Marco

**Marco** is a minor character and antagonist in *Crossed*. He leads the Terrore Pack, a large pack of Italian wolves, and lives in the large forest bordering the town where Xenia lived and worked. He and his pack are revealed to be responsible for the deaths of citizens that would wander into their woods, including Tona, Xenia's former boss.

## Powers

### Other abilities

Leadership, sense of smell, strength, stealth, strong bite force

## Relations

### Other(s)

Emilia (niece)Lorenzo (subordinate)

Francesco (subordinate)

## **Physical Appearance**

He is a rather large wolf with slate grey-fulvous (a shade of orange) colored fur and pale yellow eyes. He has a black tail-tip, and two black bands joining to form a V-shape are also present on his mostly grey back. His underbelly, the lower half of his face (minus the nose bridge), and the inner portions of his legs (plus his entire paws) are white, and a large brownish-black band is present on each foreleg. There are darker grey patches next to his eyes and black markings on the base of his tail. He has a large notch in his right ear and is later seen wearing a brown leather radio collar after his pack kills and eats Tona. Like all Italian wolves, his coat reddens during the warmer months.

## **History**

### **Early Life**

Not much is know about Marco's past, although he was ambitious ever since he was a pup. However, he was also very popular among his packmates. After reaching sexual maturity, Marco left his parents' pack with his siblings to start his own, eventually moving into Howler Woods. He met several other Italian wolves who liked the idea of making it clear to the other animals in Howler Woods that the wolves were the apex predators and that they should take what they want whenever they want. Marco's pack grew as a result, gaining a total of fifteen members with him as the alpha male. He met Bella, instantly falling in love with her, and the two became mates, conceiving and bearing a son whom they named Giovanni. After Giovanni became old enough to hunt, Marco and his new pack began terrorizing both the other residents of Howler Woods and those living in the human settlements nearby, later earning their fearsome, vicious reputation. Marco named his pack the Terrore, which means "terror" in Italian.

### ***Crossed***

#### **Chapter 3: Wolves!**

Marco's first appearance in the story is when he and his pack chase Xenia through the woods. Although not mentioned by name, Xenia hears him barking orders to two of his subordinates, Lorenzo and Francesco, telling them to cut her off in the belief that she's done for. Xenia prepares for the younger wolves' attack and jumps onto the one on the left, slashing at his eyes with her hind claws. She hears Marco and the other wolves catching up as she grapples with the wolf she's attacking. They try to grab her, but she repeatedly dodges their attacks. She retaliates every once in a while by biting or slashing their snouts.

Finally, the young male Xenia is holding onto throws her off, sending her rolling across the ground and into a tree. The fox looks up to see the whole pack closing in on her, with Marco at the head. He sinisterly growls that it's been a while since they last ate a fox. Behind him, one of the younger female wolves yips to him that she wants a bite of Xenia. Marco turns his head to her, telling her to be a good girl and wait her turn. He adds that she knows the alphas always eat first, but she can play with Xenia's bones afterward. Xenia realizes that she's no longer scared of the wolves and wonders if they're toying with her before they eat her. She becomes angry and glares at Marco, growling that she's not afraid of him or the other wolves. She tells him she's spent a lifetime running, but now she's done, and adds she's not what they think she is. She then shapeshifts into her true form.

Marco and the rest of the wolves look up at her in shock and horror.

*More coming soon.*

## **Quotes**

"Nothing defeats the Terrore Wolf Pack!" Marco to his pack when facing Xenia in her Kitsune form, Chapter 3

## **Trivia**

* His name means "warlike" in Italian, which is a reference to his aggressive and rambunctious attitude.