MAKING OUR ESCAPE

23 FEBRUARY, TUESDAY, CONTINUED

I tilted my head, "Is something the matter, Alpha?"

"Well, princess, it is well known that the Blue Wolf has an absurd hand of luck." Alpha Solomon said.

Uh huh... I nodded, I had no idea what my good luck had got to do with anything.

"We believe the vampires had hidden something in that cave a very long time ago." Alpha Solomon proceeded, "Many treasure hunters have trespassed in hope of finding these riches. You have no idea how many Silver Mountain thieves have been sent every year. Even vampires... I don't mean rogue vampires, or the local underground type... I mean properly blue blooded ones."

Alpha Solomon sighed, "I was just wondering if you happened to see anything there."

He looked me in the eye. I hesitated, too late. He caught my hesitation.

Actually, if this was Alpha Solomon's land, technically the treasure was rightfully his. I nodded, "We found a hidden lair."

There was a silence. Alpha Solomon took a deep breath, "So it really was there."

"And did you take anything from it?" Alpha Solomon asked.

"It's none of your business." Bell cut in, "The cave sits just outside your territory in No-Man's Land. Whether we took anything or not, has nothing to do with you."

"So you did take something." Alpha Solomon's eyes gleamed.

"Why would I care for antique water porcelains or jeweled ornaments?" Bell disagreed, "If I wanted those things, I can always take them from home."

"You say there were water porcelains?" Alpha Solomon's eyes widened. For some reason, it made them look beady, "And jeweled ornaments... Were they of good quality?"

Bell shrugged, "They were nothing special, although I suppose they might fetch a good price at the black market."

"And you did not take anything?" Alpha Solomon asked.

"I only came to retrieve my princess." Bell maintained.

Alpha Solomon was completely unconvinced, "Is that so?"

Bell sighed, "We've deactivated the traps. You can go see for yourself. But the cracks in the ground released a black smoke. We left quickly when we noticed."

"Ah, so you could not collect the treasures yourself!" Alpha Solomon concluded, "There's no shame in that. It's better to be safe than sorry. Well then, my men and I have the air tight gear. We can retrieve the treasure. I'll even send over some of it as thanks!"

Bell shook his head, "No, keep them for yourself. I told you I have no interest in stuff like that."

Alpha Solomon looked like he could hardly believe his luck, and then he sobered up. Alpha Solomon had been running long enough to know that if it's too good to be true, it's not.

He started looking for the catch, "Then what do you have an interest in, young alpha?"

"Power." Bell did not hesitate to answer.

"I see." Alpha Solomon looked pointedly at the Ciara Lord's ring on Bell's hand, "But power has its price, young alpha."

"I can well afford it." The young alpha boasted.

In all normal wolf bedtime stories, this young alpha would be doomed. I wondered if Bell had anyone to tell him bedtime stories when he was a pup. Had no one every taught him wise sayings like "Pride comes before a fall" or "Bad guys will never win"? Okay, I made the last one up, but most bedtime stories ended with the good guys living happily every after, and the bad guys falling off a cliff or crying out the good guy's name in frustration right?

"Well, then I don't have any more to say." Alpha Solomon decided not to waste his breath on this proud and foolish young alpha, "Just let my men check your belongings, and you may leave."

Alpha Solomon got up to leave.

Bell growled, "Do you invite all your guests to frisk them?"

Alpha Solomon stopped, "I hope you'd understand, there is a very specific treasure that I'm looking for. I cannot risk letting it fall into the wrong hands. Are you worried, young alpha? I assure you, I'm an upright alpha. I will not take what is not mine."

Bell growled low. Ki quickly stepped in before his young alpha attempted an assassination or started a war.

"Luna Bell, may I advise you to cooperate with Alpha Solomon just this once?" Ki smiled his beautiful smile, "It would be quicker to simply be searched and sent on our way, than to fight our way out."

I tried to imagine what fighting our way out might be like.

{Fun.}

Alpha Solomon also thought about it, but he didn't look like he particularly relished the idea. Still he stood his ground, so whatever he was looking for, had to be really important.

"What are you looking for Alpha Solomon?" I asked, "Maybe I can help you find it?"

Alpha Solomon laughed lowly, "That is very kind of your princess, but I do not like to owe others anything. A bribe bends the judge's heart. If you have what I'm looking for, I will buy it from you."

Bell decided enough was enough, "We've wasted enough time here. It looks like we have no choice but to cooperate with your search. But if we truly have not taken anything of yours, what would you do?"

"What would you want me to do?" Alpha Solomon asked.

"If you find what you were looking for on any of us, you can take it for free. If not, you would send a personal apology to our pack." Bell said.

Alpha Solomon growled now and then stopped himself, "Very well, young alpha."

Bell smirked, "And make sure your apology comes across sincerely."

We got up. By now, Alpha Solomon stopped smiling, "Have them searched." He ordered.

"Oh boy, you've done it now, Rebel." Trevor told him.

A few warriors came. There was even a female warrior - was she just to search me? How considerate! I had never been searched before though. I thought it would be like on TV where they pushed you against the wall and pat you down. This made me nervous at first. Would Boo allow it? I didn't want to beat up the lady warrior... She was very nice. She smiled at me and bowed, "It's an honor to meet you Alpha Princess."

And she was sincere about it too!

"Don't worry, just stand and spread out your arms for a moment." The female warrior said.

I did, and she ran a white baton along the outline of my body and then announced with a smile, "You're clear!"

There was another male warrior scanning Ben and Ki.

The female warrior bowed to Bell, "Alpha, please allow me."

She did it so naturally that it was like she scanned alphas all the time. Did Alpha Solomon really searched all his guests? Hahaha.

I guess not, the female warrior's heartbeat did give her away though when it doubled in speed.

Bell held up his arms without a word. The female warrior started her scan, her cheeks flaming a little when she ran the baton close to his body.

The baton made a buzzing sound suddenly.

"Ah-ha!" Alpha Solomon jumped at that, "I knew it!"

But it turned out to be Bell's original ring. No, he could not take it off. Oh well. So there was nothing there.

Next they searched out bags. We only had Ben's backpack on hand. The male warrior emptied it on the glass table. He even found the so called secret compartment and pulled out the leather bound diary.

But neither Alpha Solomon or anyone seemed to care for it.

The baton the female warrior was holding buzzed again. She was standing too close to Bell. He waved his hand in her direction, "Can you turn that off? It's giving me a headache."

She quickly bowed, "Oh... Sorry..."

Then she laughed and stammered something and turned it off.

After that, Ben repacked his bag and we made our move to leave.

"Don't forget, Alpha." Bell smirked in passing, "You owe us a nice fat apology."

Alpha Solomon growled low but managed to speak, "Never fear. I'm an alpha of my word. You will get what's due you."

Which could also mean whatever miserable consequences Alpha Solomon had concluded Bell's terrible life choices would lead to, but if Bell noticed the innuendo, he didn't show it.

"I'll see them out Alpha." Trevor volunteered.

"Oh, you're volunteering?" Alpha Solomon raised a brow, "I thought you said I made you do too much OT?"

"I've already been working 22 hours straight." Trevor told his alpha, "Why not round it off to a full day?"

Alpha Solomon laughed at that, "Yes, yes... Take the next two days off then."

"You know that would be impossible, alpha." Trevor muttered, but he bowed and led us out of the office, and back out on the cold open corridor.

"I'll walk you down to your car." Trevor said.

"So... That went well." Bell said as he easily caught up to walk beside Trevor, "Why were you so nervous?"

"I wasn't nervous." Trevor lied.

Bell laughed, {his low sexy laugh}, "You always get all stiff and formal when you're nervous."

Trevor sighed, "You know how my alpha is. I never know what he would do."

"Then why don't you be the alpha?" Bell smirked.

"You know you're worse than the devil." Trevor grumbled.

"Thank you." Bell looked smug about it too.

And then Bell lowered his voice so I barely caught it, "Send your men away, and I'll show you something good."

Trevor hesitated and then ordered the warriors following behind us, "I can take it from here. Go assist the specialist teams."

The warriors bowed and left by the nearest stairs.

Trevor shrugged and kept walking, by now we were back inside the dark castle, but it was still cold. There was no central heating in this castle.

Bell didn't say anything even after the warriors were sent away. Trevor didn't either. They just walked and my betas and I followed them till we reached the car.

Bell and my betas had driven here in Ki's merce. Ki popped open the boot for Ben to dump in his broken backpack.

Bell pulled me closer so that I was suddenly between Trevor and him. I was surprised at first and then I realized he was using me as a shield when he produced the ring he had taken from the vamp lair.

Trevor's eyes widened, "How did you?"

"Is this what your alpha is looking for?" Bell smirked. He tossed it to Trevor who caught it more by reflex than anything.

"You're giving this to me?" Trevor asked. He still looked totally shocked at the ring. (Let's hope its really the fake one. Why was Bell giving it to Trevor?)

"Trevor, if you become alpha and ally with me, this kind of little thing is nothing." Bell promised, "For now, you can do what you want with it. Become the alpha that completes the 10 lord rings of Black Forest and end the war, or give it to your alpha and restart the war."

Trevor narrowed his eyes, "What do you mean? Rebel... What are you playing at?"

Yeah, I wanted to know too.

"We are ready to leave." Ki informed us and opened the car door for Bell and I to board.

Bell moved to guide me into the car. Trevor quickly pocketed the ring and stepped away.

I sat back into the plush seat and comfortable heating. Ah...

Bell came into the car and sat next to me.

Ben was already seated up front on the passenger seat.

Ki shut the door and joined us in the driver seat and we were pulling out past the jagged dark stone driveway and ugly gargoyle guards.

By now, I was quite sure this used to belong to a vamp. This gargoyle thing... Was it the vampire's equivalent to the common garden gnome? Hahaha.

Unlike me, Bell wasn't ready to relax yet, "Ben, have the book scanned for my princess asap and return the book to me. Ki, have the ring kept within an argon box. I have one in my safe back at the Lorents."

"Why? What's happening?" I asked.

"My princess is so naïve." Bell said as he leisurely curled the ends of my blue hand between his fingers.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm slow and stupid. So explain it to me!" I had enough mind games after that stint in Alpha Solomon's office.

Bell smirked, "Do you really want to know?"

And then like all classic bad guys, he had to take the time to explain his latest genius plan to me.