Not Your Average Alpha's Mate

Chapter 2: The Whole Affair

I could ignore the note, but that wouldn't be a good idea. The Alliance, or the gang of rogues that Micah works for,  is my source of income. They are a group of rogues united against packs. They pay me for information on nearby packs, including stolen documents from inside the packs themselves. If the boss wants to meet, I'd be an idiot not to. 

And I want something. 

I arrive at the gang's headquarters right on time. The sun is setting, illuminating the meadow vividly. It's not hard to find--all rogues know where it is. The Alliance is powerful enough they don't need to hide their location from other rogues. 

It is only an hour's run from my cave. The structure is three stories, with a balcony on the top floor that I can see several armed guards standing on. This place is basically Fort Knox. 

As I approach, I see Micah come out of the building and head toward me. In the daylight, I can see his familiar large build and blonde hair. We used to play together as kids. He came from a rogue family and later joined the Alliance. He has always been the one to meet me for trades with the gang. Our friendship died with our childhood, but I know we both remember. 

"Nik." He says in a bored voice. I can see his eyes though, and they don't reflect his tone. I see a spark of interest in his warm brown eyes. 

"Micah. Your boss summoned, I came. Can we get this over with now?"

 I'm not here for idle chit chat. He's not the one I need to see. 

"Follow me." He leads me inside the building and down the hallway. I know this building isn't that old, but the wooden floors and intricate designs on the walls make it look almost historical. It looks expensive. 

He leads me to a set of double mahogany doors.

"The boss is in there. Try not to piss him off." 

I can't tell if he genuinely cares about my safety or if he just says that to freak people out. 

Probably the latter.

I roll my eyes and brush past him, shoving open the doors and entering alone.

It takes a few seconds for my eyes to adjust. The room is dimly lit with candles, and it's a bedroom. It's lavishly decorated, just like the rest of the house. Dark colored red curtains cover the windows and across the room is a king sized bed with what looks like..silk sheets?

What the fuck did I just walk into?

It's then that I notice a figure rise from a seat in the corner of the room. He's tall, almost white blonde hair, and as he gets closer, I notice, handsome. His eyes are dark and calculating as they assess me. His cheekbones sharp and nose perfectly straight. He almost looks as if he is etched out of marble. 

The way he holds himself reminds me of how an aristocratic king would stand. His predatory gaze remains as he cracks a sly smile. 

"Nikolina, is it not? I've been wanting to make your acquaintance for some time." His voice is smooth, too smooth. Too perfect sounding to be fully human. Or werewolf.

"It's just Nik." Clearly Micah told him my real name. This dude's energy is unyielding and..suspect. It's unsettling.

He chuckles, but it doesn't reach his eyes. His gaze reminds me of a reptile. Cold and calculating. 

"Of course. My name is Julian. I am the leader of the Alliance in which you currently stand."

"I know." He knows that I know. And he knows who I am. Do we really need to play this game? The pretending of not knowing? "I'm well aware of who I've been delivering to and who you are."

"Clearly. I'm sure Micah told you that I've been very impressed with your services. Would you have a seat?" He gestures at a royal purple couch at the foot of the bed. He sits on one end and gestures again. I sigh and sit as well. 

"Nikolina I won't waste your time. I want you to join us. We could use your talents. Packs have increased violence against rogues of late and your services help us to fight back effectively. We simply don't have enough information on each pack and don't have the stealth required to get close enough to strike. I would double your payments and give you high rank in the Alliance. Why fight alone when we can all fight together?"

"When you work for yourself you make your own rules. I don't want to see any women or children get hurt. Innocents stay out of it."

"Do my rules seem so bad? The Alliance has harmed no innocents." I'm increasingly noticing just how short this couch is.

"I guess I'm just not a fan of dictatorships. There's a reason many of our parents left packs years ago."

"Ah yes, but how can we all fight the enemy alone? The Alliance is hardly a pack. And isn't a united front more effective? Blowing up one food storage building at a time won't change anything." His eyes are alight with humor. So he knows about my extracurricular activities. I'm done trying to be persuaded. I know he has what I want. 

"Alright let's cut the bullshit. You clearly know what I do in my spare time and I know what you do in yours. You know things. You have an entire network of wolves whispering in your ear. You obviously know who I am and who my parents were so I'll join your little Alliance. But I want one thing."

He's clearly amused at my tirade. "And that would be?"

"I want to know who killed my parents."

"And what makes you think I'd know something like that?" His face gives away nothing but I know he is toying with me. He's been leaning in as he speaks, he's now only a few inches from my face, his eyes alight. He smells enticing. I lean in. 

"You know. Do we have a deal or not?"

Instead of responding he closes the distance between us. Our lips meet violently and his hands entwine themselves into my hair, pulling me closer. Our tongues battle for dominance as we furiously tear at each other's clothes until nothing separates us. I feel him lift me and we crash onto the bed.

Skin on skin. 

This isn't love making--it's a power struggle. 

And I'll be damned if I lose.