The Dietrich's residence was a sight to behold.
The Dietrichs were known for their wealth and power, and their residence showcased that with its sheer size and grandeur. The large gates protected the magnificent gardens from uninvited outsiders, and the mansion alone was big enough to allow for rambunctious little werewolves to run around until they tire.
Everyone knew that whoever lived there was untouchable, yet the head of the family was looking out of the window with a worried expression on his face.
As much as he tried to hide it, there was no denying what he felt as he awaited the arrival of the Hawthorne's alpha, an old friend of his who seemed to be in distress right now, but the reason for that was easy to guess.
The matter seemed serious because he saw that his old friend came with his son Alec in tow, and the unease on the Hawthornes could be felt even from where he was standing.
Despite it being a reunion of two old friends in addition to one of their sons, nobody was looking forward for the meeting.
The two Hawthornes made their way up as he kept looking out of the window until the doors behind him opened and his friend greeted him with a wide grin on his face. "Chris, my old friend! It is nice to see you. How have you been?"
Christopher Dietrich had so many worries on his mind, yet he still managed to return the smile and nod his head in acknowledgment to Alec. "Things could have been better, but considering everything, I think I am doing well."
He walked over to a bottle and offered to pour two drinks for Alec and his eager friend, but Alec denied his offer looking like he was thinking deeply about something. Chris didn't think much about it as he sat across from them in a setting that was a lot less formal than his usual meetings.
Despite this, this meeting wasn't less serious than the rest.
"I hoped that I would see you again under different circumstances, but this matter cannot be ignored." His old friend told him looking tired and worn from thinking. "Bodies keep appearing. For now, it is just rogues and ferals who are being targeted, but it is only a matter of time before we're hit, too."
"He killed five of our own, father." Alec hissed making his father sigh like he was tired from hearing all about it. Chris found himself watching them with a stony expression on his face, especially when Alec was given a reprimanding look from his father.
Taking a sip of his drink, Chris watched as the current alpha of the Hawthorne family turned to look at him apologetically before elaborating on his son's behavior. "Five of our men were killed, and Alec here seems to think it was one person. I think we have a group of rogues who are trying to claim their territory."
Chris nodded his head distractedly as he thought about everything.
The dead bodies that kept appearing all over their boarders – sometimes inside – and the bashed head of a member of his pack who disobeyed and decided to take matters into his own hands to take down the pack of criminals hidden somewhere nearby. They both had a deal going on, and Chris was sure that 'rat' incident wasn't enough to stir anything of that sort.
The third wayward pack might be consisted of people who were morally questionable and found unity in their mischievous ways, but they never went this far.
They only killed if provoked.
This wasn't really provoked. The dead 'rat' cemented his death when he decided to take matters in his own hands. Chris didn't care much for the idiots in his pack, they should've known better.
The five men, well, that's probably business.
With a deep sigh, Chris took another swig of his drink and shook his head at his friend. "I believe your son." He told him watching the shock appear on his face. "Alec is right, it is one person, and he's capable of that."
"But that-" Alec watched his father sputter not fully processing Chris' words, and Chris himself was used to similar reactions whenever the topic comes up. It was always met with disbelief. "This person, do you know him?"
Chris gave a slight laugh before he answered. "Constantine."
"What? But how? How did he turn out this way? I thought..."
With a wistful look, Chris answered feeling glad that he had a drink in his hand. It eased his mind as he thought more about the whole thing. "It happens when you pair a calculating precise mind with exceptional talent and control." He said thinking back on the last time he saw Constantine. It was not a very happy memory. "Killing is in his nature, and he never relied on instincts to do it."
To werewolves, their instincts were what guided them. They relied on them to hunt, fight, and many other things to the point where it felt like it was more in control of them than they are of themselves. It affected so many aspects of their lives, but the animalistic nature of them made werewolves excel in fights. There was no reason to try and resist them, not when they were their strongest asset.
Constantine, however, thought differently and ignored most of these instincts. He used his senses like he uses his knives, tools to be guided not guide him. This is what made him unpredictable and win against groups of werewolves even though it almost seemed like an impossible feat.
All that brilliance, and he turned out to be like that.
Unaware of his father's paling face, Alec jumped up at the mention of Constantine snapping Chris out of his reverie. "We need to do something about him. He threatened to take my mate."
"Oh, he did?" Chris sounded a bit surprised, but he quickly shook it off as he gave Alec a smile. "I forgot about that. Congratulations, it is always a wonderful thing to find one's mate."
Alec's anger simmered down at the sudden change in tone. "Uh, yeah. Thank you."
"Say, our packs haven't gathered in a while. Why don't we celebrate the week before the full moon together? It would be nice to meet that omega of yours." Chris told them as he stood up with a grin on his face. "Besides, I do have a few friends who can help your... situation."
Alec's father quickly took Chris' hand in his shaking it in agreement. "That sounds more than favorable. We'd be happy to attend."
"Right, yeah." Alec nodded his head taking Chris' hand as well just like his father did moments ago.
While Chris sounded like he knew what to do, Alec wasn't sure how much trust he should place in him to handle the situation he found himself in. Eli needed protection, and the Dietrich pack is extremely powerful so no matter what, having their protection is a plus. Besides, he had known Chris to be his father's friend ever since the day he was born.
But something made him wary, and he didn't know what.
It was only when they left did Chris finally let the cheerful manner of his drop. His face was stony once more as he exited the room he welcomed his guests in and headed for his study.
"Damn you, Constantine."
An annoyed breath escaped him as he reached for his phone to make a few important calls. The gathering he was hosting was not unlike any other party he had hosted before; it will just be larger than usual and require a few important guests to be invited.
When he made sure that most would attend, he finally made one last important call and waited anxiously for the phone to pick up.
Finally, the person on the other end picked up.
"I am having an important gathering in a few days." He told the person on the other end without even bothering with unnecessary greetings. "There's something I need you to do."
"Anything, sir."
"Bring Constantine here, I need him under my watch. You know what to do."
"...Yes, sir."