“I mean El, we were kissing passionately and then, suddenly, he pushed me away without any hesitation and jumped out of the window… without even bothering to open it. Imagine!” Marco complained with a lingering frown

“I think that he-” Elena tried to say, but without success.

“And not even a text message or anything after he left me there like a sack of potatoes!” Marco interrupted her, barely noticing Elena exasperated expression.

It has been a week since they had started attending the new school, a week since Marco had met his ‘special’ mate and, lastly, a week since this lovely mate almost killed Elena on the spot, after Marco hugged her. She wasn’t even a male!

And right now, Elena and Marco were eating alone in the kitchen of the pack house, oddly deserted, and with Marco puffing about his love life.

Giulia was strangely taking a nap ~ probably avoiding Marco’s moods ~ while Rex went at their ex high-school to help with the numerous refugees from Lord Skull pack, mostly widows with their young kids.

And they had left Elena stuck with needy Marco. Life was so unfair.

He used to just list his conquests, sometimes providing too many details for Elena’s sake. But he had never grumbled about one of these dates, only judged some of their lacks in a critical/ funny way. Elena was sure that his new relation with his mate was a totally different story, raising a whole bunch of insecurities. linked to real emotions.

“Marco!” She used her Alpha tone which of course slower him down but didn’t stop his wining.

“Oh El! And he never talks to me, like there’s zero communication. I asked him questions or try to start any type of dialogue and nothing!”

Now was Elena’s turn to become speechless. “No way!”

“Yea… I just hear him saying ’mate’ and ’mine’. And not even in a lovely mode! He just growled them out and only when other males or females steal glares at my direction!!” Marco explained with sad eyes and hugging himself. All his vulnerability was coming up for the first time.

Elena smiled at how in love her friend was already. “He needs to get used to this mate matter as well as you. If he is the Killing Machine as everyone had depicted him, no surprise he doesn’t talk!” Elena tried to make Marco chilled out. It worked only a bit.

“What does he even do when you ask him questions? And I mean, you can always ask him why he doesn’t answer! And you can clearly specify that it makes you sad that he doesn’t share anything with you.” Elena intelligently suggested, finally catching the attention of his crying best friend.

“Nothing!” Marco yelled throwing his arms in the air, like some invisible pigeons were pooing on him. “He just stares at me, then grab me and start kissing me... and one thing brings to another and..oh you know these things El!”

Marco blushed from the root of his hair to his chin. A week of first surely! Elena had never expected to see Marco embarrassed, especially in front of her. She well remembered (unfortunately for her) all the stories from his boys, countless one-night stands or his pushy admirers. Or, worse, the pictures that Marco was receiving in Tinder, or much worse, what he was replying!

She shook her head, not wanted to recall those memories. And now Marco, the king of the gay world, was shy about his speech-less mate, who already captured his heart.

“Aaah and the icing on the cake, El! Yesterday night I received a text from a guy who asked to meet me just for a quick hook-up... and uuuh” Marco clapped his big hands near Elena’s face, making her jump.

“He growled at my phone for like a whole minute and then he grabbed it, and puah! Out of the window, like it was just a piece of used soap!”

Wow.

Elena knew that mates were possessive but she had never heard these kinds of jealousy attacks... if the Black Devil Beta was this jealous, she couldn’t imagine how the actual Black Devil Alpha could be…

”Earth calls El!!! Yuhuu!” Marco annoyingly took her out from her deep thoughts.

”I didn’t finish eh! There’s more!” He snapped accusingly.

“What more there could be! Oh my god!” She asked, rolling her eyes.

“ Well, he wrote down the name of the guy in his stupid note-pad and down to his pocket.” Marco gulped.

“I’m afraid he will kill the guy, Elena” Now he was whispering and looking around in fear. Like his mate would just be able to appear from the dark corner like a mischievous gremlin.

“Naa come on. Surely he was also with many guys before meeting you!” Elena was just (partially) joking, when Marco looked heart-broken, glaring at her like a lost puppy. “Do you think?” He asked her.

“Oh my god!! I never thought you would become such a wuss!! Wake up Mar!!“ Elena started to feel annoyed now. If having a mate was making you so miserable and anxious then she would prefer not to meet him for maaaany years to come!

“Your mate completes you and you will understand how to make it work in time. Just give time to the mate bond to strengthen, my ROCKY!”

Yes Rocky. That was Marco’s nickname, and it was standing for Rocky Balboa. Not because Marco was like him in features or character, not at all actually. But because he had a huge crush on Rocky Balboa when he was a kid! The thought still made Elena having cramps.

When she finished to mock Marco for his crush over Rocky ~ it was at least 5 minutes of a pure well-deserved laugh ~ she finally hugged her friend, making sure his broody mate wasn’t nearby to kill her.

“You would never forget that, you FARMER GIRL!” He retorted with a cunning smile. She growled at that nickname.

“Davide wasn’t a real farmer! Only because he enjoyed taking care of his garden...” Elena explained for the millionth time to her malicious friend.

She should have been already aware that it’s impossible to win a verbal competition with Marco.

“I still remember your face when he came to our door with a bag full of organic carrots as a present for you, BUNNY!” Marco was continuing with those memories, laughing like a dying hyena.

Elena snorted loudly, punching her friend on the stomach and making him cough. But still, he managed to keep on laughing.

Dammed Beta gens!

“I have to admit he wasn’t my ideal type.” Elena stated, starting to smile herself. Davide was her ex boyfriend when they were at the first year of high school. Nothing so serious since Elena wasn’t really into him. She had never dated many guys since everyone in her pack feared her father. After Davide, she had been hanging out with a couple of beta’s and alpha’s sons only, especially with the future Alpha of their neighbouring pack, Crystal Wolf. Full Moon and Crystal Wolf packs had always had a peaceful and friendly relation since their previous beta was Elena’s grandmother.

Elena and Riccardo had been dating sometimes but, since they both knew they weren’t mates, things weren’t serious or with feelings involved ~ at least from Elena’s side. Sure, he was a beautiful and funny guy, very protective over her and extremely sweet, too much maybe. Riccardo had suggested several times to mate and merge their packs, thus creating a unified powerful one. But Elena was always reasoning him out, explaining that they were fated to someone else.

Rex had always mocked her about Riccardo, emphasising how girly he was. And that he had always imagined Elena ending up with a powerful wolf.

“The poor farmer is still scared by Alpha Giacomo’s shadow!” Marco exclaimed, wiping of his tears ~ from laughing too much.

“Actually now that I think about it, I have not seen him in a long time! Probably he is in a serious relation with his pumpkin!” And again, another flow of laughs, while Elena rolled her eyes.

When her dad discovered her relation with that guy, let’s just say he didn’t take it so well.

And now that Marco was mated with Black Devil Beta… saying that their parents were very shocked by the mark on Marco’s neck was an euphemism. In fact they had discussed for hours by themselves, after interrogating a very embarrassed Marco on how the two met, how this Beta was and what he did.

Her father had already convoked a meeting in neutral land with the Alpha of Black Devil pack to discuss this new turn of events. There was this hope to reach a sort of short-term treaty between the two rival packs. But, since Black Devil Alpha was away for some reasons, the final decision was to be postponed.

Alpha Giacomo and company were very conflictual on how to handle the issue: they didn’t want to lose Marco, but, at the same time, they didn’t really want to welcome that crazy Beta into their land. Marco, on the other hand, didn’t mind the final outcome, he was happy to transfer into Black Devil pack house, as long as he could move in very soon with his mate. Mate that was very impatient and annoyingly going to Full Moon pack, without any notice, under the hawk eyes of Elena’s father.

Elena still smiled at the memory from few nights ago, when Crucifero busted into their house while they were all having dinner together. He was completely wet from the rain, stained with blood and only wearing underwear. With a loud growl, he had marched to Marco, then carried him away, under the incredulous faces of everyone. Fortunately, her dad and the Marco's dad were attending a meeting at Crystal Wolf’s territory.