as though his family were all rolling over in their graves. His own brother and Beta with a vampire fetish, his Delta a halfbreed who seemed (embarrassingly) more Wolf than most of the other purebreds in the Pack, and his Scout a Half-Breed running around with a handicapped human trying to have the best of both worlds. If the pickings weren't so slim and her loyalty not so...wishy-washy, he would have killed the fool of a human by now. But, so long as he was safe (or alive, at least) she remained. Michael tended to brush off the smaller wolf when she moaned and groaned about his children harassing her and her human.
He honestly didn't care and assured her that she was doing it to herself. But, she was just a stupid kid. She wouldn't listen. That was fine. When they both realized how dangerous it was for them to be together, he wouldn't have to kill anyone. For now, he had just banned the boy from his land. While she was an irritating little thing, Juliana still had Wolf in her and her cousin, Grace needed her. Right now, he didn't have time to worry about some stupid girls though. He needed to find his brother. And Scarlet. He definitely needed to find Scarlet.
Heaving a heavy sigh, the Alpha turned away from the wall and made his way downstairs in the massive cabin out the in woods. This home was designed to house an entire Pack. As a child, he could remember when his mother ruled nearly fifty wolves. This home wasn't originally designed to be a home for everyone, but for those who had no other place to go. His grandfather had built this home with his wife and children after migrating to Rose from Rome.
It was originally just a secret summer home hidden in the hills of the forest of Luna for he and his family. Albeit, a large one. But he welcomed his Pack members when they needed a roof over their heads. It was the one place of his that the Cacciatori never found. Those who had gotten close died before coming within two hundred yards of the cabin by the lake. Michael had inherited two hundred acres of the forest from his grandfather who had been buying land for decades. It was great because it was all posted and hardly anyone trespassed. Those who did usually turned up dead anyways.
Michael had been raised in this house with twelve other young Werewolves - There were so many memories here. And now he was welcoming vampires...His grandfather and mother would take turns skinning him alive if they were standing before him right now. But maybe they would understand. This was for the survival of their races. If they knew what he knew, they wouldn't be so angry. He closed his eyes for a few moments and then opened them as he made his way into the large main dining room where his two children were hovering over a plate of raw steak and a piece of paper. They were incorrigible.
âScarlet!â He threw his head back and called for her, letting loose a howl afterward that reverberated from every corner of the house and echoed outside as he called for his Sentinel.
It didn't take long for Scarlet to appear, an old fashioned camera in one hand while her other hand brushed leaves from her hair. âHai chiamato?â, she said with an easy smile as she stopped in front of Michael.
Junior and Janelle looked over as Scarlet came around a corner, seemingly occupied with a camera before glancing at Michael. The children's faces lit up with bright smiles, readying themselves to dash away from the large table and embrace her with a hug - Janelle mostly wanted to tell her about the boy that she had beat up earlier at school and sent to the hospital with both legs broken. She was literally one narrowing of the eyes away from getting expelled. It was times like these when Mike wished that they had teachers in the Pack like they used to; younger Werewolves tended to have a lot of trouble getting through school with a perfect record.
Focusing on the task at hand, he gave his children a stern nod so that they returned to their scheming before wrapping Scarlet in a tight hug. âHo fatto. Ho bisogno di tenere un occhio su alcuni dei vampiri. Non preoccupatevi di pattuglia, dovrĂČ Grazia e Paolo su di essa in tua vece.â Scarlet happily returned Michael's hug, focusing on not thinking too much about his arms around her. âNessun problema, Capo.â Scar replied with a playful smile as she pulled away.
He gave her a bashful smile as he reached up, towering over her even more as he did, though he was only scratching the back of his head. âE ho bisogno di guardare Ryder intorno a quelle zanne femminili ... e non esitano a dirmi quando esce di linea.â Rather than speaking of âstepping out of lineâ as people usually did, referring to rude or hostile behavior, he was more concerned with Scarlet checking to see if Ryder would be flirting. His dark brown eyes were pleading with hers as he looked into her blue orbs, placing a hand on her shoulder.
Scarlet placed a gentle hand over his and met his gaze, âNon ti preoccupare, terrĂČ d'occhio la situazione.â She made a promise with a reassuring smile. He was the Alpha of the Pack so following his orders was literally written into her DNA, but with Michael, Scar would have done so anyway.
In the background, Janelle was making kissing noises and little Mike was rolling his eyes, obviously displeased. Mostly because he had a childlike crush on Scarlet, partly because his sister was being immature and he thought it was unbecoming of her. He grabbed her hand and their notebooks, exiting quickly with a glare towards his father. Michael gave a soft laugh and lifted a brow at Scarlet. âCredo che dovrei guardare fuori. So che il tuo ragazzo Ăš pazzo geloso.â A teasing smirk appeared on his face as he let his eyes roam over the female in front of him as he quickly changed the subject to something lighter.
Scarlet couldnât help but laugh at Michaelâs remark. âIo avrei paura anche se piccolo Mike mi ha messo sulla sua lista nera.â She joked, the corners of her mouth lifting up into her own smirk. Scar ran a hand through her hair, turning slightly to watch the children leaving the dining room. âMa non preoccuparti, io ti difenderĂČ.â She added, her smirk turning into a grin as she gazed back up at the Michael.
âOh? Scarlet proteggere me. Mi sento talmente sicuro.â That actually made him chuckle a bit as he tried to imagine a situation in which the much tinier female Wolf would ever be in a position to defend him. That was mostly his ego talking; He was a pretty big guy. Most people never pegged him as a doctor. They always assumed that he was a mechanic or a construction worker. Or a model. It was flattering.
Scar gave a nonchalant shrug before raising her eyebrows and smirking at the large Alpha. âVa bene allora, mi limiterĂČ a sedersi e guardare come il mio ' fidanzato geloso ' ti insegna a non giudicare in base alle dimensioni.â, she teased, flashing Michael a cheeky smile. Scarlet couldnât imagine a time when she would be needed to defend the giant standing in front of her, especially not against his nine year old son. That didnât mean that she wasnât willing to tease him about it though.
He gave her another hug as he checked his watch and gave a sigh. âVamps dovrebbe essere sempre presto. Gioia.â
Regardless of whether she felt like leaving or not, here she was. She was the first to rise, her eyes open long before the sun had begun to set. She had been lying with the curtain pushed back some so that she could feel the warmth of the sun stinging the side of her face. Cheveyo's blood was wearing off and the sun was beginning to irritate her flesh but she found it comforting nonetheless. As the sun said its farewell, she pulled the small curtain over the window shut and rolled over, right out of bed. She was the first to shower out of the eight and she took her sweet time doing so. The water was hot enough to burn flesh but it didn't bother her any. She enjoyed the heat, as it reminded her of her childhood when her father would find hot springs for them to bathe in. It was always a nice break from the usual ice and snow.
She opted for a rather âPlain Janeâ outfit for the night, as opposed to her usual choice of clothing that didn't quite seem to fit the small village of Rose and most certainly not the surrounding forest of Luna. But her black and white outfit was just plain enough while at the same time satisfying the vampiric necessity to look fabulous. Her hair was dry within seconds after a quick bit of pacing at top speed, leaving her hair as fabulous as she was. But perhaps that was just her ego speaking.
Pshaw! What ego? She was simply...confident.
A fanged smile of bliss on her face, she left the bathroom, her fingers curled around the silver chain that rest around her neck before making her way out of the shared bathroom, through the shared bedroom, and down. She hadn't taken too long earlier that week to map out the entirety of the massive log cabin and she had to admit that she adored the architecture. Many parts of it were newer, more modern. It had been updated to accommodate the inhabitants. But there were still unchanged parts of it that she could simply stare at all day. Like that entrance! Positively perfect!
She'd draw it later, most definitely before anything happened and they had to leave. Or, Odin forbid, the Cacciatori found them and burned down the beautiful home. But her focus right now was on the wine cellar. She had spotted a particular brand that tickled her fancy earlier that week. No, it wasn't a nice 1970 Henri Jayer Richebourg Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits, France (She doubted these Wolves could afford that), but a more recent, twelve year old bottle of Kvöldsól. It was made using krÊkiberries; she used to eat them as a child and the wine they made was simply amazing when mixed with some nice, organic, O positive blood.
Her fingertips trailed along the bottles until she found the right one, plucking it from the shelf and speed off to the âguest kitchenâ which made her wonder why the hell they needed a guest kitchen? Did they not allow guests to dine with them? Should guests feel flattered or offended that there was an entire wing of the home just for them? Sure, the good stuff was located in the Pack's end of the house on the west, but still. She was a bit bothered when she would cross to the west side of the home and receive a few dirty looks. Either way, she was content with the cozy guest kitchen, pouring a glass of the wine and glancing up to see a young Native American man appear with a glass milk bottle filled with red liquid.
âGott kvöld, elskan. Engin hvutti passar dag?â, he teased as he handed her the glass of blood and watched her mix it with the wine. âGefĂ°u hvolpinum um tuttugu mĂnĂștur eĂ°a svo. Hann verĂ°ur hĂ©r.â She took a long sip before leaning back against the counter. âFara ĂĄ undan og höfuĂ° Ășt til RĂłmar til aĂ° kĂkja ĂĄ viĂ°skiptavini okkar. Hittumst ĂŸar sĂĂ°ar.â
Their exchange was brief, the male disappearing in a flash of blue light and leaving behind a scent that made her skin tingle with warmth, reminding her of a bakery. Jack was the only other vampire she had let meet Cheveyo, but she had never told him what Chev was. As far as the majority of the world was concerned, Faeries were myths. And she was going to keep it that way. Thinking of Jack, she wondered where the young thing was right now. She wanted to go for a run with him and show him some flowers that Cheveyo had shown her centuries ago.
Translations (In order of dialogue)
âDaddy!â
âJanelle, what have I told you about beating people up at school?â
âKeep it to a minimum and don't forget to make them keep their mouths shut.â
âExactly. So â Next time, I better come home to a victory story minus the call from your teachers.â
âI need a new book. La Psicosintesi. It's Doctor Assagioli's Doctoral Dissertation.â
âYou called?â
âI did. I need you to keep an eye on a few of the vamps. Don't worry about patrol; I'll have Grace and Paolo on it in your stead.â
"No problem, Chief."
âAnd I need you to watch Ryder around those female fangs...And don't hesitate to tell me when he steps out of line.â
"Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on things."
âI guess I should watch out. I know your boyfriend is crazy jealous.â
"Iâd be scared too if Little Mike put me on his blacklist."
"But donât worry, Iâll defend you.â
âOh? Scaret protecting me. I feel sooo safe.â
âAlright then, Iâll just sit back and watch as my âjealous boyfriendâ teaches you not to judge by size.â
âVamps should be getting up soon. Joy.â
âGood evening, love. No doggy sitter today?â
âGive the puppy about twenty minutes or so. He'll be here.â
âGo ahead and head out to Rome to check on our clients. I'll meet you there later.â