Chapter 9

From Daunte's POV

I tossed and turned throughout the night. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw her face. There was something about her, something that captivated me. I knew I had to see her again. I had to know her name and find out who she was. And then there was Alessia. That name drew me in as well. Something about the name drew me to want to know more about the person behind it.

"This is fucken bullshit," I growled as I sat in bed.

The lack of sleep wrecked me and Romo. When tired, he was a handful. Shaking my head, I slid off the bed and made my way to the window. I stared off into the night sky. The Wolf's Moon was upon us, something that was sacred to us wolves. Every single pack celebrated in their own way.

The Wolf's Moon was the first full moon that rose. Packs are able to reflect deeply on themselves at this time. During the Wolf Moon, an unseen connection exists between Alphas and their packs. Although Alphas are already connected to their pack members, the Wolf Moon intensifies this connection.

Some believed that you could only find your mate on this night. A legend I knew was not true, as many had found their mates on regular nights. Yet, for some reason, this year's Wolf Moon felt different.

Stepping away from the window, I made my way toward the bathroom and decided to shower, hoping I could find comfort under the hot water, but instead, I found it made me more restless.

"We need to go back to Crestview. She needs us," Romo's voice echoed through my mind.

"Who needs us?" I asked.

"Something is wrong. We need to go back," Romo growled. Romo never acted like this. He was a wolf with a very calm nature, except when fighting at that point, he was the devil incarnate.

"I'll get in contact with Hector, and we will go back," I told him.

"Fine," he growled as he disappeared into the depths of my mind. Taking a deep breath, I shut off the water, grabbed a towel, and headed back to bed. Within minutes of lying down, I fell asleep.

"D, wake up," Dominic's voice rang through the mind link.

"Leave me alone," I growled.

"Dude, you have to get up. HC Adam is here," he said.

FUCK, I thought as I sat up in bed and looked at the clock on the bedside table. Ten a.m. I overslept. I stood to my feet and rushed to the door when I suddenly realized I was bare-as-naked.

"Son of a..." I yelled as I rushed to the dresser and grabbed a pair of sweats.

"Daunte, you cool man?" Dominic called out.

"I'm coming!" I yelled, throwing on a shirt and running my fingers through my hair as I walked back to the door and opened it to find High Councilman Adam waiting.

"Late night, Alpha Daunte?" Adam asked.

"I apologize for keeping you waiting. I had a difficult night," I replied, stepping out of the room and closing the door behind me.

Adam chuckled, "I would ask if there was a woman in there, but I know I'd be grasping at straws," he replied, then added, "We can reschedule the meeting if you like?"

I cocked a brow at him. "The only woman that shall be in my bed will be the one the Goddess blesses me with," I replied, gesturing down the hallway.

"Would you like a drink?" I asked as we stepped into the office.

"Whiskey," Adam replied.

I headed to the bar and poured two glasses of whiskey as I linked Dominic to come to the office. I handed Adam the glass, and he took a sip.

"Mmm, you always do have the good stuff," Adam said as Dominic arrived.

"Alright, let's get this meeting underway," I said.

"Alright, so tell me, what's the deal with this Alpha Markus?" Adam asked.

I sat in silence and listened as Dominic cleared his throat and began to detail his observations.

"Personally, something is off. Alpha Markus handed the Alpha title to his son Vince, yet Vince is nowhere to be seen or found. Then there's Beta Jared. There is something about him that is off. I can't put my finger on it. To be quite frank, the entire pack is weird." Dominic replied.

"Please explain how they are weird?" Adam asked as he leaned forward.

"This new Alpha Vince. Everyone claims they have seen him many times, and he did have an Alpha ceremony, but no one knows where or when he disappeared. Normally, the Beta would know, and he would be left in charge, but in this case, the retired Alpha is in charge. And the way they treat the lower ranking pack members, they are slaves, and I can say that with the utmost certainty." Dominic replied.

"That is a grave accusation, Beta Dominic. Can you be certain?" Adam asked.

"Trust me when I say that he is telling the truth. Not to mention, Jonathan was there with him and confirmed everything," I replied.

Adam sat back and remained silent for a moment before speaking. "Very well. Tell you what, if you and Hector can get a meeting, see if this Alpha Vince guy is there, and if not, The High Council will intervene," he said.

"I have to mention one last thing," Dominic added, leaning forward.

"Proceed," Adam replied.

"There's this girl who claims her parents died in a car accident, but she's never been made a pack member or was, for that matter," Dominic replied.

"That is odd," Adam replied.

Suddenly, I felt Romo's presence. "We need to go back," his voice rang through my head.

"I told you we would," I replied, annoyed, before turning to Adam.

"Adam, could it be that they took in a rogue as a child? And if so, what is the High Council's stance on that?" I asked.

"Generally, the pack that takes in the child reports it as an adoption, and we allow it. I'm unsure if adoption records have been processed recently, but I can check." Adam said as he pulled out his phone, then added, "I'll ask Evangeline to look into it. In the meantime, get over there and see what you can find out. There's definitely something that doesn't add up." He said as he stood up.

He walked to the door and turned to face us again. "We need to be discreet about all of this," he said firmly. "Let me know what you find out." I nodded in agreement as Adam opened the door and left.

"Well, I think that went smoothly," Dominic said as he stood. I nodded as I stood and then turned to my desk. "Get me a meeting with Alpha Vince; make sure to tell Hector and get me the reports for the last two weeks," I said as I sat down and opened my laptop.

"You alright?" Dominic asked.

"I'm good, bro," I replied as I began a random search for car accidents in the last two years.