by Alanea Alder
Once inside, they had to walk through another set of heavy glass doors to get to the heart of the club. When Aleks swung the glass door open the bass of the music moved through Rebecca's body. She felt an instinctive need to dance and move.
"Come on!" she yelled and pointed up to the balcony where she could see Rian and Damian already moving to the music. The VIP section overlooked the dance floor. Aleks smiled and nodded. The crowd seemed to part as he walked through a throng of people to head to the stairs leading to the balcony.
Rebecca found herself wanting to imitate Liam and hiss at the women who were openly checking out her mate. She was starting to understand his need to be constantly touching her. At the top of the stairs the room to the right opened up as the large VIP lounge which had a long elegant table with chairs. There were soft-looking leather sofas that lined the wall to the left which was directly across from the balcony rail. Rebecca smiled and headed to where Kate and Rian stood at the railing, looking down. The balcony was closed off floor to ceiling with a thick clear glass, leaving a panel in the middle open. It left whoever was in the balcony able to talk to their guests, still hear the music, and feel like they were in the middle of the action. Rebecca had to admit it was extremely impressive.
Kate turned and grabbed her in a hug. "I'm so glad we came. Bran and I wouldn't have warranted this kind of treatment if we came alone." She grinned at Bran, who rolled his eyes.
"What took you so long in getting up here?" Kate asked.
"The blond vampire, whose name I found out is Bryn, looked scared that we were mad about being kept waiting. When I mentioned Gabriel's name, he looked like he wanted to cry, so I tried to make him feel better. He really was doing a great job. He and Radek, the dark-haired vampire, probably thought we were just trying to cut the line," she said in almost one breath.
Aleks shook his head. "No matter how many times I hear them, I love your cute rambles."
Rebecca smiled. "That's good because you're stuck with me."
And the sooner I can let those heifers down there know it the better.
*****
When the first few bars from "Wobble" started playing, Rian, Ashby, Damian, Rebecca, and Kate yelled and dashed for the steps to make it down to the dance floor. Nicholas and the others laughed and watched them from the balcony. Aleks eyes followed Rebecca as she moved from side to side swaying her body to the music. He found himself smiling when she smiled and straining to hear her laughter. When she rotated her hips, he growled and his pants seemed to grow just a bit tighter.
He turned when an auburn-haired vampire appeared at the door. "Sir, Prince Gabriel will see you now," he said.
Aleks had to grind his teeth. The way it was said made him feel like a subject being summoned. Liam placed a hand on his shoulder. Aleks looked at him, from the sour expressions on his and Bran's faces he could tell they felt the same.
They were led to an office on the third floor. The man stopped and knocked on the door twice, before swinging it open and ushering them inside. Behind the ebony desk sat an extremely pale and extraordinarily handsome man. Aleks stepped forward and inclined his head in greeting. The man raised an eyebrow before indicating to the black leather chairs. The three men sat down.
"That will be all, Noel," Gabriel said. Noel bowed and left the room.
"Bran McGregor, mated to Kate Edwards. Alpha of the Arkadian wolf pack. Fought and killed your father to take the title of Alpha twenty years ago and have been having trouble with pack members with the arrival of your mate Kate," Gabriel said as he read from a folder. He tossed it down and picked up the next.
"Liam Lewenhart, unmated. Alpha of the Arkadian lion pride. There seemed to be an issue with your views on sexual orientation. When you were successful in the dominance fight with your Father, the entire elder generation left, rather than have you as Alpha. The Arkadion Alpha Mother however supported you. You opened up your pride to those who had been kicked out of their own prides for being gay. You run a pride comprised solely of males." He raised a single brow at Liam and set the folder down.
"And finally Aleksander Arkadion. You are the eldest amongst your brothers, which makes you heir to the Alpha position. You served in an all-shifter unit in the Raleigh police force before returning home to take up position as sheriff. You recently mated one Rebecca Morgan. The first human I have met in many centuries with a nearly pure aura. I had the pleasure of meeting her in the bookshop." He set the last folder down, leaned back, and folded his hands in front of him.
"You seem to know us pretty well," Bran said in a tight voice.
"Those are only the bare essentials. The other folders have your bank information, blood type, and what you ate for breakfast this morning," he said, taking time to look each of them in the eye. "What I don't know is why you requested a meeting with me," he said.
"Why did you move your coven so close to Arkadia?" Aleks started.
"I don't see how I have to explain anything to you," Gabriel said coldly.
"I don't like unknowns. I'm having too many problems with the damn hyenas who decided to go bat-shit crazy out of nowhere," Aleks said heatedly.
Gabriel sat forward. "You either are completely oblivious to what has been going on or a damn good actor," he said.
"You obviously know something we don't. If it pertains to the hyenas or why they have been going after Rebecca, you need to tell me. Or you can keep acting like an asshole and I get to beat it out of you," Aleks said grimly. Bran groaned and Liam smacked his forehead with his hand.
Gabriel's mouth twitched. "It's kind of cute that you think you can take me. Your attitude tells me a lot about you. So does your aura. Right now it's telling me you are very closely synced with your bear so that in instances where perhaps diplomacy might work better you make honest threats. I actually respect that more than deceit. It's also telling me that you love your mate with everything in you. That is rare, but having met Rebecca I can understand." He stood and walked over to a simulated window that was actually an LED monitor showing different rooms of the club.
"I had to make sure you weren't involved. I apologize for the lightly veiled insults," he said, turning around. The cold mask had slipped away, leaving him looking tired. Bran and Liam sat forward. If the powerful man before them was stressed over whatever was happening, they were utterly screwed.
"I take it these vague statements will eventually end and you can tell us what the fuck is going on,"Aleks said.
Gabriel's eyes widened slightly. "You are as refreshing and honest as Rebecca, just in completely different ways," he said. "Without any vague statements, we're fucked, gentleman." He walked back over to his desk and sat down.
"Well shit," Liam said, sitting back.
"I hate to tell you, but that's still vague," Aleks said sarcastically.
Gabriel reached into his desk and pulled out a stack of photos. "About eighteen months ago I was called to a coven in Detroit to settle a dispute between two houses. One vampire murdered the other vampire's daughter in a fit of rage. Around the same time the local wolf pack reported two missing families to your council. Two weeks after that incident I was called to New York. One vampire beat to death, then ripped the head off another vampire who argued with him over who was going to win the Super Bowl. In that instance an entire shifter-only fraternity went missing. Three weeks after that I was contacted by a coven leader in Boston. After a group of vampires went through town, a small, local, lion family was gone. Not dead, gone. It probably would have gone unnoticed if the coven leader wasn't good friends with the lion family. We haven't found the bodies. Seeing a pattern yet?" he said, putting the pictures of the missing and the deceased on the table.
"Vampires are flipping out and shifters are going missing." Liam's face went extremely pale. "Someone is distributing shifter blood to vampires." Liam whispered, as if saying it quieter would make it less true.
"That is impossible. Vampires feeding off of shifter blood is forbidden, it's the oldest law between bo
th our peoples, one of the first created, punishable by death. Everyone knows that shifter blood is dangerous to vampires. The effects are unpredictable," Aleks argued.
"It's out there, gentleman, being bought and sold like a designer drug," Gabriel confirmed.
"How do the hyenas tie into all of this?" Aleks asked, afraid he knew where it was going.
"From what I can piece together from the few unlucky runners and dealers I have been able to catch, is that this all started with a gambling debt. A hyena owed and owed big. When the vampires went to collect, he offered up his blood as payment, saying it would give them a great buzz. The idiot vampires believed him. Soon he wasn't enough, so the hyena, seeing a business opportunity, offered to start bringing in unsuspecting shifters for their blood. That was about a two years ago, and business is doing well," Gabriel said.
"Hyenas aren't that smart," Liam said, standing. He started to pace. Aleks could tell that Liam's lion wanted to hunt.
"You're right, they aren't, but the vampires are. They already had connections with all the wrong people. They are using the hyenas as suppliers," Gabriel said.
"Why go after Rebecca?" Aleks asked.
"I tracked the clan of hyenas who are the main suppliers to just outside of Arkadia. Two weeks ago they fucked up and lost a huge shipment of blood that was set to go north. It would be my guess that they would use Rebecca to get you to drain Arkadia dry to make up for that loss. They will only be getting more desperate. I bet they are on a timeline," Gabriel said. He pushed forward one eight-by-ten black-and-white photo. "Does he look familiar?"
Aleks looked down and nodded. "That's the hyena Rebecca and I saw the night at the restaurant." He handed the picture to Bran.
Liam walked over from where he had been staring at the LED monitor. "I just saw that guy in the club!" he said, taking the picture.
Bran gasped. "Something is wrong. Can you see Kate?" Bran demanded, clutching his midsection.
Aleks was about to stand when a blinding pain to the back of his head nearly made him pass out. He stood and staggered, struggling to remain upright. "Where is Rebecca?" he asked going to the monitors.
"Liam, are you sure?" Gabriel asked as he strode over to stand next to Aleks. He pushed aside the dark wood paneling to reveal a wall of monitors. He started scanning each screen.
"Wolves and bears are good with scents. Lions are good with details and tracking. I'm one of the best when it comes to hunting. That and I thoroughly beat the shit out of that guy in Arkadia, I wouldn't forget something like that" Liam said, joining him at the wall.
Outside they heard raised voices.
"I don't care! I need to talk to him. Aleks! Aleks!" a voice yelled from the other side of the door. Gabriel beat Aleks to the door and flung it open to reveal a crying Nicholas, who was clutching his chest.
"Nicholas, what is it?" Aleks asked, fear knotting in his throat.
"I felt panic, then pain from Ashby. Then panic, then anger, then pain from Rebecca, and then nothing. I don't feel them anymore!" he wailed.
Aleks roared and the walls shook. People stopped talking and the music cut so quickly the last notes echoed through the building.
He ran past Nicholas and down the stairs, Liam and Bran steps behind him. He saw Connor talking to Rian and Damian, who were shaking their heads and crying. They looked up as Aleks approached at a run.
"Bathroom," Connor said, taking off at a run to the side hallway, the men following him. When they got there, Emmett, Benedict, and Duncan were questioning people in the bathroom hallway as Gavin treated Kate, who lay motionless on the floor.
"Where is she?" Aleks roared. His hands became claws, and he raked them down the walls, sending wood and plaster flying.
"Kate!" Bran yelled, falling to his knees beside his mate.
"Rebecca and Ashby were taken out the emergency exit by four hyenas. Kate was trying to stop them when they stabbed her in the stomach. I don't have any supplies here, Aleks," Gavin said urgently, his hands full of blood as he tried to staunch the bleeding.
"Noel, take this gentleman and Ms. Edwards to our clinic downstairs. Give them anything and everything they need. Radek, Bryn, I need to move any witnesses to the VIP section and clear out the rest. Aleks, who is your best tracker?" Gabriel asked, turning to Aleks, who stood beside them, chest heaving. "Aleks, I can't even pretend to know how hard this is for you, but you are the next leader of Arkadia. You need to focus," Gabriel said softly.
Aleks' head snapped to Gabriel. "Benedict and Finn, are our best trackers, Liam is our best hunter. I trust him to take charge out in the field," he said through clenched teeth. He was barely keeping himself from shifting. His bear was clawing at him to get out, to go get his mate. But the human side of him knew they had a better chance of getting her back if he could focus and start working this as a crime scene. He took a deep breath and looked at Gabriel.
"We need to isolate each witness and get statements." Gabriel nodded then moved to where Bryn was ushering the witnesses upstairs. He turned to his brother "Emmett, I need you to guard the scene. We can't have too many people down here. The scents we have are already fading. I don't want any gawkers trailing through them, destroying them completely."
Emmett nodded then simply started walking, arms stretched out, until each hand touched either side of the hallway and pushed everyone down the hallway using his body as a plunger before blocking the entrance.
"Connor, I need you to get Rian and Damian down here. The three of you will be looking for any kind of trace evidence." Connor nodded then ran past Emmett to go get the two lions.
Aleks turned to Duncan. "I need to you to call Ma, tell her everything that happened. Get Dr. Claybourne up here. You also need to call Riley and let him know that his Alphas need him and the pack," Aleks said, referring to Bran's Beta. Duncan nodded and pulled out his cell phone.
That only left Nicholas. Before Rebecca, he never would have thought of the smaller man. His eyes moved past the onlookers until he saw him on the outskirts of the crowd, his arms wrapped around his body and silent tears streaming down his face. He looked lost. Aleks walked past Emmett and walked over to Nicholas, who looked up at him, his face ashen.
"Alpha, I..." His voice broke.
"I need you to stay by my side, Nicholas. Besides our mating bond, you are my only tie to her. If you feel anything, anything at all, tell me right away," he said gently. He placed a hand on Nicholas's shoulder.
"Of course, Alpha, I'll do anything to get them back," he swore. Aleks nodded and looked up. Gabriel was motioning that they join him.
"Two witnesses said that they heard the hyenas say something about making a delivery. They should be contacting us soon," Gabriel informed him.
"I can't sacrifice Arkadia," Aleks said.
"No one said you should. Rebecca seems the kind of woman who wouldn't want others hurt for her sake. We'll find them, Aleks. Then we'll take out these hyenas, and the vampire's blood supply will dry up," Gabriel said lowly.
"What happens to the vampires?" Aleks asked, looking at Gabriel. He was surprised when the vampires eyes started to glow a dim red color.
"They face me," Gabriel said coldly. Aleks nodded. He would have preferred to rip them apart with his bare hands, but one look at Gabriel's eyes and Aleks knew that killing them would be a mercy. He wanted them to suffer, so they would be facing their Prince.
#
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
"Eww, it smells like shit in here, I mean like, literal shit," Rebecca said, shifting her body so that she lay on her side facing Ashby. They had both woken up with their hands tied behind their backs.
"I'll take your word for it. That jerk broke my nose," Ashby said, wincing as he spoke.
"Not to sound ungrateful, because if you weren't here I'd be losing my mind, but why did they bring you?" Rebecca asked.
Ashby gave a small chuckle. "Because they couldn't separate us. Even when they knocked us unconscious we didn't let go of each other," he said, givi
ng her a soft smile.
"Aww, I wuve you too, Ashers," Rebecca said, making a kissy face.
He laughed then gasped. "I think they broke a few ribs too," he said, breathing out slowly. Rebecca growled and Ashby grinned. "You know, they say that after a while couples start acting alike. That is the tiniest growl I have ever heard, and I babysit," he said, grinning. Rebecca laughed.
"So, what's the plan?" she asked. Ashby was about to respond when the door to the room they were in slid open. When light filled their room, Rebecca realized she wasn't in a building at all, it looked like they were in a railcar.
"Quiet in there, no talking or we beat the tiny lion some more," a harsh voice called, before slamming the door closed.
"Why does he think you're a lion?" she whispered as low as she could.
"At the club I was dancing between Rian and Damian. It must be their sweat. It explains why I'm tied up and not in a cage. If they knew I could shift smaller and out of my bonds I'd be in a cage," he explained.
"Then shift, go!" she whispered.
"Never going to happen, Rebecca, I will never leave my Alpha Mother," he said.
"Look, I appreciate the sentiment. But if Aleks, Liam and Bran knew where we were, those hyenas would be in tiny pieces by now. We were out for a while, so there's no telling how far we are from the club. We're in a railcar. We're both covered in coal dust. Railcars move, Ashby. They could move us anywhere in the mine. We're stationary now, but God only knows if that will change. They would never find us. I mean who starts looking in railcars? They will probably mount an army and storm the woods. Shift, go get help. Even if they move the railcar, at least you could let them know to look for one," she whispered. She knew it would be a long shot, but at least he would be safe if he left.
"I can't leave you alone. You're human, they'll kill you," Ashby replied, tears in his eyes. She scooted forward and kissed his forehead.
