"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.

"Isn't someone excited?" Jackie, Isabel's best friend asked her.

Isabel's only response was a smile. She was ready to no longer be an omega and finally become the luna she was always supposed to be. As if Jackie could read her mind, she asked the dreadful question everyone seems to be asking Isabel these days.

"I can't believe he made you an omega! Like you're his mate, right? Did something bad happen?"

Isabel gave her a tight-lipped smile. She never knew how to answer that question or the others ones that were thrown at her.

Why did Zane make you an omega?

Aren't you his mate?

Don't you care that he is cheating on you?

Wait, didn't you cheat on him first?

None of them had the guts to ask their beloved future alpha the question. At first, it was out of respect for his privacy but now it's more about fear. Zane had definitely hardened up over the past two years.

Isabel didn't care about any of this though. She was just glad that the day she had been dreaming about since she was fourteen was finally coming true. She thanked her lucky stars for not bringing Zane's actual mate into the picture.

Deep down Isabel knew that she and Zane had loved each other at some point. Their love was more a form of grieving than anything. Once they had gotten over it, their love started to fade. Maybe it still existed if you looked hard enough, but Isabel knew that if Zane's mate were to appear, she would stand no chance. She knew in her heart that she would never have looked at Zane if her mate was in the picture.

That's the thing about the mate bond. It consumed you to the point of no return. Few have resisted it, but never forever.

"Where is your sister?" Valentina asked.

"Maybe she is helping Donata and Salvaza with the preparations," Isabel answered her mother.

Isabel was wrong. Alessandra was cooped up in her bathroom staring at herself in the mirror. She wasn't ready to see Zane after all these years. His dark eyes always stole her attention and his scent, goddess his scent! She had smelled the fresh pine smell as soon as Zane's car had pulled up to the palace. The second the pine hit her nostrils, she dove under her covers to surround herself with her own scent instead.

What worried her more was the painting she had discovered in the west wing. It had been two days since the incident and she still didn't know what to do. Was she supposed to tell someone? Is it right for Zane and Isabel to continue the ceremony when there might be something bigger going on?

The questions plagued her mind, but deep inside she already had her answer. She would never ruin this day for her sister. Not after all the pain she had endured. This was her chance to find love after losing her soulmate all those years ago. Alessandra took a deep breath in and wiped her hands on her dress. With a final look in the mirror, she left the bathroom and headed toward her sister.

She found Isabel in front of a vanity with a big smile on her face. Her eyes were scrunched in joy and she had never looked so beautiful before. Valentina's arms were around her oldest daughter's neck while her face was pressed against hers. Valentina's green eyes brimmed with tears as she stared at Isabel. Nobody expected Isabel to find happiness after the death of her mate. It was a parent's worst nightmare. Knowing that your child would live their life with no one to share it with or to experience the beauty of the world with.

Love is something humans can live without. They can find it with friends or passions, maybe even animals. Some of them even end up loving multiple people in their lifetime. That's not the case for wolves. There's only one person a wolf will ever truly love in their life.

When a human marries someone, there is always the probability of divorce. Sometimes they fall out of love while other times love just simply isn't enough to keep the marriage going. When a wolf is marked, they are bound for life.

From this life to the next.

Alessandra stared at her mother and sister. A part of her knew that this was the complete end for her and Zane. Yet, there was a part of her that was genuinely happy. She was glad to see that her sister's dream was finally going to come true. So what if Alessandra would no longer have a mate? It's not like her and Zane had a chance in the first place. They were doomed from the start, hating each other since they were children.

"You look breathtaking," Alessandra told her sister. She was still standing by the door, her hand on the wall to stabilize herself. Isabel whipped her head around and smiled at her sister.

"Come here! Mom wants to get a picture," Isabel said.

Alessandra picked up her dress so she didn't step on it and walked toward her family. She handed her phone to Lilia.

"Say cheese!" Lilia told them.

"Cheese!" they all said with bright smiles on their faces.

"Ok girls the moon is nearing its apex, we better get going," Valentina told everyone.

Isabel stood with a smile. She could almost feel it. The power she would soon receive as the full moon reached its apex, deeming her luna of the Blood Moon Pack and mate to Zane De Luca.

The courtyard was full of members from the Blood Moon Pack. All of them were filled with excitement for the new change that was to occur. It had been so long since this pack had a luna and Isabel Romano was perfect for the job.

Salvaza and Donata were standing at the altar with Zane and his father. They were laying out their crystals to prepare for the ceremony ahead of them. It was actually quite simple. Zane would dig his canines into Isabel's neck, then Isabel would do the same to him and they would shift into their wolves. To complete the ceremony they would lead the pack on a run through the woods that would symbolize the shift in leadership from Alpha Giovanni to his son and his mate.

Donata watched Zane from the corner of her eye. She still believed all of this was a mistake, one the pack would have to pay for in the future.

Zane stood at the altar with his white silk pants on and nothing else. He looked over at his dad who had a proud smile on his face.

"I'm glad you stepped up and took your duties seriously son."

Zane's only response was a smile.

"She would be so proud of you," Alpha Giovanni said with tears in his eyes. He was a tough guy, one that was notorious for showing little to no emotion. Even when Zane was a little boy, he never saw his father show any emotion. His face always remained stoic no matter how funny, joyful, or sad the situation was.

The only times he smiled was when his mate was around. Lucile brought out the best in Gio. To her he was never the scary alpha people talked about, he was just her Gio. Zane had never seen his dad cry, but that man wept when he felt his other half be torn away from him. The day his Lucile left him was the day his heart died.

That was one thing Zane and his father had in common. They didn't love much about the world, but that was simply because Lucile De Luca was their world. She had left them and now they had nothing left to love.

"It's time! The moon is almost at its apex!" Salvaza shouted. Donata rang the bell that signaled for Isabel to come out.

Isabel was escorted by her entire family. Her arms were hooked with her parents while her brother and sister walked behind them. All of the pack members looked at Isabel with bright smiles.

Zane watched as she approached. Her hair was flowing down her back. His eyes were drawn to her slender neck as he imagined sinking his canines into it. She was wearing a long red dress that brought out her tan complexion which seemed to be closer to brown than tan since the last time he saw her. The dress was made of silk and it suited her so well. Her eyes were focused on the ground as if she couldn't bear to look up.

Zane kept staring at her, daring her to look at him. How long had it been since he had looked into her brown eyes? Her eyes seemed to put him in a trance every time he looked at them. His mate always looked beautiful.

"Something is wrong!" Donata said, pointing at the moon.

The moon was very much red.

Blood moon.

"Blood moons only happen when there is a total lunar eclipse! How is this possible?" someone from the crowd shouted. Everyone broke out in a frenzy shouting questions at each other. It was scientifically impossible for something like this to happen, the next blood moon wasn't for another couple of months.

Though many believed that the Blood Moon Pack got its name from the massacre Alpha Lorenzo Moretti had committed centuries ago, that wasn't the case. The real reason was that all of the wolves of this pack lost control of their human side on a blood moon. Their bodies would remain human but their minds belonged to their wolves. It's when they had the most power, making them nearly invincible.

However, there seemed to be a problem this time around. Nobody seemed to be snapping into their wolf side, giving their wolves full control of their bodies. Instead, everyone continued to freak out.

The commotion made Alessandra look up. Without even meaning to, her eyes sought out Zane's. The second they connected it was as if a switch had been flipped. Zane's eyes turned completely black. Alessandra's eyes did the same as they stared at each other.

Salvaza and Donata's eyes glowed white as they chanted together.

"She is with us!" they yelled.

Everyone looked around in confusion as the sisters continued to chant.

Zane's eyes never left Alessandra's. He continued to stare at her with something new, something foreign, love. Except it wasn't really Zane.

Rafael spoke. His voice was deep and angry as he stared at his mate. It was the voice of an alpha, one that boomed and demanded attention. Everyone stopped panicking and looked in the direction of their soon-to-be alpha.

"Son? Are you ok?" Gio asked. Zane simply ignored him.

Alessandra pushed through her family to get to the front. Isabel's hand went out and grabbed Alessandra's arm in a tight grip.

"What the hell are you doing?" Isabel said in an angry tone. Alessandra's eyes went to where Isabel's hand grasped her arm, the skin around the area turning red with how hard she was squeezing it. Alessandra yanked her arms away and looked at her in the eyes.

Everyone gasped. What was Alessandra doing? She was not their luna. However, her voice was so powerful that she might as well have been.

Alessandra strode over to Zane with confidence. She climbed the steps to reach the altar that was surrounded by white roses. Her hand went to touch the side of his face. It traveled through his hair, gently combing it as she took him in.

Zane's hands traveled down to her waist as he brought her closer.

He couldn't wait another moment to be with his mate. His hand went to the back of her head, gripping her hair as he connected their lips. Their kiss was harsh, they didn't have time to go slow.

By this point, the moon had reached its apex. The little trace left of Alessandra and Zane was gone. Their bodies were being fully controlled by Rafael and Leya.

They continued to kiss as their mouths explored each other for the first time in centuries. The kiss was almost violent with how fast they were going. Rafael traveled from her lips to her cheek to her neck. He kissed her neck, leaving his mark on every spot he touched. His tongue traced the exact spot he would mark her. Rafael knew he was running out of time, he had to finish what he started.

Everyone watched in horror as Rafael swung his head back. His eyes connected with the moon and a smirk appeared on his face.

She had actually come through for once.

As his eyes locked with the moon, his canines extended. He brought his face down to Leya's neck and sunk them into her tender flesh. Leya let out a scream that turned into a moan. She could feel the poison from his canines mixing with her blood. Leya's canines extended as well and she sunk them into Rafael's neck.

He gathered her in his arms and brought her close. Her body slumped against his in exhaustion. He continued to hold her in his arms. He squeezed her tight and breathed in her scent. Even after all these years, she smelled like vanilla.

A smile made its way onto Rafael's face. He had done it. All of the people he sacrificed, including himself, were for this moment. The moment he would hold his beauty in his arms again.

Leya spoke, her words coming out muffled against his chest. Rafael let out a chuckle.

He pulled away from her and looked into her eyes. He had made so many mistakes in the past. If he had marked her the second they met things would have been so much easier.

Tears filled Leya's eyes as she stared at Rafael.

she told him.

He brought his forehead down to hers and locked his eyes with hers. His hands were holding her face like she would float away if he let go.

he responded.