THE SMELL OF new leather wafted into Darius' nose. He loved the smell of new cars. It was a personal hobby of Darius to collect cars. Whichever vehicle piqued his interest, he would purchase it.
The Alpha King had two garages filled with cars and bikes. He stopped buying for years after the Queen Mother threatened to give some away if he kept up with his habits. But while in New York City, Darius could not resist the urge.
In no time, the Captain reached the governor's mansion in Albany. The two other SUVs containing his other ten Wolves stopped behind them after the huge gates were closed.
After the other Earl Deltas were done assessing the area, the King stepped out of the car. The mansion before him was in no way magnificent but Darius didn't mind coming there.
When visiting a state, the Alpha King would normally ask the Governor to come to see him in his hotel suite but Governor Efrain Williams was different.
Some governors feared Darius while some others despised him. But this particular governor had the mind to invite the King of all werewolves to his house.
As if on cue, the short brown-skinned man appeared before Darius's eyes, sporting a warm smile on his face.
He looked freely harmless, with a good air around him, but Darius would only judge after the meeting. In the end, Governor Efrain would be either brave or incredibly stupid.
"It is my greatest honour to welcome you to my humble abode, your Highness," Governor Efrain greeted, Stretching out his hand for a handshake.
Plastering a blank look on his face, the Alpha King took the Governor's hand.
"Thank you for having me," Darius responded.
"This way." Governor Efrain gestured towards the entrance of the mansion.
Five wolves stayed outside to surround the entrance while the other five went inside with the King, the Captain and the Governor.
Two women were seated in the lounge area but on seeing Darius, they both stood up. Darius suspected the older woman to be Efrain's wife.
His suspicion was confirmed when Efrain introduced them as his wife and only child. Darius watched to see what Efrain would introduce him as.
"This is Mr Darius Lucian, a world-class businessman. He is visiting New York for a few days," Efrain introduced and Darius raised a brow in amusement.
Mrs Williams greeted him with a smile as warm as her husband's. Darius could see how they complimented each other.
Governor Efrain then gestured to the younger female.
"This is my daughter, Hailey. She graduated from Harvard University and she just started her own business. She is just twenty-four but she has accomplished a lot in her lifetime," Governor Efrain praised.
Darius could only wonder why the Governor was telling him things that didn't matter to him.
After the long speech of the Governor's daughter's achievement, the Alpha King said nothing, and simply nodded.
"Hello, Mr Lucian, I am Hailey Williams," Hailey greeted as her eyes roamed all over his body.
Nodding curtly, he turned back to Governor Efrain.
"Your office?" Darius asked, wanting nothing more than to end the small talk.
He could see the disappointed look on the face of the Governor as he paid no attention to his daughter. Regardless, the Governor led Darius down a hallway.
They passed by two doors before getting to a third, where Governor Efrain's guards opened immediately once they spotted the party approaching. Samuel went in first to do his usual check, while Darius waited patiently outside.
When Darius was seated, Governor Efrain started speaking.
"Thank you for honouring my invitation, King Darius."
Darius decided to go straight to the point. "Why have you invited me here, Governor Efrain?"
"I can assure you that whatever I have to say will be of interest to you," Governor Efrain stated firmly.
The seriousness in the Governor's voice raised Darius' curiosity but he kept his stoic expression on as he nodded for the Governor to go ahead.
"A few months ago, my people detected unusual activity in the underground fighting rings of New York City. Normally, we would let them be just as long as they didn't break any rules but it was different this time.
"The spies I sent found out that they were moving things into the fighting rings and after a few weeks, we realised those things were medical supplies.
"At first I thought nothing of it until rumours about monsters in the alley began spreading. People said the monsters killed people after draining them of their blood.
"An eyewitness who managed to survive described the monster as animal-like, with red eyes and sharp fangs.
"The witness said it bore resemblance to dogs but was bigger and faster. Does this description ring a bell, King Darius?" Governor Efrain finished, leaning back as the question hung in the air.
The Alpha King shot the Earl Delta Captain a glance as both of them seemed to be thinking the same thing.
"Rogues," Darius stated.
Governor Efrain nodded. "That is why I invited you today, King Darius. I know your ancestors through a treaty signed gave rogues a portion of the werewolf land to stop the war. So I wonder why they would decide to breach it all of a sudden."
"Have you been able to link the activities in the fighting rings to these so-called monsters in the alley?" Darius questioned.
"Not completely. The only link is that the killings started during the movement of medical supplies. My people are still on it but it is almost impossible for them to get inside.
"The strict membership access is kind of alarming. They even run background checks before letting people in."
Darius nodded thoughtfully. "The fighting rings have been active for years without causing an issue so it's understandable that we simply can't just barge in.
"About the rogue issue, I will have to investigate it myself to find out if it is related to the fighting rings in any way. Perhaps it is time I visited the rings myself. Since this is your domain, can I count on your support this time?"
"Certainly, King Darius, just tell me how. My people are at your disposal," Governor Efrain replied eagerly.
"First I will need you to keep your people on the lookout for the beast. Since this beast preys on humans, I will need your help to set a trap for it, enabling my wolves to capture more quicker.
"We need to back the beast into a corner, making it helpless. And if it is indeed a rogue as we suspect, it must either be a newly feral wolf or it must have just been kicked out of the rogue pack.
"It should be extremely dangerous so tell your people to be careful," The King warned and studied the Governor's face for a sign of fear.
When he found none, he smiled internally. It was as he expected, Governor Efrain was indeed different from others.
{•}
Thank you for reading.
YOU ARE READING
Twisted Bond
WerewolfIn order to survive, Darius, the Alpha King, requires his mate. He will perish if he does not unite with her by the next full moon. After searching for days, Darius finally finds her but she is not who he thinks her to be. |•| The amazing cover abo...
