Chapter 20
(Chapter song ‘Good Girls Go To Heaven (Bad Girls Go Everywhere)’ by Meatloaf)
ALEXI
I twirl Luke’s keys around my finger as I walk into the hunting cabin.
I drop the bag I'm carrying on the table. I open it and pull out some food, three guns and a bunch of solid silver bullets. These guns will be for those who aren't important.
I sit on the floor and eat. As I do my mind travels to the night with Luke. It's been two days since and I've dreamed about it every night. The walls in my mind are starting to crack. I couldn't be there when he woke or they'd be destroyed and I can't have that.
I pull out my phone and pull up the map of the Caledon Boot Camp. I orient myself and search for the building which holds my target.
I stare at my phone when a flash of Luke's strong back comes to my mind. I give my head a shake and try to focus. This is exactly what I didn’t want.
I zoom in and swipe the map around, studying the area around the buildings intently.
Luke’s arms wrapping around me flash into my brain, now. Ugh... I shut my phone off and shove it in my pocket.
"Come on, girl." I stand up and pace. "It wasn't even that good." I snarl as I fold my arms and stare out the window of the cabin.
I'm lying to myself now.
I walk around the cabin, casually pulling at the ends of my curls. It was not only good, it was incredible. My body never felt passion on that level before. It was soft, passionate, but brutal and animalistic at the same time. Just the way an Alpha should be.
I shake my head again. "No. Come on. Focus."
I feel the lingering tingle of his lips, his soft touch, his aggressive claim and his heartbeat. I remember everything and it’s starting to haunt.
I lean on the wall and look up at the ceiling. "You're insane. Stop it."
I lay in the makeshift bed on the floor, stare into the dark and almost picture him above me. I run my hands down my face and roll to my side. I drift off feeling his strong arms around me, holding me prisoner.
****
After torturing myself for a few more days with visions of Luke, I set up camp in the woods outside the Caledon Boot camp.
I've been studying the movements of the Alphas and the members. Taking in the times of what happens when. From the roof of a building next door, I look through a pair of binoculars. I watch the members do their training and the Alphas walk around guiding them.
One Alpha waves at a building. I move my line of sight and my soul turns black.
She struts herself onto the field. Her brown blonde hair in a ponytail swings behind her like she’s a Queen. She's so confident and proud. She won't be soon when she begs me for her life.
My hatred swells as I watch her socialize with her members and her Alphas. My lip curls into a snarl as I watch her laugh and smile. She dares be happy after murdering the only man I ever loved.
I turn from the ledge and sit with my knees pulled up. My breathing speeds up as a tear falls from my eye. I growl as I throw the binoculars across the roof top.
I hold my head. My father’s voice demanding vengeance plays in my mind over and over. I can't hold him back. My eyes glow as my wolf tries to push through.
I lower my head and close my eyes. "No. Not yet." I calmly say. I slow my breathing and collect myself. I cannot lose my head. This must be an honorable killing.
I'll make my move, but I need to prepare. I need to formulate a course of action.
I crawl off the roof, slide down a fire escape and jump on Luke's bike. Riding back to my hiding spot in the woods.
****
LUKE
I called Terry to bring my dad's SUV. When he arrived, of course, he had questions.
"What were you doing here?" He asks, looking out at the road as he drives us back to the hotel.
I lean on the door, looking out the window. "I couldn't sleep, so I wanted to work."
"Ok and you were robbed... again." He clarifies.
"Yep." I sit thinking of her soft body. Her heat. Her sexual appetite.
"You didn't see who it was... again." He's seeing a pattern here. I'm sure of it.
"Yep." Her hair pooled around her head. Her eyes fixated on me as I kissed her body.
"Ok." He pauses. "Any other bullshit you want to feed me?" He glances at me.
I turn to him. "I'm not bullshitting you, man."
He shoots me a grin really quick. "Yeah, you are. Have you smelled yourself lately?"
My jaw drops and I lift my shirt to my nose. Cherry blossoms. I press my lips together. "So."
He laughs and shakes his head. "Just admit it. You took some chick there to bone her and you got rolled."
"Yeah, ok. Let's go with that." I smirk.
He shakes his head. "I don't know what's up with you, Luke, but I know you're hiding something and it has to do with whoever's scent is all over you. Why can't you just tell me? I can help if you're in trouble."
I stare back out the window. "Nobody can help with this." I mumble.
"Try me." He tilts his head.
"I don't even know, ok. I can't even process what this is. You can't help." I rub my head.
"Are you in some kind of trouble?" He pressed his brows together.
I shake my head. "No. But I think shits gonna go down if I can't figure it out."
"Luke..." Terry starts.
"Terry, please. Just leave it alone." I give him a serious look.
"Ok, but I'm your friend. Remember that. I'm here to help you. Just ask." He glances at me again and gives me that dad eye he gets sometimes.
I grunt in response.
I know Terry can't help. No one can. I know this because if people found out who Alexi was, they'd arrest her then kill her. Unless I can pull her out of whatever she's involved in, I can't fix it. I'm not worried about myself, I'm worried about Alexi. I feel like she's going to do something that she'll regret and whatever it is, it's big and important to her. In my heart, I know I can help her if I can only get her to open up to me and stop running for 5 seconds. If what I feel in my chest is any indication, I’m close. I just need more time.
We pull into the hotel driveway. I get out and follow Terry in. I need to figure out where Alexi is. There's only one way I can do that.
I need the Lycans.
****
"Where is she?!" I slam a fist into the face of the Lycan I have tied to a chair.
He's bleeding from several places. "I don't know who you're talking about, man." He whines.
I lean on his chair, snarling. "Red curly hair. Bad ass fighter. Green eyes. You can't fucking miss her. Where is she?"
"Dude, I'm just an errand boy. Talk to Ian." He looked at me with scared eyes.
I stood up and crossed my arms. "Ok. Where is he?"
He shifted in his chair. "Last I heard he was in the woods."
I shake my head. "No. They're not there."
He ticks his head. "Then I don't know. Honestly, guy. I'm Lycan in name only. No one tells me shit."
I pull out a switch blade and cut his ropes. "Get out of here."
He runs out of the abandon building I dragged him to. He's the fifth Lycan I've beat the shit out of this week. It's like she's no one to anyone. I have one more lead. A bar on the Southside. If I can't get anything there, I'm on the hunt for Ian.
Half an hour later, I open the door to the bar and the smell of leather and booze hits me like a brick.
Under normal circumstances, this would be my kind of bar, but nothing about my life is normal.
The death metal screams from the speakers as I thump my boots on the floor. I take slow steps to the bar, scanning every corner of it. I motion to the bartender for a beer. He slaps it on the bar. I toss him a 10 and grab the bottle. I walk around and see my next victim. I walk across the smoky room, lick my lips and tick my jaw.
He's at the pool table about to make a shot when I lean on the table. I tick my head and smirk. "Hey, Marco."
He raises his head and his eyes go wide. "Oh Fuck." He throws his pool cue at me and runs. I smack it out of the way, jump over the table and catch up to him before he can run out the back door. I grab his arm and twist it behind his back and slam him face first into a wall.
The room goes quiet for a second then the party starts up again with music, talking and laughing. No honor among thieves. Good. This will make this a lot easier.
"We need to have a talk, Marco." I growl in his ear.
"Luke. I swear. I wasn't there. I wouldn't do that to you." He chuckles nervously. "I consider you a friend." He puts on this whole innocent act.
My lips are right by his cheek. My anger is pouring off me like a waterfall. "You are so far from friend, Marco. The only reason I don't kill you right now is I'm looking for someone." I press his cheek against the wall.
He side eyes me. "Ok. Ok. I can help. But you got to let me go first."
"If you run, I will kill you." I warn.
I spin him around and hold his shirt in my fist. My lips quiver in a sneer. "Red curly hair. This tall. Green eyes. Where is she?" I indicate Alexi's height as I glare into his eyes.
Marco looks nervous. He's looking around for a way out. "Um... Green eyes?" He lets out a little chuckle.
I nod. "Green."
"Red hair... yeah?"
I thump him on the wall hard. "Where is she?!" I growl.
He whines. "I... I don't know man. I only saw her once. I swear and it was months ago. I don't know. Ian would know."
I heave a heavy breath staring him down. I bite my upper lip nodding.
"That's all I know. I swear." He pleads.
I let him go and straighten up his shirt. "Thanks." I say.
He smiles. "No problem, dude. Hey. Sorry about your house."
I turn to go, but then turn back, delivering a right hook to his face. He falls to the floor unconscious.
“Thanks.” I growl, shake the pain from my knuckles and storm to the front door.
Before I get there, a guy shouts to me. "You looking for Alexi?"
I stop and turn my head to him. "You are?"
He pulls up his jacket sleeve to reveal a Dragon tattoo. "The names Cain."
I turn to him. He looks Dragon. Tattooed in weird rune like ink. Black hair shaved high and massive. I walk to him slowly and pull out my phone. I punch up my contacts to Rivers number and show him. "One touch and I have the Unit down on this place faster than you can run." I point my phone at him. "You fuck with me, and the Unit will carry your body out in pieces."
"I'm Ex-dragon dude. Your threats don't scare me." He tips his beer back. "You want Alexi or what?"
I grab his beer and finish it. He tries to protest, but it's gone. "Talk"
"She's in Caledon." Cain orders another beer.
"Okay, why?"
"All part of the plan, dude." He tips his beer back and downs half of it.
"What plan?" I cross my arms.
He grins. "Revenge." He tips his beer back and lick his lips. "Follow the bodies, man. You'll find her."
"Who's her target?" I demand.
He laughs. "All the Alphas. When Alexi's done, all you Alpha punks are fucking dead."
I rush him and grab his jacket. "Where is she?!" I shake him.
"Depending on where she is in her plan, she should already be at the boot camp." He grins.
My eyes go wide. "Anna."
"Better get moving, Alpha." He smirks.