A Vital Conversation
Jayce
Sienna slips in beside Ahren, frowning at him as she raises her hand and covers his eyes, clearly conversing via the mind-link.
“I am protecting you,” she insists as Ahren tries to pull her hand away.
I hide my amusement, watching them as Sienna lowers her hand and glares at her brother. Giving him an ‘I am watching you’ expression.
“You should be worried about your mate, not me,” Ahren replies with a smirk as he jerks his head in my direction.
Sienna’s eyes widen before she glances towards the stage behind me, her cheeks flush, and she looks away quickly, her eyes meeting mine for a split second.
“He’s not you,” she retorts almost instantly with complete conviction; it makes me a tad smug. She’s right, though; there could be a thousand naked women lined up, but the only one that draws my attention is her. “Besides, I’m doing this for my future sister-in-law,” she adds.
“I’m not even looking,” Ahren points out.
“I’ll be watching you. Mama or Dad wouldn’t be happy,” she mutters. “And Jaddati would be disgusted.”
“Can you tell she’s never been to a strip club before?” Ahren sighs.
“Clearly not the case for you,” I remark as I sit back.
Ahren pouts. “Now everyone is just being mean.”
“And yet you deflect,” I smirk.
Sienna looks at me, nodding before frowning at her brother. “And you didn’t even deny it. Shame on you.”
“In my defence, it’s often for business,” Ahren says, raising his hands in surrender.
Sienna shakes her head, crossing her arms. I scan the crowd, making sure no one has their eyes on her. Ahren sits forward, his eyes now sharp as he glances at Sienna. He must have said something to her because she murmurs a spell under her breath. I recognise the words: a privacy spell.
“So, who are we meeting?” she asks. My gaze dips to her beauty spot above her pouty lip. She’s fucking gorgeous.
“I don’t really know; all I know is he’s Italian. I got that from the accent,” Ahren replies.
Sienna arches an eyebrow. “Ahren, I’m doubting your ability as the Alpha.”
I smirk as Ahren’s about to say something, glancing at me when he pauses, his gaze falling to my neck.
“Wait, you marked him?” he asks, shock in his eyes as he looks at his sister. Sienna’s cheeks flush as she nods.
“It’s just marking,” she says quietly to him. He nods slowly before his expression turns to one of arrogance.
“I knew it wouldn’t take long.”
“Yeah, right,” I say with a scoff. “Since when could you see the future?”
He shrugs, draping his arm around Sienna. “I know the two of you.”
He then looks at Sienna, his smirk changing to a genuine, gentle smile, kissing her forehead. He looks at me as if wanting to say something, but before any of us can say anything else, all three of us turn, sensing someone watching us.
I scan the crowd, trying to find the source of whoever is watching us, and then I see him, a man slipping through the crowd.
He looks ordinary enough, blending with those around him.
He has a stocky build and is wearing sweatpants and a hoodie with his hood up.
I can only see his brown beard, hands in his pockets, and from his body language, he’s clearly on edge.
Ahren smiles as he gives Sienna’s shoulders a gentle squeeze, and she smiles at the man. I see why he wanted her here, so we didn’t look so imposing. Smart move.
“Thank you for meeting us,” Ahren says. “Take a seat.”
The man looks between us, and I move over, allowing him to sit down, even though I’d rather have been closer to- stop. She’s with her brother; we aren’t a couple.
But we’re blurring the lines, and I can’t fucking deny that.
I turn my attention to the man who sits down at the edge of the seat; he’s clearly tense.
“We don’t have long; I can’t be seen with you,” he says, his voice low, filled with urgency, his accent thick. He appears to be human, but something tells me he’s not.
“We understand. My sister will cast an illusion; you won’t appear to be seated with us. You said you had some information in return for safe passage to the States.”
“Yes. It’s regarding the disease where we lose our wolves. Like me,” he mutters. So, he is a werewolf – or used to be.
“So, are you on the run?” I ask.
“He found out; he knows I know.” His entire body tenses. “He knows I know his identity.”
He’s scared – scratch that – he’s fucking terrified, and he’s not a small man. “Who knows?” I ask.
He turns his head, looking at each of us, and I catch a glimpse of his face, which has three deep scars running across it, one ripping right through his nose, leaving it deformed; his left eye is colourless.
Whatever inflicted that injury took his sight from it, too.
He might be in his late forties, but I’m not sure.
“Give me your word that you will grant me safe passage to Alaska.”
Ahren nods.
“We promise it,” Sienna says as she smiles gently. “Whoever you fear won’t be able to get to you.”
He looks at her and nods.
“My father was the Alpha of a pack – Zanna Nera in Italy. Most of us lost our wolves nearly two decades ago. But the ‘virus’, as they called it, wasn’t something in the air; it wasn’t even a disease. My father had his suspicions and felt something was amiss.”
He begins fidgeting, scanning the crowd before turning back to us and continuing. He was once an Alpha heir… Now, simply a human.
He did some research, but just as he was on the brink of finding something out – or he already had – he was found dead.
Our entire pack was massacred. I had snuck out that night; when I returned, I found them dead and everything destroyed.
The enemy was still there. I couldn’t find him, not without a wolf.
I just heard him – something about finding the research. ”
He pauses for a moment before he continues, “I realised it was my father’s research he was looking for, and I knew it was vital I protect it, so I took his research and ran. Yes, I know, like a coward.”
“Not really cowardly,” Ahren says lightly.
The man removes his hands from his pockets, placing his clenched fists on the table; he’s missing a few fingers, too, and it looks recent. Whatever this man has suffered was brutal.
“I’ve worked on it in hiding for years. And I found out what my father had discovered. This virus isn’t transmitted through the air – it’s carried by a person, and I finally found him. I know what he looks like.”
We are all silent for a moment, even Ahren’s frowning. Just like us, he wasn’t expecting this either.
“Wait, you know the face of the one behind it? Then why haven’t you reported it to anyone?” Ahren asks.
He lifts his head. “The last time I tried to contact Alpha Leo Rossi, I was intercepted and almost died at the hands of Vincenzo Bianchi. You know him, right?”
Vincenzo Bianchi…
I mask my emotions; this man doesn’t realise he just gave us even more information than we were hoping for. His last name.
“Yes, we know him, the leader of the Indomitable,” Ahren says quietly.
He holds up his hands; he’s missing four fingers, and he points at his face. “He did this, and he will kill me if he catches me again.”
Jayce, Sienna’s voice echoes in my mind, and I glance at her. Then I feel her lowering her walls.
Can he hear me? Ahren’s voice comes.
Yes, I can, I respond as we communicate through Sienna.
“So then, how did you escape?” I ask. Could this be a trap?
He shakes his head. “Somehow, Selene may not have forsaken me… There was a woman; she- she helped me escape. I don’t know who she was, but she helped me on the condition that I pass this message on.
She said to find you.” He now looks at Ahren, who frowns.
Clearly having no clue who he’s talking about, and neither do Sienna and I. “You.” He nods at Ahren pointedly.
“What did she look like?” Ahren asks.
The man shakes his head. “I don’t know; she remained hidden. She wore a mask. I didn’t see her face.”
Ahren nods. “So, what did Vincenzo Bianchi want?”
“He wanted to know what I knew about the one who held the power to turn our kind into humans.”
“And did you tell him?” Ahren asks.
“He tried to get it out of me, but I refused.” He holds his hands up, anger in his voice. “Then he brought in his witch, who probed my mind,” the man admits. “He could have done that first, but no, he had to make me suffer first. He tortured me… So yes, he knows, and he’s hunting him, too.”
That’s not good. A power like that in Vincenzo’s hands…
“So, do you mind if I probe your mind so we know what he looks like?” Sienna asks.
“You can, but I’ll warn you, he’s not like us. He’s not even like you, not a hybrid, or favoured or chosen by a god. Not like Vincenzo…” A shiver seems to run through him.
“So he’s something else? This person who has the ability to render us wolf-less?” Ahren asks.
“My father – his research…” The man hesitates. “You might find this funny; Vincenzo did, but I believe my father.”
“I assure you we have come across a lot of things, and we will not take it lightly,” Ahren says.
The man hesitates, turning and looking over his shoulder as a woman in nipple jewels and a thong walks by holding a tray of drinks. His gaze follows her, and I can feel Sienna’s eyes burning into me. I don’t look in her direction, feeling a ripple of jealousy through the bond.
So possessive, Darling.
What is she jealous of? Has she seen herself?
The man looks back at us and rubs the back of his neck. He’s becoming more and more agitated.
“My father said this being had primordial energy. The very energy that formed this world.”
I look at Sienna, remaining impassive to her previous emotions. So, a primordial… Again, everything is coming back to that, Sienna murmurs as our eyes meet, a small pout on her face as she looks away.
And the fact that Vincenzo wanted to know about the one with this power – did he want to use it as a weapon against us? He’s already taken Aunty Kiara out of commission. That’s a huge loss for us, I say.
“You knew Vincenzo?” I ask out loud. So far, he has spoken the truth, but something about Vincenzo makes me feel he’s leaving something out. He looks at me and shakes his head.
“No. Not really. Not much anyway. I knew his mother,” he answers shortly. He doesn’t want to discuss it. “But he was kept away from everyone.”
“What pack was he from?” I ask.
The man looks between us. “I want to live, and the more I share, the higher the chances he will come for me when he finds out what I’ve told you, and he’ll know I was the one to tell you,” he says.
“The moment we are done talking, I will teleport you to your plane that is ready. A plane whose location only I know. It will take you directly to your destination. Alpha Royce Arden will be awaiting your arrival and will grant you the safety you desire. Rest assured, you are safe,” Ahren promises quietly.
The man looks down. “What have I got to lose… Once I have told you, my debt to her is repaid,” he mutters.
Sienna reaches over, placing her hand over his, and smiles softly. My attention dips to her tits; she’s fucking divine all over. “I can only imagine how much you have been through. We will help. If you like, we could take this conversation elsewhere?” she suggests.
“No… It’s safe here... It’s safe. For now.” He looks irritable. Sienna pats his hand before sitting back again. Her hair is braided back, but a few strands frame her gorgeous face. “L’Ombra Rossa. That was their pack. It’s long gone. Vincenzo’s mother was the Alpha’s daughter.”
We’re getting answers. Even though it’s not what I was hoping for, this is still incredibly useful.
“I haven’t heard of them,” Ahren murmurs. Neither has Dante, and he’s been trying to find a lead on Vincenzo for years.
And here we are with the answers landing straight into our laps. Either it’s good luck or a fucking trap, I answer.
He sought us out. Do you think he’s lying? Sienna asks.
No, I answer truthfully.
Someone sent him to us; that’s what I’m curious about, Ahren adds. And me, of all people. It’s intriguing.
“Alright, I’ve told you all I know; you can look in my mind, find what the man who carries the power to end our kind looks like,” he says, looking at Sienna.
“I do have one more question,” I say quietly. “Do you know how exactly their power is stolen? Is it just by being in his presence, or is there more to it?” There’s got to be a certain way it’s done, and how did Aunty Kiara contract it?
“My father had some notes; I had them, but unfortunately, those were too damaged to read,” the man admits.
Ahren sits forward. “Could you give me the date and exact location of where you took these papers from?” he asks.
“My father’s office, back in Italy…” The man sounds confused by the question that obviously feels irrelevant to him. I know what Ahren’s thinking – he’s going to travel back in time to get the answers we need.
“The exact location and time,” Ahren repeats. The man looks between us and then nods.
“Yeah, I can never forget that day.”
Ahren sits back and nods, taking out a notebook and a fountain pen from his pocket.
“Excellent. Write it down and show my sister the location, the office, and where he kept those papers.”
The man nods. “Sure. How will that help? It’s long gone.”
“You don’t worry about that,” Ahren says lightly with a wink.
“Let’s focus on what we need to do. I want you to think of the man who holds the power of a primordial, alright?” Sienna says softly. I can show Jayce through my mind. Ahren, I’ll project his image to you later.
Sure, Ahren replies.
“Ready?” Sienna asks the man.
He nods, and she begins whispering a spell, reaching over the table and placing two fingers to the man’s forehead, making his head jerk back, and then we’re all in a dark alleyway.
I see a man – a young man, hoodie up, cigarette in hand. Someone who couldn’t possibly have been alive two decades ago.
Someone I’ve fucking seen before.
Someone who has been using my sister to no doubt get close to us.
Katara’s so-called fucking boyfriend.