Alpha Loren

As we neared the door to the office, I tried my best to free myself from Andrea.

"What, Blanca?" he asked. "You're afraid of him?"

"Andrea please-" I began.

"Don't bother," he said with a short laugh before opening the door and pushing me in.

I had hoped I was going insane. But my eyes were met with exactly what I had dreaded. Maybe I'm hallucinating now?

"It's not possible,” I whispered as I scanned his body. It seemed very real and extremely alive. "You're dead."

The man stifled a laugh and turned the swivel chair he was sat comfortably in a few degrees to the left, "Is that what your Alpha told you?"

"He killed you," I said surely.

"Yet here I am," he shrugged, a sly smile tugging at his lips.

He then stood up and stepped forward slowly until he was a mere few centimetres from me. He examined me, and picked up a strand of my hair and felt it between his fingers before dropping it back down and his hand finding it's way to my chin. Using the tips of his fingers, he lifted my head so I had no choice to look him in the eye.

"Nice to see you again, my dear little cousin,” he said. "It's been a while.”

"Luciano," I said, his name filling me with more hatred and loathing than you could imagine.

He smiled in that cold, emotionless way before turning my head to the side.

"Yikes," he said running his finger along my cheek, which was still bruised from when Andrea hit me a couple of days prior. "That's gotta hurt."

I couldn't bring myself to give him the satisfaction of a response so I just kept my mouth shut.

"I see Martinez is finally giving you the treatment you deserve," he replied. "Because Alpha dearest is out of the picture? I also hear you're not quite so brave without the threat of him around?"

I scowled which only amused him more.

"How are you still alive?" I asked, my curiosity itching like a nasty rash.

He sat back down and put his hands behind his neck, "Do you want to tell her or should 1?" he said to Andrea.

"The honour is yours," Andrea said with a grin.

"Your Alpha lied to you, sweetheart,” Luciano said. "He let me live."

Chico stood up and briefly made eye contact with me before pulling the sack off the man's head. He squinted at the brightness of the light and his face was sad and drained but I could still recognise his kind eyes and gentle features. Alessio.

His eyes looked me up and down. At the bruise on my cheek, the cut above my eye, the tears rolling down my cheeks.

"He is just one of many Stella soldiers in our captivity all of which are of no use to us. I don't like to compliment him but your Alpha trains them well, they don't give up a single word... not even the most gruesome of torture,” Andrea said gripping my arm. “So in other words, they are very disposable and ideal for teaching disobedient little bitches a lesson.”

"Andrea no," I protested looking at the solider with a pained expression as I tried to hold back the tears. "Don't do this."

"See, Blanca. You should have thought about this before you decided to anger me again. Beating you doesn't seem to do the trick anymore so you leave me very little choice.”

The soldier looked back at me with eyes that remained sympathetic to me despite his own situation. I hadn't known him well but it was clear within minutes that he had empathy beyond most.

"I'll do anything, please," I begged.

"Give me a good reason why I shouldn't,” Andrea ordered as Chico removed a knife from his pocket. "He has a mate and young children,” I said quickly. "A little boy born only a month or so ago.” Alessio smiled meekly at me and gave me a silent reassuring nod as if to say it was okay. As if to say that he was happy to have done his duty.

Andrea stifled a laugh

"Not good enough, Babes," he said as Chico brought the knife to Alessio's throat.

"No!" I screeched, lurching forward only to be caught by Andrea's huge hands that brought me back to his side as he laughed like he was deriving some kind of sadistic pleasure from this.

"Luna, please turn away,” Alessio said in a hoarse but courageous voice.

"I am so so sorry," I sobbed before Andrea nodded and I watched as blood poured from his throat. I let out a howl! of pain as I pressed my head into Andrea's side, the image still flashing across my hand.

"Look at the consequences of your actions, Blanca,” Andrea said coldly as he seized my hair and lifted my head to look at Alessio’s body. "A young, healthy life wasted because you didn't feel like cooperating today. Don't think that I will not do this again and again until you learn because I will. Do you understand me?"

I nodded as my eyes brimmed with water.

"So now you have a choice. You either come with me easily to the office where you will apologise to Luciano...or I kill another.”

I looked up hoping to see even a glint of remorse but there was nothing. Just hard, cold, emotionless eyes.

"I'll come,” I said quietly.

"Good decision," he replied throwing me over his shoulder and carrying me out of the basement. I tried not to watch Chico drag Alessio’s body across the floor and I tried not to heed the puddle of pooling blood but it was hard to avoid.

He was dead because of me. His mate alone. His children fatherless. All because of me.

I was soon back in the office in front of Luciano who grinned at my state. I could hardly stop my tears long enough to speak but I managed to choke out a sorry.

"Apology accepted,” he said wiping my cheek with his thumb. "Perhaps we can put our history behind us."

I looked up at him and saw that his face was even more insincere than expected. He smirked down at me and raised an eyebrow, "So?"

I glanced over to Andrea who was stood with his arms folded with a pissed off expression still on his face before I nodded slowly.

"Brilliant," Luciano chirped. "Give me a hug, cuz."

His face looked so much like my other cousin Max's. The features were the same, his hair, the colour of his eyes. Even his height and body. But his temperament was dark and as he wrapped his arms around me, instead of comfort, I felt trapped.

He rested his head in the crook of my neck and took in my scent before kissing my cheek and finally letting me go.

"Good girl," Andrea said with an approving nod. "Now go upstairs whilst I discuss the finer details of our partnership with your cousin. I will be up in the evening.”

Relieved to get away from Luciano, I headed towards the door immediately. I felt Luciano's glare on me until I was out of sight and only then did I allow myself to crumble.

I ran upstairs, tears streaming again until I got to the bedroom where I slid down the wall into a crying heap on the floor.

Life had once again thrown more hell at me, just when I thought it couldn't get any worse. Alessio was dead, Luciano was back in my life and Leo was in danger. What could possibly be next?

A few minutes later, there was a knock at the door. It was quiet and gentle but I quickly wiped my tears a few seconds before Chico appeared.

"I shouldn't be here," he said. "But I wanted to check on you."

"I'm fine," I replied unable to look him in the eye. "Just leave me alone.”

I couldn't blame him for Alessio's death. He was as much trapped in the situation as I was and if he had resisted Andrea's orders, they both probably would have ended up dead.

"Everything is worse alone," he said.

I tilted my head back and screwed up my eyes as another wave of tears came my way. Without hesitation, Chico slipped next to me and put a gentle hand on my knee.

I looked at him for a moment, taken aback by his action before I couldn't keep the tears away any longer and rested my head on his shoulder.

He wrapped an arm around my shoulder and simply did what he does best and sat quietly with me. It provided comfort. Comfort in a primitive form but comfort all the same and I was grateful for at least any attempt.

It was more than what anyone else was doing.