Heart of the Alpha

Chapter 9

Banner's POV

"I should kill you where you stand!" I yelled. "How hard can it be to snatch a little human?"

"Hard when that little human is an alpha's mate," he responded.

"You nearly had her at the border to their territory. You should have risked the couple hundred yards you pathetic mutt!"

"Are you serious?! You're the one who wants her! You could've come over and helped me! I don't see you taking on two alpha's and a beta!" he shot back at me.

My fangs extended as I flashed my eyes at him. I could feel how the bright red of their glow made him regret his decision about entering into business with me. I am one of the most feared vampires around,  after all. "You will do well to mind your tongue and your tone!" I hissed. "You have now had two opportunities where you could have brought Addison to me and failed! Tell me why I shouldn't kill you after I take you back to the Black Paw Pack?!" When Diego didn't respond, I rushed at him, grabbing him by his neck.

"I owe you too much for you to kill me," he croaked out as I began to squeeze. "I heard you don't write off bad debts-"

"Don't believe everything you hear about me. I do write off bad debts if the borrower isn't worth my time," I growled. "With that being said," I began after releasing him. "I will give you one final chance to fix your mistake but if you fail me again..."

"I won't fail...not this time." He rubbed his neck as he rose to his feet. "I just need a way to separate them again in public."

"That shouldn't be too hard." I walked over to the hutch, pulled out a bottle of blood wine and began to pour myself a glass. "She still doesn't know about our world yet," I continued. "How did she react to being confronted by a bunch of mongrels?" Seeing Diego shrug, I laughed. I knew he didn't know because he ran with his tail tucked between his legs. "I will make your job a little easier," I offered. "If you get her in public outside of the pack territory, I will make sure that you have assistance."

"Why would you do that?"

"Because... just as your kind searches for their mates, I'm searching for mine." I took another drink from my glass. "The only difference is that your mates are chosen for you and I get to pick mine."

Diego nodded as if he could understand, but I could see the confusion in his face. "If you can pick your mate...why pick her? I mean, don't get me wrong...I know what it's like to want someone you cant have," he confessed.

I smiled. "Because you offered her to me...and now that I know she's an alpha's mate, I have every intention of taking her as my mate and turning her." The continuous confusion on Diego's face made me want to laugh. "You see, it has been known to my kind that humans that are mated to werewolves are stronger and are occasionally gifted with some type of rare power than normal humans just snatched off the streets if they were to be chosen as a vampire's mate. They are also fiercely loyal to their mates once turned, regardless of the stupid little bond that would tie the human and the wolf together."

"How? I thought the bond is impossible to break unless someone dies."

"Because we can use that same bond in our favor." When Diego didn't respond, I continued. "In other words... When a human mate is turned, that bond becomes altered so to speak."

Diego chuckled. "So she graduated from being your meal to your mate. This should be good," he added. "I got rid of my ex-wife and niece who were both mated to alphas just to pick a woman who's daughter is mated to an alpha! It just keeps getting better!" he laughed. "I should've never trusted that damn wolf! He lied to me and I still let him turn me....I lost everything." Diego's claws extended as he growled out in frustration. "If I do this, my debt to you is paid...no more jobs, nothing. I want to be free to go."

I raised my eyebrows at his crazed suggestion. When he came to me for help to escape persecution, he had explained to me that he was forced to run from his previous pack because of its downfall and his obsession with his niece that led to another alpha trying to claim her as his chosen mate.

"Diego...I tell you when your debt to me is paid, not the other way around," I responded. "You see, your mouth and your lack of control is what got you in trouble to begin with." I downed the rest of my drink and glared at him. "Only when Addison is by my side, will I decide if your debt to me is paid for helping you evade persecution with the rest of your worthless pack."

"Fine. So how do we do this? Grab her from the house or what?" he asked.

"No. That's why none of your attempts worked in the past. Let her get comfortable enough for them to let their guard down. That's when we strike."