Alpha Killer Ch. 51-55

I could feel them watching me as I walked out and I didn't care. I walked down the hall to the bathroom, shutting and locking the door before letting out a scream of frustration.

I'd like to say that after blowing off that steam and getting my wolf under control things got better.

They didn't. At about five, a furious Rosalie came out of her office and called the team around her. She had been on the phone for twenty minutes, the blinds in her office closed, and I could smell her frustration. "Attention please everyone," she said as we stopped and gathered around. "Effective immediately, we are to cease inquiries and investigations into the Chicago mob. Assemble the information you have and send it to me, and I will pass it to the Organized Crime bureau."

I slammed my hand on the table. "Really? Those fuckers are taking this from us?"

"Those are my instructions. Randall, my office. Now."

She turned around and stormed back into her office, and I followed her in and closed the door. "Take a seat," she said. "You're getting too involved in this case, you need to let things go," she said as she sat down.

"Like you are right now?" She covered her face with her hands. "What's going on, really."

"Joey 'Bag of Donuts' Venucci is an FBI confidential informant," she said as she sat back in her chair. "Organized Crime Unit won't allow any investigations to go forward, he has immunity from prosecution. It wouldn't do any good."

Fuck me sideways. "Well, can't he give us information on the training facility?"

"They don't care about him or the facility, they are trying to take down the crime family. We are not to proceed with anything, including any investigation that could draw attention to him."

It was my turn to sit back. "What did you find out about the island?"

"It's a no go, the State Department is trying to gain cooperation from them in other areas. Exposing a sex island in their waters would embarrass the government further."

"So we fucking leave twenty women, God knows how many of them American, sitting there to be abused and we can't do a fucking thing? What the HELL are we even doing? I should be leading a Hostage Rescue Team into that island by tomorrow night, killing every one of those bastards!"

"Watch your language, Agent Meechum. I'm still you're fucking boss, and we don't have authorization to kill them all, no matter how much you want to."

She was a good one, but this was becoming difficult. My frustration boiling over, I stood up and punched the wall. I left a hole in it, looking at my fist I wasn't hurt. "I'm sorry. There's a lot going on in my family right now and I'm taking this case way too personally."

"Anything I can help with?"

"I met a woman while I was back home. It's... it's getting serious quickly. I think she is the one, but her sister... her little sister was tricked into prostitution and died of an overdose. It's made my job all the more real and urgent. I'm having trouble holding myself back from violence. if I found anyone that hurt Tania, I'd be as likely to kill them as arrest them. Maybe more likely, I don't know." I figured it was a good enough lie for now, it's not like I could say 'hey I'm mated to the sister of our main witness who is mated to my little brother.'

She watched me as I took a few deep breaths to calm down. She knew my reputation with women, the whole office did. I didn't screw around on the job, but in my off time I screwed around a lot. I'd never had more than a one-night stand, though. "Really. She must be quite the woman to get a second date out of you."

I blushed a little. "She's special, I love her."

"Go back to her," she said. "Look, you've hardly taken any vacation and your sick time doesn't count. With most of this investigation stalled, I don't need you in the field yet and I know how bad you are with computer investigations and paperwork. You're more of a 'bust heads and get confessions' kind of agent." I smiled at her characterization of me, I hated the grunt work. I wanted action. "This has been tough, take a week or two and get your personal life in order. If anything comes up, I'll call you."

"I can't leave you shorthanded," I said.

"You can't be beating up witnesses or shooting perps, do you have any idea how much paperwork that causes me?" She threw her hands in the air. "Look, I'm not asking. What you just said could get you in a lot of trouble if you told it to me and then it happened. I'd rather you take some time off and come back when you're ready."

I blew out my breath slowly. "What if it doesn't change? What if I can't hold back?"

"Then I'll have to reassign you or you resign, Randall. The FBI is bigger than you, this case is bigger than you. I can't have it ruined because you can't control your anger. Now, it's been a long day. Go home, Agent Meechum."

"Yes boss," I said. "Sorry about the wall." I walked out, everyone in the office looking at me as I grabbed stuff out of my desk and left. I showed them my badge and gun. "It's all right, I'm just taking a vacation," I said. "Keep on these assholes. I want to have plenty of warrants to serve when I get back."

There were some pats on the back and whispered 'good lucks' as I left, but they all knew this vacation wasn't my idea. It was a suspension with pay, without the paperwork.

I took the elevator down to parking and got in my Jeep. I tried Talia, she still wasn't answering, then I called Dad. I told him what had happened and what my plan was. "Come on home, son," he said. "You don't have to do this alone."

Damn right. I had a Pack, and we'd take care of this ourselves.

Ch. 53

Master Vampire Jarrod Covington's POV

New York, Council HQ

"What are THEY doing here," the guard asked me at the door.

"They are here because they have business with the Council," I replied.

"The Chairman will have to approve this, it is highly irregular."

"They are MY responsibility, and I will not allow them to be harmed when I have brought them in good faith."

"We shall see." The big vampire went to a phone while we waited in the room, five floors below Manhattan. The waiting area off the elevator was ostentatious, serving to show the power and wealth of the vampires who lived and ruled from here. I looked down at the huge Persian rug we were standing on, hoping it didn't end up with blood on it. He returned a minute later. "You may proceed, but you and your Coven will be held to account if they try anything. Mistress Daniela is not happy about this development," he said.

"Mistress Daniela was not happy when I left," I said. He led us forward to the large, gold-plated doors that led to the Council chambers.

Six vampire guards showed up, two flanking each of my guests. I looked back at them. "Say nothing unless directed, and be respectful as I have discussed," I told them. "Mistress Daniela and Master Louis are just looking for an excuse to kill you."

"I'm trying to build bridges, not burn them," Alpha Brent said. He was a late addition to my group, convincing me he should come just before our transport arrived. It was dangerous, but so was bringing a newly changed hybrid before a potentially hostile Council.

"I'm not saying anything unless asked, and then as little as possible," Erica said. "This place skeeves me out."

The guard knocked at the door as we quieted. When he opened them, I entered first, walking to the center of the room below the five chairs for the Council members. My Coven and guests lined up two steps behind me; Marceline on my far left, then Eduardo, Erica and Alpha Brent, then Anastasia. We all bowed our heads respectfully, our eyes up. Their emotions were carefully controlled, but I could sense the mix of hostility, curiosity and surprise in their eyes. "Master Jarrod Covington, reporting to the Council as requested." I introduced my group, then introduced the five Vampires to them. Eduardo and the two werewolves had never met the Council before.

"Your scent is interesting, hybrid," Master Lukaku said. "I saw one like you sixteen centuries ago in Tangiers, but he was male and hostile. He was taken out immediately," he said.

"It is different, a mix that doesn't belong together but on you it works," Mistress Edith said. "You are mates with this vampire?"

'Yes Mistress," Erica said with a shy smile. "My wolf claimed him, as his nature claimed mine. The change allowed us to complete our bond."

"What changes happened with the bond," Master Nikolai said.

"I have received mental bonds with my mate, her family and the Pack," Eduardo said.

"Really? That's amazing. I didn't think vampires would change as a result of the bite, I thought she would gain our characteristics," Master Lukaku said.

"We have blended, to what extent we are still discovering. The maker's bond I have with Master Jarrod remains intact. I am still bound to obey him. I also have an Alpha bond now; I can be commanded by him like any Pack member, but not if it violates the commands of my Maker. I can defy the Alpha command on my own, it is just painful to do so." He looked at them.

"Erica, do you have the same bonds?"

"I do not have a Maker's bond as my mate has described. My Alpha command remains in place, but what I did gain was a family bond with his Coven. It's not the same as I have with Eduardo, I can't mentally communicate, but my wolf and I consider them family and will protect them as if they were in my Pack."

"How interesting," Nikolai said. "I would like to test this. Erica, Eduardo, please move over by the door, the rest of you to this side." We complied, not sure of what was going on. When we were in place, he looked at me. "Alpha Brent, command Erica to defend herself and her mate to the best of her ability but do not kill."

He did so, I could see she was nervous. "Now, Master Jarrod, command your Coven members to remain where they are and not interfere." I gave that command.

"We will be testing many things now," Nikolai said. "Alpha Brent, you are not to interfere, or I will have my guards kill you, understood?" He nodded. "Martin, Yuri, attack the hybrid and beat her severely but do not kill her."

"Yes sir," Yuri, the big guard who had let us in, replied with a bow of his head. He smiled as the two of them faced Erica, who was scared. She only had a few days of training in her new form, and these were professional vampire guards. I kept my face neutral, but I was furious inside. They were my responsibility, and I had told them they would be safe.

I looked over at Eduardo, he was not holding his emotions in check. He looked to her, linking her, and she shifted into her silver and black wolf. She moved forward, in front of her mate and growling, as the two vampires moved apart from each other.

The guards would have experience fighting werewolves, who normally fought in pairs or groups. Alone, they were vulnerable to vampire speed and venom, and that was how they attacked. Yuri blurred as he rushed in from her left side, his leg moving to kick her chest, but just as suddenly she wasn't there. I could barely follow as she jumped to the side before lunging in and biting his plant leg just above the knee.

She wasn't there long, because Martin was already on her. His talons caught her shoulder, knocking her off as blood streamed from her side. She whirled and jumped for his crotch, her bite catching him where no man ever wants to be caught. By the time his scream of agony came out, she was already gone.

Back and forth it went, a far more competitive battle than it should have been. She could match their speed, her wolf was a strong fighter, but two vampires were too much to expect her to prevail against. Her coat became soaked in her own blood, and when Yuri sliced her right hamstring she collapsed to the ground. The two vampires were on her before she could blink.

"Enough," Nikolai said. "Yuri, Martin, leave us. Send the doctor in." As soon as they were gone, he looked at me. "Release your Coven from their command," he said and I did. Eduardo immediately went to his mate's side, she was on her side and panting heavily. "Alpha Brent, tend to your Pack member. She fought well."

"She did, Master Nikolai," Alpha Brent said as he went over. A vampire doctor arrived, and Erica shifted back, the shift healing some of the damage. Eduardo carried her out, as the hamstring would need to be stitched so it could heal faster. Alpha Brent came back to stand beside me, his hands covered in blood. "Did the demonstration answer your questions, Master Nikolai?"

"It did. She is strong, she fights like a wolf with the speed of a vampire. She is controlled, not a mindless animal."

"She's too strong, she is a danger to vampires," Mistress Daniela said. "This is a mistake."

"She is bound by both sides to some extent," Master Lukaku said. "Given what we know of Talia's ability, she is more of a danger to werewolves than vampires. How are these hybrids being accepted by your kind, Alpha Brent?"

"If you would grant me a few moments, I would like to show you exactly what I am dealing with among my own kind," Brent said. He took out a flash drive. "It's a video file from about ten hours ago, a videoconference with the North American Alphas and the Council." A young vampire approached and took the file over to a computer.

"What is the relevance of this?"

I answered for him. "The Werewolf Council tried to attack his Pack members, specifically they funded rogue werewolves and a former Alpha to capture Talia Stillwater and myself. Their intent was to mate her to control her power, and use my blood to make themselves invincible," I said to their gasps of shock.

Brent brought the file up, it was the start of the meeting. "If you would indulge me, it's about twenty minutes unedited. I believe you should see it unedited to get the full picture." Twenty minutes later, they were looking at me with a new respect, and Talia's power play had their attention.

"What does this mean," Master Louis asked.

"By our laws, Talia defeated the Council chairman so she is the de facto leader of all Werewolves now," he said. "She has no intention of maintaining that power, it does not interest her, and she has better things to do. The Council members involved in the decision to try to kidnap Master Jarrod, the same ones who authorized medical experiments with your captured vampires, they will all be replaced. I spoke to her last night; the records of the experiment have been secured and the people responsible will be punished."

"How can we believe that? Like we would trust dogs again." Mistress Daniela's anger pushed through, causing Nikolai to stare at her.

"I am here because I want to build trust between us," Brent said. "I never wanted war, but now I have a reason to establish a peace. Talia is mated to my son, and she considers Jarrod's coven to be her family. Tania is mated to another son, and Jarrod's coven helped her after her rescue. I will be forever grateful to them for that. Finally, Erica is a trusted friend of my family and has a mate bond with Eduardo. Our Pack and their Coven are tied together as friends and family. I can trust Jarrod, and he has trusted me. That is the basis of cooperation between our species, something we can build on."

"I'm not so sure," Master Louis said. "We have long memories, we have seen peace treaties come and go."

"That is true, and I'm not here to rehash the distant past. I'm offering a chance to establish a peace between our species at a time when we all have to worry about other problems. It is much more difficult in the age of computers and cameras to keep our true nature hidden. Never before have humans had such a capability to destroy us, and for that reason alone we should be working together. War between us will only expose us and kill us all."

"It is true," Nikolai said. "We owe it to our kinds to find a way. Leave us, go see to your Pack member. I will call you when we have a decision."

"Thank you, Master Nikolai," I said as I bowed before turning to the door. We walked through, the guards closing it behind us. We were lead through another door and down the hall to a small medical facility. "Erica, you did well," I said as I entered the room.

"I didn't scare them?"

"It was a test of both ability and restraint," I said. "We will know soon, but you held your own against two Vampire Warriors, not an easy task. Imagine what you will be able to do when fully trained."

Alpha Brent had gone over to the side of the table opposite where Eduardo was standing holding her hand. He inspected the wounds, seeing the serious ones were healing over already. "Her healing is several times faster than mine," he said as he looked at the cuts. "I'd need stitches for two days, she'll be ready to get them out in a few more hours."

"Even if they had lopped off her leg, it would regenerate in a week or so," I told him. "At least that is what it would be for a vampire."

"Let's not find out," Erica said. "I need a shower before I get dressed," she said. Eduardo led her to the attached bathroom while we cleaned up the room. The doctor stopped in, confirming she would be fine in a day or two. A young vampire popped in with new clothes since Erica had shredded hers in shifting. By the time she had changed, we were summoned again.

"The Vampire Council is in favor of exploring peace talks with the Werewolves as soon as new leadership is in place," Nikolai said. "We are asking for two things as a condition for talks. One is that the information gained in medical experiments on our kind is destroyed along with those who obtained it."

"I have already spoken with Talia. If you send a trusted representative, vampire or familiar to her at the Council she will allow them full access to the investigation and the prisoners," Brent said.

"The other is that you work with Master Jarrod to draft a simple non-aggression treaty, to ensure that neither side tries to take advantage of the time until we can negotiate a permanent agreement."

"That is a wise condition, I will work with my friend and provide it to both Councils as soon as possible," Alpha Brent said.

"Then go in peace," Master Nikolai said.

"If I may, I have a request for your Council," Brent said. I hid my surprise since he hadn't warned me. "As you know, interactions with humans are dangerous for both our kinds. Talia's sister suffered greatly at the hands of humans and werewolves; we have our justice among our time, but there are many humans whose blood we want. If it is acceptable to you, I would like your permission to work through Master Jarrod to request assistance from the Covens in cities where these humans must be tracked and taken. My kind does not live in these places and we do not want misunderstandings about our activities near your Covens."

"And what do we get out of this?"

"The men we want need to be punished, and it would be acceptable to us if they were kept captive by you for feeding purposes. It would also give us a chance to work in concert with other Covens, showing them our intentions are honorable. Without your blessing to the work, they will not do so."

Nikolai looked at the others, then nodded. "I will ensure all Covens are told of this Council's endorsement of the cooperation, but it will be up to them if they want to participate. If they do not, I will ensure they are kept aware of your activities and do not interfere, provided you do not threaten them."

"That is acceptable, Master Nikolai. Thank you for your consideration."

"Anything else?"

"No sir," Alpha Brent said.

"Then go. You have a few more hours before sunrise, enough time to get back on your plane."

We left the room, entering the elevator and finally alone. "You've got some balls on you, Alpha Brent," I said as the elevator started to rise.