She drove fast. I stared out the window, barely able to see the landscape as it flashed by. I recognized none of it, but it didn't matter. My mind was stuck on Mom. I had just met her and now she was gone. I didn't know why it hit me so hard, she had abandoned me but part of me wondered if maybe she had every intention of meeting me at the bar that night to explain everything. That is what hurt the most.
"Whatever happens, don't make any stupid moves and keep your mouth shut," Lily said. We had pulled off of the road and down a wide private drive; the scenery looked vaguely familiar and reminded me of the national park that was a few hours from where I grew up. She stopped of a short metal gate and turned off the car before getting out. I followed suit, trailing behind her.
Out of the darkness on the other side of the gate a man appeared, "Can I help you with something?" His voice was deep, friendly enough but not very inviting.
"I'd like to speak to your Alpha," Lily said, before stopping about five feet from the gate.
The man looked at her quizzically; he sniffed the air as if smelling us. When he caught a whiff, surprise hit his face. He immediately drew a gun, trained on Lily.
"Holy shit," I yelled, raising my hands, taking a few steps back, "he's got a gun!"
She glanced at me sideways before slowly lifting her hands. She smiled almost gently, "I mean you no harm, I just want to speak to your Alpha."
I froze when I felt something hard touch the back of my head; I glanced around and saw we were surrounded by at least a dozen men who appeared out of nowhere, guns drawn and all trained on Lily. Someone kicked the back of my knees and I went crashing down, barely able to throw my hands out before I landed on my face, my stomach pressed into the gravel.
I watched the man behind Lily kick the back of her knees but she gracefully drifted down. He didn't even miss a beat before he shoved her forward onto her stomach. He sat on her ass and grabbed her hands, pulling them behind her back before he locked on a pair of huge, thick, metal shackles. She was facing me and there was just enough light that I could see her looking around. The man leaned forward, pushing her curly hair away from her face.
"What do we have here? Such a pretty one, you are," his voice was deep and thick, "I've never felt a vampire cunt before; maybe we should have a little fun before I end you."
The light was dim but I saw her dark red eyes melt into a deep purple none the less, they almost glowed in the darkness as she spoke, "Mmm I've had a pup or two in my day, though it has always been disappointing, your kind never last long enough, you see? Like a dog with a bone. Why don't you take these cuffs off so we can go somewhere more private?" Her voice was sweet like honey; it even made me shudder.
Entranced, the man reached for his pocket, pulling out a ring of keys. As he fumbled with them, a thick, burly man punched him right across the face, knocking him out cold and onto the ground, before growling to another, "Gag her."
Lily looked mildly disappointed before someone covered her mouth with duck tape. I watched, helpless as they shackled her feet, before the burly man picked her up and threw her over his shoulder. My own hands and feet were zip tied together and I was carried the same way.
It was hard to make out where we were going; all I could focus on was the group of men circling as we walked, guns still drawn and pointed at Lily. We walked into the glow of a yellow floodlight, through a thick steel door and down some concrete stairs into a dim hall. I didn't see much, until we went into a room and I was roughly thrown into a steel chair. Lily was tossed into the one next to me, but they took care to chain her shackles to its frame.
I glanced around frantically; it looked like an interrogation room. The harsh florescent lighting did no favors to the concrete walls, floor and ceiling. There was a thick, shiny steel door and a large mirror that I figured was two way glass to my right, Lily to my left. Aside from a small steel table in front of us, two chairs on the other side and a flat screen TV mounted into the wall, the room was bare.
It wasn't long before the door opened again; an older man walked in and sat down in front of us. The burly man from earlier stood in the corner of the room, his gun drawn but clasped in front of him in a resting position.
I looked at the older man; his face was tan and weathered, salt and pepper hair pulled into a braid down his back. He looked like he was Indian. He stared at Lily.
"The only reason why you aren't dead yet is because your reputation precedes you. We have many who go to college in town and I've heard surprising accounts of how you keep the streets clean. However, I didn't think you were stupid enough to trespass on my land."
Lily raised a brow and tilted her head. When the man nodded, the guard came over and ripped the duct tape off of her face.
She pursed her lips for a moment before speaking, "I slightly take offense to that, Alpha. I simply want a moment of your time, some assistance if you will. I promise I won't hurt anyone and I'll promptly leave when we are done."
He laughs, sincerely, "Oh you're not leaving, at least not until the sun rises and you crumble into a pile of ash. I'm not quite sure why you think I'd be dumb enough to provide you with anything—no wolf would."
A small smile crossed her lips, "If a wolf vouched for me, would you reconsider?"
This time, the guard joins in the laughter too.
She continues, "You've heard of the Alpha of the Outlanders, I take it?"
The old man crosses his arms over his chest, smug, amused smile on his old lips, "The Rogue who can command the stray mercenaries? Sure, I've even met him before."
"Why don't you give him a call," she said pleasantly. When they start laughing again, she adds, "that is, if you have his number? I can give it to you if you like."
He closed his eyes, trying to get a hold of himself and waved a hand at the mirror. A few moments later, a guard walked in with a laptop. The old man stood up, walked to me and growled, "Move."
I quickly got up and almost fell trying to hop out of his way as he sat in my chair next to Lily; he opened the lap top. He looked at the burly guard and as if they carried on a conversation without speaking, the old man nodde; he turned on the laptop and opened a video call before mirroring it on the TV for everyone to see.
It rang several times before someone answered; I watched his large, muscled body lean back in a leather chair, his dark, wavy brown hair had a hint of red in it which was emphasized by his almost red, closely cropped beard. His brown eyes skeptically scanned the screen before him, only able to see the old man sitting in the bleak room. He picked up a short glass and swirled its contents, no doubt full of whiskey as the half empty bottle was visible on the side of his desk.
"Aye?" His voice was deep and masculine.
"Alpha Rogue, I apologize for the unexpected call. I don't know if you remember me, I am Alpha John Maikoh, we met at a conference last year?"
