Dante's P.O.V.
"That is the worst plan you have come up with yet," Logan snorted from his seat in the back of my new office.
My fists clenched and unclenched from under the mahogany desk. I kept them hidden from everyone's sight. I tried to keep my temper in check over the past two hours while the stupid brat kept shooting down every single one of my rescue attempts. He was completely insufferable. I honestly didn't know how Ari was best friends with him.
"Logan, can you go check on the Alpha's friend for me?" Teague asked.
He stood behind me. I had no idea what his facial expression looked like but I had a sneaking suspicion it was a threatening glare.
"Whatever," the boy mumbled under his breath. He followed the order and quickly left the office. He slammed the door shut behind him.
"Thank you."
"I know he is a little hot headed but he means well, I think," Teague explained.
He came around the desk and took a seat on one of the couches across from me. It was now him, Cooper, a boy named Kevin that Teague insisted on keeping by his side, and a man he introduced as Scott, who happened to be Logan's brother.
"Is he ever going to ease up on me?"
"Probably not," Scott answered.
"He does know that while Ari is his best friend, I am still the Alpha. As soon as this is all over I will not tolerate his attitude."
"Just try and cut him a little slack right now. He is scared for her. We all heard her scream through the mind link when they took her this morning. It was terrifying. None of us have ever heard her that afraid since-" Scott choked off and didn't continue as he looked to the door.
Soon enough there was a knock interrupting the silence he left.
"Enter," I called out. I could get used to this kind of authority.
Back at the rogue house I had a room on the third floor where people had to knock before entering when we were in a meeting. But this was different. Everything felt different. There was an air of authority and power I felt while sitting in the dark brown old-fashioned office chair.
I think it had to do with Alpha Xavier sitting here. He was the one person I looked up to. He was the only man I looked up to. When I first entered the office a few hours ago, my eyes immediately scanned the room. Ari spoke the truth. Sitting right on top in the left corner of the desk was the trophy I never accepted. Alpha Xavier received it on my behalf. It brought tears to my eyes. I had to take a moment to compose myself.
I needed Ari now more than ever by my side. She belonged there as Alpha female. But I didn't have her here with me. All I had was her pack and her arrogant, rude asshole of a best friend with a mouth that needed to be slapped off of him.
My wolf itched to be let out. The teenager needed to be taught a lesson. He didn't like how he was being talked to.
I took a deep breath and looked up as the door opened. It was Jerry. Teague told me that he was Arianna's cousin. He was helping a tall girl with black hair and red streaks through it walk into the room. He placed her on the couch next to Teague before taking a seat next to her.
"Well?" I asked and looked at the both of them questioningly. Who the heck was this girl and what was she doing in my office?
The girl finally looked up. Her striking blue eyes pierced right into mine. Instantly my mind went blank and I was thinking of her again.
One night back at the cabin when we were spending time alone, Ari and I were outside trying to catch snowflakes on our tongues. Well she attempted to catch them while I stood on the porch just smiling and watching her. She ran around shrieking in happiness.
Her blonde hair flowed wildly behind her when she spun around in circles. Her green eyes sparkled with excitement and her cheeks flushed red from the cold air. It was one of those rare times that I got to see her this happy. We didn't have anything to worry about at the moment. Everything felt carefree.
When I couldn't take just staring at her anymore, I chased her around the yard like little kids playing a game of tag. In the end we lay down in the cold wet snow. We were both out of breath and staring at the stars in silence.
I didn't realize she was watching me. She reached up to stroke the left side of my face where my scar was and said, "You have the most beautiful eyes, you know that? I always feel like every time you look at me you are looking straight into my soul."
Her mouth pulled her luscious lips into the beautiful smile I loved the moment I saw her. Even though she was smiling I knew she was serious about what she said. I felt the exact same way every time her eyes looked into mine.
The instant this girl looked directly into my eyes I couldn't help but remember that moment I had with Ari. Who was she and why was she making me think of this?
The girl didn't look happy to see me. Her face hardened and her hand clenched around Jerry's leg. If she tightened her hold any more she would take his thigh clean off.
She gave my face the once over like Logan and Jerry had when they first saw me. I actually felt myself tense. Me, the Alpha, tensed. What was the matter with me?
As if sensing my discomfort she broke out into a grin, "Nervous?"
"No," I tried to sound confident but my voice betrayed me a little. Damn.
"Don't be. I heard Logan already gave you a hard time. He is the hard ass. I am the nice one. I don't actually bite. Besides, Ari would have my ass if she found out any of us gave you a hard time."
"I'm sorry. I am absolutely terrible with names. Who are you?"
Her grin faded and an actual smile replaced it, "Hannah."
My eyebrows furrowed, "I thought you were in my brother's pack."
I knew Hannah when she was a little girl. Her sister, Astrid, was always all over my brother. I hadn't seen her since she was about seven. I didn't really recognize her.
"They have been using some of the younger wolves who refuse to join the hunter's cause as sniffers."
"They are what?" I asked. I wanted to make sure I heard her right. I knew I had but I didn't want to believe that my brother was so stupid. He and Walter were in league with the hunters and now they were using young wolves as actual dogs. This was bad.
"How did you get away?" Scott asked.
"Freddie sniffed out Arianna at the border of the territory. Tristan heard him through the mind link so they started searching for her. The hunter who had me found her at the old tree house-"
"Tree house, I thought Ari was afraid of heights?" I interrupted.
"She is. The tree house is on the ground."
"How did she get that far?"
"Logan and Arianna built a tunnel so they could sneak out to the border at night and help patrol. She dug out the entrance and burrowed through. But my hunter somehow knew where she was going. He was young and naïve though. They should have sent someone older to do his job. She sacrificed herself to get me out. I'm not really sure what happened once I left," she whispered.
This girl was close to tears talking about this morning. I knew they were close. Ari would talk so highly of her although she rarely had a mean word to say about anyone.
"It's okay," Jerry comforted her and placed his arm around her shoulders, "She wanted you to get out of there and you did. No good would come out of you staying in their custody. They won't kill her. They need her alive."
Jealousy sprang through my chest while I watched him comfort his mate. It hurt that he could be here for her, touching her and speak to her when I had no idea what was happening with mine.
This wasn't fair. I just found my mate. What did I ever do to deserve having my life end up like this? Weren't you supposed to accept your Alpha role, find your mate, have some kids, and just enjoy your life? Why couldn't anything in my life go my way?
When this was all over I was locking Ari in our room and we wouldn't leave for days. I wanted her all to myself. Nothing was going to stop me.
"What do you think happened?" I asked Teague. Once Hannah finished telling her story, I suddenly felt the need to know every single detail of what happened to Ari.
"They probably drugged her or knocked her out like last time," Cooper answered me.
A wave of guilt pierced through my entire body.
I remembered the day we returned from the cabin and we were ambushed at the pack house. Without even realizing it my hand reached up to my right shoulder and rubbed the healed wound. That nameless, faceless hunter distracted me while they ripped her away from me and took her. Being away from her this time felt worse.
"Do you think you guys could give me and Dante a moment alone?"
"Why don't I go and see if we could get lunch moving along?" Scott offered and left the room.
"I am sure you don't really need us in here," Jerry pulled Hannah up off the couch again and signaled Kevin to come with them. He reluctantly got up.
The only one who wasn't getting up was Cooper.
"If you have something to say you can say it in front of me."
"If you don't mind, I would rather talk with him alone," Teague stood up in a challenge.
Tension rose in the room. I realized it was my job to break them up.
"You both need to calm down right now. Cooper just step outside for a few minutes. Go see what is taking Logan so long checking on Trent please."
"Fine," he grumbled, "But call me if you need me."
After he left Teague and I sat back down.
"Go ahead," I nodded my head at him.
"Arianna told me about the plan she came up with before she got caught by the hunters. Honestly, I think it's a good plan."
"Do you have any ideas to add?"
"I don't know if she told you this but I used to be a part of Terrence's pack. About three years ago I joined the Shadowlands pack. Sadly, I was the cause of the falling out between Xavier and Terrence. The Shadowlands and Blackwood packs need to have a strong alliance again. I will give myself back to Terrence. In return he will allow you to use his pack and the others to save everyone. I have been thinking about this all afternoon. This is the only way he will agree to this."
"No, absolutely not," I immediately declined his offer.
His reasoning was sound and I could see where he was coming from. It made sense that he would want to go back to his original pack to create an alliance. Ari told me he was a fierce, one of a kind fighter. Any pack, including ours, would be lucky to have him. But I knew my mate and in the words of her best friend, I would have my ass handed to me when she found out I let Teague give himself up just so we could get her back.
"Yes, you have to let me go back to them. Terrence is just as conniving as Walter and Tristan have trained to be. You know as well as I do that he won't give up his pack unless he is getting something in return."
"I do know. I have been thinking about it ever since Ari suggested it. She however doesn't know that. She thinks she will be able to convince him to just let us use the packs with the lash of her tongue and quick wit. I don't doubt that she can rile him up but he won't budge without a trade."
Ari's trust in everyone blinded her at times. I loved that she could see the good in everyone but it was her biggest cripple. She fell into my slimy brother's trap. He was a pro at tricking people into doing things for his own benefit. From the time we were five to the age of twelve I had fallen for his scams. But I would rather take all the punishments our father gave me than enable him or be made a fool of by his pranks.
"Let me be the trade."
"I am sorry Teague but your request is denied. We will come up with some other way to get to the packs. If we all put our heads together there has to be another solution."
I shifted uncomfortably in my chair and rested my head in my hands before closing my eyes. This wasn't how I thought today was going to go. I was letting my new pack down and proving to the old Shadowlands pack that I didn't deserve to sit in Alpha Xavier's chair or fill his shoes.
What would Ari be saying to me if she were here with me? I could just imagine hearing her now.
'You are being such a moron. I cannot believe you would doubt yourself. If anyone deserves to sit in my father's seat behind his desk leading his pack it's you. Hold your head up high like the true Alpha you are and open your mind. The answer is closer than you think. It has been right under your nose the whole time. They have been with you the whole time.'
My eyes snapped open. I stood up and knocked the chair back against the wall. I had gotten up so abruptly that Teague had almost fallen off the couch. I had been in such a deep stupor that he hadn't anticipated my next move.
"What is the matter?" he asked. His stance was tense while he searched the room, looking for an intruder.
"I can't believe I forgot about them."
"About who?"
"Bring me Carla and Louis."