Book 1 Dante's story part 1

The wolf that sings alone at the moon can be one of two things one with no honor and can not be with the others, a disgrace to even be considered a pack member, I am no such wolf, I am the second type of wolf, the rogue, one so loyal and at the same time so dangerous he can not be with others, a cast off who needs to be set a way. Yet unlike these magnificent creatures I am not one, I am a man laughs if a man I can be considered, through this I will let you mark me as what you think. Now I guess the best thing for me to do now is begin with my childhood, or rather my lack of. My name is Dante Soriano, I was born on a January 15th on a vineyard in Sicily, Italy. My mother was a doctor, and my father produced wines for the different countries, to the outside world we were an ordinary family, I did not know the secrets that my family hid until I was 7 at which time my world and everything I kept dear to me was ripped away in a matter of blood screams and echoing minutes.

         The day in question was the warmest day of the year in the middle of the Summer, I had just arrived home when I heard my father arguing in his office with a man, who sounded like a deep throated croak.

         “You will continue doing as you are ordered. Anything will bring unpleasantness upon you and your family, after all think of your son’s future.” He growled angrily at my father.

         “I am thinking of Dante’s future and what son wants to know that his father is the only descent part of the Italian Mafia? And his mother fixes all there wounded?” My father shot back with equal anger.

         “Fine if you’re positive that is your answer I have no choice.” Said the man to my father as he pulled something from his jacket pocket and with a silent pop my father grabbed his throat gasping for air, but finding none. With in seconds his last gasp of air he said my mother’s name.

         My mother came running from the side of the house, and saw me, she quickly scooped me up in her arms and tried running with me in her arms, she did not make 5 steps before a loud bang echoed like thunder through out the vineyard. She fell to the ground still clutching me, as a whole in her chest blossomed like a rose, and began to cry its red tears onto my face, and with all her strength she held onto me. I stayed in her arms that felt like an eternity, as foot steps began to come towards us, crunch crunch the gravel underneath there shoes made them sound like bones crushing in a predators teeth. Suddenly the weight of my mother’s body was lifted, and the cool breeze set in on me. I don’t now whether it was the  blood that covered me or the anger that rushed through my blood, but my heart began to beat rapidly, adrenalin thrusted through my body, giving me more strength then I remember, but I slowly stood up, covered in blood and faced the enemy like a cornered wolf in the midst of hunters. I stood up with rage and yet a calm that reached through my whole body like I had nothing or no one to fear, I stood and looked into the eyes of death, and yet I could not muster up any fear, And when he pulled out that revolver, I stared down the barrel and Laughed.

         “What is wrong with this brat is he messed up in the head?” said the man in the white Armani suit. Just seconds before I grabbed the gun and broke his hand and the gun clank to the ground, and he fell with a scream that you would think no human could possibly make. After I broke his arm and he went to the ground, I saw something move on his throat, and till this day I do not remember how but I could smell and see this particular spot on his neck, which I pressed with all my strength and heard the crack of his neck. When he crumpled I had this sick need to leave my mark on him, but I had nothing. But then a blinding pain to my spine and I was out cold, visions of my families last moments swimming through my mind attacking my very last bit of sanity, till the throbbing pain in my back drove me from a world of illusion and into the world of pure blinding pain across the spine from my right shoulder to my left hip.

         “Why they think of beating on the new stratti is beyond me, at least let them come to us on there own free will for Pete sake.” Said a thin nurse as she finished up tapeing a, white gauze upon my back.

         “Owe you are a wake?” she asked in a chipper voice.

         “Yes,” I am able to say through spasms of pain.

         “Good, we can then get you to eat something before you start.”

         “Start what?” my voice shaking from the pain in my back.

         “You will find out now eat up.” She says handing me a bowl of chicken broth.

         I wolfed it done without a second urging, when suddenly the doors burst open to expose an elderly man probably about 50 to 60 years old walks in and says so Jocelyn is are new recruit ready?

         

“Yes Goliath he is ready.” Rate after his words, I am grabbed by the hair and pulled down the halls barely able to keep up with this mans long gate to keep from the searing pain of my back and skull. He brought me into a cement wall room with a set of sixteen desks, all but one were filled. I was thrown into the desk and told to stay. And that began my life as a stratti or a trained assassin for the Italian mafia. right from the get go I was set out from the others. From the hand to hand combat to the artillery training I was at the top of the class. But unlike the other candidates I never pared off, I did not need anyone and they did not need me. So I spent my years training until I hit the ripe age of 19 years old, which was then I received my first assignment. One day I was in the gym, working on my aim with throwing knifes when the boss came in and tapped me on the shoulder. With that one tap I immediately stopped and waited to hear his instructions, in the Mafia you learn listen to the boss or pay a price it only took me four beatings to learn that lesson. He took me into his office, sat me down, and slid a manila envelope across the desk and into my hands. I waited for his nod before opening it up and seeing a face of a blond haired blue eyed girl roughly the age of 16.

         “ Your target is Tarisa Florence her father did a little accounting for us, and now he is turning us in to the police in exchange for passage to America, Your assignment, is to kill his daughter and make him wish he had never crossed us you got it?”

         “ I understand it shall be done.” I said in complete understanding.

         “Good, but before you go I will give you one thing to remember your parents by.” He smiles and slides a cloth parcel over to me. I pick it up and there are a set of silver claws. “These were used to cover up the death of your parents, and they were also what gave you the scar on your spine. So sense you have a history with these I thought you might consider using those.

         I could not do anything these claws were the only items I had to remind me of my parents, so I took them and put them on, and readied to be off, I was to rendezvous with my target outside of a cafe and then get her into an alley were my job was to be completed. I was given black pants a white silk shirt and a black leather trench coat with sunglasses. As well as a mizuki 3600klxa motor cycle.  I hit the gas and floored it through the long cement tunnels that opened up into the crisp sunshine that danced along my raven black hair and gently kissed my olive toned skin. At a rough 6 feet four inches, I had to hunch over the handle bars that pressed into my six pack, it was not comfortable, but no means unpleasant as I soared through the streets towards my prey.  The world blew past me in flashes, of colors and sounds. I had just hit the town market, were I was forced to slow my speed or risk getting caught by the police, even thought I knew if they caught me I would be fine, but the fact of having to face the boss with out finishing my assignment that I would never even dream of doing. So I slowed down, and the flashes began to take form, the noises became voices. Men and women, girls and boys all around moving in the flow of time for there lives, and I frozen in the moment as they go with the un ending current. After ten minutes of drifting through traffic, I came to the spot the place were my job would commence in the hours of the evening, and it only being noon I decided to set up and wait.

         I parked the bike outside the café in English known as the vine of life. The building was a red brick covered in lilac and other vine flowers, and through the glass you can see the little tables with a small flower and candle on each. The table clothes made of cotton a rose patterns stitched delicately, with ruffles on the bottoms, though I felt a vile thing like me did not deserve to enter such a delicate soft peaceful place. But my oaths of servitude forced me to violate such a in my mind such a holy place. I entered through the oak doors. Everything stopped when I opened the doors. The whole place went silent, the couples looked at me, and the hostess dropped her gaze when she looked into my eyes. I walked up to her in a swagger, and ask for a table in the back. She skittishly acknowledges not raising her eyes to meet mine. Once seated I placed myself in the most strategic position at the table, my back to the wall, to my right the kitchen, to my left another wall, and the only means of escape the front doors and windows ahead of me. After five minutes finally a waiter appeared the boy could not be more then 16 and as he poured the water and told me the specials all the while stumbling and forgetting most of it. I finally could not take it anymore and told him that he wanted to keep breathing he would do well to speak or go away. He quickly found his voice and went quickly through not missing a single syllable. I really was not hungry for any thing special so I ordered a steak, and stuck to water. I folded my arms forgetting all manners, and rested my elbows on the table my hands clenched as if in prayer, my hair covering my eyes, as they swept from person to person trying to gain as much as an advantage as possible within the few hours before I finally would be able to complete my task and leave this paradise, and go back to the bleak that I am much more used to then these bright colors, each bursting with over joyous emotions. My eyes were drawn to the color like a moth to the flame, it took all my control to stay seated and not caress the colors to tenderly examine them, to sketch there brilliance in my mind, just as I was beginning to be enveloped in the sea of color, a loud clatter broke me from my stupor. I quickly shook my head to draw my thoughts back to the task at hand. After a few more minutes and my steak arrived. As quickly as the person came to deliver it they quickly raced away as if the fear of being stalked by death, I hated how they could judge me without even knowing me, but let them think as they wish, they don’t mess with me and they can keep breathing. I slowly began to eat, stopping every time the door opened, or a certain saying or voice change, and only beginning again when I was sure that nothing changed so dramatically that my plans had to change, as the hours past by, faces came and went, laughter and happiness, sadness and bitter all came and went through the café as time past, happy families, couples with stars in there eyes, students with big dreams for the future. The sun was just beginning to set when my target walked in, she and her friends came in like a pack of wolves going to a river, the alpha in front, my target in the middle, and two defenders in the back. They sat at a table and began to order wine and dinners all the while talking about different topics.

         “Angie I can’t believe you ditched your father’s party to come here with us I mean seriously not even I would blow of a party with so much people with money after all, don’t you want to be an actress? Who knows you could have even been discovered.” Asked the girl in my opinion would be an alpha, of the truest sense of the word.

         “Laughs no the only people that go to daddy’s parties are back stabbing politicians all just wanting to get into his wallet.” Laughed my target, with a gently soothing laugh.

         Even more hours passed by, they drank so much when it was time for them to go, I was amazed they were still able to stand let alone speak in coherent sentences. But they did, as soon as I saw the door shut, I got up paid my bill with the money I was supposed to, to keep up my cover, I headed out. And followed down the street, only stopping at my bike to pick up the silver claws and place them into my pockets, and return following behind. She left her friends in between the juncture of Maple Street and Oak Avenue. She then decided to take a short cut down an alley that cuts between the two streets, and that is were I finally was ready, I snuck up behind her and quickly shoved her to the ground. I took out my claws and was getting ready to finish the job, when from the roof of a building a black shadow that fell fast then disappeared into the shadows, I wrote it off as my imagination, only to go back to what I was doing I reached to start again, only to be thrown ten feet into a brick wall, my mind began to swirl with memories of my past, and I was pulled into an under toe. I rose up, and just attacked, everywhere and everything. But the shadow always seemed out of my reach, my claws struck and stroked, but every time I sliced through the dumpsters, or I struck brick that caused embers to fly in every direction, no matter my efforts, I never struck flesh. I swung and swung until the sirens of the police came near, then the shadow struck me in the back of the neck, then darkness.

         I was in darkness, a drowning abyss, and there was no way to climb and no where to go. And slowly a light shown, until I was finally able to crawl out of the shadows of my mind and back to the world of reality, were a blinding pain at the stem of my neck was a killer. When the pain subsided and I was able to see more I was in a room made of wood, a crystal chandelier and a fire place with a chair in front. Aww so you have finally awaken Strati??

         I immediately got up and was prepared to kill, because the only ones who called the Italian mafia assassins Strati were other mafia’s, or even more dangerous organizations. But which my captives were I could not guess.

         “If you are wondering why you are here Strati it is because of my dragon, he saw something in you, and the only reason you are still breathing right now is the soul fact is that he completed his mission. So get the crazy idea of escaping out of your mind? Said the voice with such a strong tone, it is like his tone was divine law.

         Just then the door opened, a six foot six blond man, with no shirt on a long black trench coat, and leather pants walked in with a trey of tea. He sat it down beside the voice in the chair, then kneeled on one knee, and awaited for something, what I do not know, but I only had to wait for a few seconds a hand raised from the chair and settled on the head of the tall man trying to be as small as possible.

         “Dragon you did well, that is why I am not going to punish you for breaking the coed and bringing an outsider here, but what was your purpose? This is so unlike you.” said the tone.

         “My lord I know not, I had every intention to leave him to the cops, but before I could leave something pulled him towards me. And I reacted on impulse I apologize for my short comings.” said the man on his knees.

         “And what would you have me do to reside this little problem?” asked the tone.

         “I request he becomes a member and have him work for us.” whispers the man on his knees, his eyes residing on the floor.

         “Very well.” The tone said, then a snap like a death sentence echoed like thunder, and two big hulking men came into the room and dragged me out by my hair. The pain was excruciating but I just bit my lip and allowed it to happen, but to my utter shock the one I saw on his knees earlier was a completely different person, stood at his full six foot six, and his eyes, not the deep blue I saw earlier, but instead a blood red. And then he hit the two with such force when his fist struck there bodies I saw the ripple in the air as they launched into the walls, and hit with such force they left body indents. He then spun around and went back on his knees and with such a hollow tone said, “If he must be harmed to join use, then let me pay for it with my own. After all it is my fault he is here in the first place I will pay for it myself.”

         “fine.” Said the final tone, that now has a body of a 50 year old man, with black hair, but white streaks and black sunglasses that had an eerie sheen to them.

         The blond man got up and offered me his hand, after that he helped me into a small cement room, were there were no windows and one door.

         His eyes filled with emotions said, “Bare with me a few minutes I will show you to your room after.

         I did not have time to respond or to so much as blink before he removed his jacket and his bare muscles were shown as the thugs he had just put through the wall were chaining him, his arms high over his head, and then they backed off, and one left and, came back with a bull whip, at first I thought it was a scare tactic, that illusion did not last long, the long slick leather unwrapped with a small crack, as it was pulled back and with lightening fast speed it sliced into the flesh of the blond man. One slice, then a thin red line appeared on his body before the blood began to flow down his back, he showed no sign of pain, or that he even minded the whipping, six more lightening fast lines appeared on his body before the supposed boss raised his hands and had the thugs stop and unchain him. He dropped to the floor, for like one second before he got up and dusted himself off, and picked up his jacket.

         “Sir if it is alright with you sir I would like to take the new recruit under my wing and teach him myself with your permission.” He said with a slight tremor in his voice.

         “Really, well if that is your wish I will accept your request, but remember he fails you fail.” said the obvious leader.

         “Then by your leave I will take him to his room and begin to start training first thing in the morning.” Said the blond man, before he took three steps back, then turns around grabs my hand and quickly helps me to my feet were we then walk down a corridor that quickly begins to look like castle corridor only to began to change until it looks like a traditional vineyard house like the one I used to live in before my family died. We then went to the second floor all the while small bead drops of blood fell from his back, and fell to the floor with a small splash, he did not appear to notice or care, as he brought me into a small room, where new clothes were all laid out for me.

         “I am going to trust that you will stay here, Doria will serve you if you need anything just call.” He said before he turned around and quickly closed the door.

         There I stood dumb struck, no one had ever cared enough about me to ever protect me since my mother and yet this man did with no hesitation an no remorse he baffles me to no end and yet his words soft yet commanding seemed to bind me to the very room I stood in. My mind pondered for hours of such kindness that I never thought still existed and yet there it was. I was so lost in thought, that I was startled, when someone rested there hand onto my shoulder. I grabbed the hand and flipped the person onto the floor and was ready to snap the wrist when it was a petite brunet, tears in her eyes, “I……I…..Just trying….. to…..to…to ……tell you your dinner was on the night table.” She wailed, I quickly released in which she ran racing from the room. My first meeting of someone who might be able to shed light on what is going on and I put the fear of god into them heaven help me I am such an ass at times, I thought as I eat the luscious meal spread out before me, I wolf it down, and sleep in the corner of the room, away from the niceties of the bed, to afraid that these luxuries were just my imagination.

         I was awoken in the morning by someone nudging my leg with there shoe. I opened my eyes to look into the blue eyes of the man, who had taken the beating for me hours before.

         “Come now are you going to sleep the day away? We are going to start your training. ” he said with a smile.

         “What do you mean I am a, Strati I have already learned all I need to know.” I growl at him.

         “Really? Then why were you not able to hit me in the alley?” he asked in a mocking tone.

         I growl at him, but I know he is right. He seems different, an ever changing being you can never put your finger on what goes through his mind. But in a sense he has an aura about him that just settles all your nerves, and you can just trust him full heartedly. Till this day I never knew anything but the basic fact about him and that is he is more mysterious then an oracle, but wields more power then a god, and yet has such wisdom he makes Athena the goddess of wisdom look like a complete an utter child.

         I went with him that day, but it was an unusual training, we started with stretches, and then he handed me a leather thong in which he told me to put in my hair to keep my hair out of my eyes, but what it did was completely different. Once in my hair, my mind was calm, and focused, and it was like my mind had been slumbering and with this little piece of leather it snapped it awake.

         “What is this?” I gasp after a few minutes of unbelieving new aspect of life.

         He just smiles and gives me an all knowing smile, but said nothing. From that day on, he showed me that whenever my hair was tied up I was dare I say it almost human. But when it was down I lost all control, but my strength and senses were heighten. One Summer night two years after he started to train me, he took me to a lake that was deep into the mountains to a hot spring.

         “Tonight we are not training. I have more important things to discuss with you.” He said in a serious tone.

         “What is it?” I asked quizzativly.

         Takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly, “What I have taught you all these times are only temporary fixes. But for now you can burry your emotions and curtail your anger and pain, but sadly I can not take them away. But some day you will find the person that does heal, but before they can start to heal all those things you suppressed will threaten to over whelm you.” He says and looks up into the full moon.

         I could not say anything, nor could I look into those eyes, such wisdom and yet such pain shined through. And for an instant his eyes changed from there blue, into a blood red. And back again so quickly I was not sure if what I saw was true. He gently took his hand and rested it on my shoulder.

         “I also brought you here in order to let you know we have another mission starting tomorrow. And I want you to know what ever you see, just remember I have your back and will lay down my life before I let anything happen to you. But if anything should happen to me I want you to know it was not your fault nor do I want you to feel any remorse. My life is complete I just want you to know this.” He said looking back to moon before turning away and walking back towards the house we were staying.

         What did he mean see? I pondered that over and over in my mind and yet something felt not right. I looked at the moon and the water, how it gently rippled and swirled as if trying to tell me a secret that I could not hear nor see. I spent three hours trying to figure out everything I just heard. No answers came to my mind so I decided to head back, My trainer dragon was so mysterious, he was there any time he was needed and when he wasn’t it was like he did not exist, and for an almost perfect man at the age of nineteen that was saying something, though looking at him you could not tell anything about him.

         Morning came too early, and breakfast and fresh clothes were laid out and waiting. Breakfast consisted of a hard boiled egg, a fruit cup, bacon, and some tea, it was surprisingly skimpier portions then I was used to, but I did not mind in the least, specially when I saw the clothes, the were perfectly made to fit me, Black leather pants, a white open collared silk shirt, a long black leather trench coat, with specially designed pockets, in order to fit my silver claws without looking conspicuities. And they were especially thick, so the claws would not rip through. And in a little black almost like a day pouch concealed a set of keys, a pair of sunglasses and a cell phone. Within an hour I was ready to go. I was starring out the window looking for some answers, when a nock came at my door.

“Come on in.” I said in a nonchalant tone.

         Dragon entered the room in similar garb, the only difference would be his sunglasses were blood red. He came in with a gate that made an unspoken challenge to take him on. He smiled that bore fangs that is right fangs, and yet they were real. I looked shocked, and all he did was smiles and turned and walked out the door. I followed suit, always five steps behind him, for some reason or another every time I tried to get closer some sort of force forced me back. So I kept pace, we mounted some motorcycles and drove off into the city, we stopped for lunch, but instead of eating food, we went in grabbed an envelope, and went back to the bikes. After another hour of weaving in and out of traffic we reached a private air strip. We then showed a few papers from the envelope and entered a black hawk helicopter, in which we flew for several more hours. By the time the pilot gave us the thumb to tell us we reached our destination it was so black I had trouble seeing, but as for dragon, he looked so comfortable it was like nothing could phase him. He helped me strap on a parachute and buckle me in safely. Then he gave me a small push in order for me to get me out, as I began to free fall. Not even seven seconds later he was behind me, I could not see whether he had a parachute or not, but there was no emotions on his face, he became a completely different person, all emotions and feelings were erased from him. He gave me a signal to pull my rip cord on the parachute, in order to release it. I did it immediately. Slowly I began to float down like a feather in a stiff breeze. The wind felt great on my face, and I felt completely free, but nothing lasts for ever and once I hit the ground my ankles buckled but besides the slight tingle I seemed ok.

To my left he landed like a silent predator stalking prey. His hair glimmering in the moon light, his features appeared to have been chiseled out of stone. Without so much as a glance we headed towards the mansion, walking in plane sight, almost with a come and get us attitude. Dragon in front as if to shield me in anyway necessary, we got to the vintage doors almost completely covered in a stain glass scene of roses growing around the sun. He knocked gently, no one answered smiles before he punches the handle straight through the door, and walked in. We were meted by some would be security guards, but before I could even remove the claws from my jacket he snapped there necks, and through there bodies across the room like rag dolls.  Kept walking deeper into the house, we went up two sets of stairs, and were walking down a hall way portraits of obvious ancestors hung on both sides, as if in a snotty mood trying to show they were better then everyone else. Stepping down the hall we came upon a door not made of wood like the others, but black iron. He turned to the door, and whipped out what looked to be a pen only to start cutting around the lock, the scent of melting iron assaulting my nostrils with such a harsh potency.

Once the door opened we were in a room that was completely filled with woman all bound and chained. He and I both began to un do the chains, and he then turns to me and motions me to help them all out the window, after he slices the bars and ties a rope around the door hinges. I slowly one by one help them down, we were on the second to last girl when all of a sudden the world was turned topsie turvie. Lights and guns were everywhere; I felt a sudden push and watched as Dragon got shot in the chest. A bullet that was meant for me he took it on. Then he stood up, and while bleeding profusely ran towards the enemy and yelled at me to get them out of here. Leave me.

         Though my heart told me to stay I left him bleeding and yet fighting like a demon. The last image I got of him before I left was him ripping out the throat of a guard with his teeth. Once I got to the ground I did a head count and saw that one of the girls was missing, the other girls called her Alicia. I yelled up to Dragon but no response, I was going to start climbing back up, when the building exploded, I was throne ten feet back and all of the women were thrown in some ways or another.

         My heart felt such pain, the only person since my mother and father that could be with me and not be afraid had just died, the flames were putting welts on my skin, I did not care I wanted desperately to rush in there and find him, even if it was only remains I wanted closure. He did everything for me and yet I did nothing to repay him. I roared with such anguish I beat the ground with my fist, now thinking back I probably looked stupid, but I did not care he was dare I say it my only friend. Then a shadow became walking through the fire, as if rising from the pits of hell, carrying something, as it came closer it was the most amazing site of my life. It was so beautiful, the flames dancing around him yet not touching him, carrying the missing Alicia.

“I thought I told you to get out of here?” he growled, with a hint of humor in his voice.

“I don’t leave anyone behind.” I said as if it was so obvious he must be on something.

He and I walked with the women until we were met by two armored hummers, which picked us up and drove us to what looked like airplane hangers, which the women were rushed on to a plane and flown away into the darkness, while dragon was rushed into another car and I was left to wait in the hummers until another car came to pick me up and bring me back to the house me and dragon had been staying at. I was quickly checked over and then left to my own devices.         

         Later that night just like clock work Doria came in with my supper.

         “So when is dragon coming to back to start my training again?” I inquired.

         “I don’t know.” She said with tears streaming down her face.

         “What is wrong?” The words leaped out before I could stop them.

         Tears streaming down her cheeks and says, “Dragon made a deal and now is paying the consequences.”

         Quickly she wipes her face and says, “I should not be telling you this, it is none of your concern.”

         My heart plummets to my toes, how could she be so cold so heartless, this man protected me, trained me, gave me advice and yet when I wanted to be there for him, he disappeared into the shadows, and if I ask about him I get the none of your damn business. That will teach me to care for any one but my self. If she is goanna be heartless fine, screw me for even attempting to be human.

         “GET THE HELL OUT!!!!!!” I screamed.

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