Chapter 11

—————————

As the motorcade came to stop, security teams swarmed out to secure the location. Only after a nod from the lead agent. The door to the car opened and the passenger got down. Her staff was waiting on the tarmac near the air stairs set up for her to board.

There was also a man waiting as she neared he pleaded "Roma I urge to reconsider"

"Sebastian, I know you mean well, but I need to do this" she responded and said "I need you to stay back and run things from here" his face was masked in protest but kept silent as there was no point. Her mind was made up.

"Thank you Sebastian" she said seeing his compliance and alighted the stairs and in to the waiting air plane.

She settled in to the cabin and air hostesses fluttered around setting up things for her and getting refreshments.

One air hostess came to her and said "Roma, the captain is ready"

She picked up the phone mounted on the air frame next to her and waited for someone to pick up and then said "Captain, let's go" and simply hung up.

Outside the powerful engines of the 747 revved up for its lengthy flight.

***

Next morning. In Alpha Nick's office Adrian and Nick were seated sipping on hot coffee delivered a while back, both silent absorbed in their own thoughts, both thinking of the way forward.

Adrian broke the silence "So, your troubles re over Alpha Nick" he stated and looked at the Alpha "But the road to recovery is going to be a long one"

"Thank you" Alpha Nick responded "Thank you for coming to our aid" He said sincerely. They did save him from extension but why was he feeling that he had to sell his soul to the devil to achieve it? Maybe because he witnessed first-hand the destruction and mayhem Roma could unleash. A dying monarchy it certainly was not. It was a slumbering giant you did not want to awaken ever. But he was not sure of his role yet or his fate for that matter.

As if he read his thoughts Adrian responded "You have a long road Alpha, I do not envy the position you are in, however" he added "We will take care of the rogues, they will be disbanded and split, some of them will be sent out of the country to be relocated in different packs across the world. Of course all of them are loyal to Roma. But there is a situation, I thought I will discuss with you"

Nick sat up curiously "The rouges have a lot of folks from Colorado, assimilated when their packs were destroyed, they wish to stay here. And since yours is the only pack...only relevant pack left standing they want to join yours"

A flash of uneasiness passed over Nicks face and Adrian did not miss it "You have nothing to worry about, they will be docile, they did not willing join the rogues and all they want is a peaceful life. This is just a request, the decision is of course yours"

Nick nodded gratefully "I will need to speak to my pack before I decide"

Adrian nodded his head "Of course Alpha"

"What about the Rogue Alpha?" Nick heard he was still being held captive under heavy guard. As long as he was alive Nick would feel uneasy, there is always a possibility of wolves regrouping under him.

"When we are done with him" Adrian added "He would not be a threat to you any more"

Nick nodded satisfied, while he was not sure why the rogue leader was still alive, it was extremely unlikely that he would come out of it alive, it was almost a guarantee.

"Anything else?" Nick asked, he wanted to be left alone to his thoughts.

Adrian got up "Nothing important, we would like to talk about the investments Roma would be making around your town, you will see a lot of changes Alpha, for the good. I Promise you and your pack would prosper"

"We would always be grateful" Nick again said. His packs reserves were gone he could use all the help they could get.

"You are welcome!" Adrian said and turned around and walked towards the door and as he put his hand on the door knob and about to open the door he stopped and turned around.

"And one more thing Alpha, There is a hotel in the town you own right?"

"Yes, the Orchids"

"We want to book it, for the next ten days"

"All of it? But why, you and your men can stay here, we would not..."

Adrian cut him short "We do not mean to insult your hospitality Alpha but I think we have been a burden on you enough" he paused and said "and we need to get it ready"

"Ready? For who?"

"For her"

Alpha Nick looked lost.

"She is coming here Alpha"

"Who?" he asked still lost.

"Roma" Adrian whispered and continued "Please keep this news to yourself and only people who absolutely have to know"

Alpha Nick was glad he was sitting. This was unprecedented, she never left Roma, especially after what happened to her mate, so for her to leave her sanctuary something big must have happened.

"What are you not telling me?" Nick asked Adrian. The uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach rising again.

"Some things, are better not knowing Alpha" Adrian said looking at Nick and added reassuringly "Rest assured, it has nothing to do with you, our treaty still stands"

"When?" Nick Whispered.

"Tomorrow" Adrian said and before Nick could respond or say anything, he opened the door and stepped out of it and closed it behind him, leaving Nick to his thoughts.

***

"So, this is where you have been hiding" Evelyn was startled by the voice.

"Alex!" she said surprised "Where did you come from?"

"That door there, like everyone else" he dead panned hitching a thumb over his shoulder indicating the door behind him.

She rolled her eyes "I mean what you are doing here, in the pack house kitchen of all places? Are you guys not celebrating? The big win, the Roma heroes who swooped in and saved the day... there is a lot of hero worship happening around here for you guys"

"Hero huh?" Alex smiled wryly "I don't see you worshipping, I mean how one goes about doing it? Is there a framework somewhere? What is the relationship between the worshipper and worshippee? I have questions, who is the authority on this around here?" he said looking around as if searching for someone.

"You are such a goof ball Alex"

"From hero to goof ball...ouch...the ego can only take so much you know"

"I am sure your ego will survive" She said turning her back to him and resuming her work that she was doing before he came, she was actually quite busy. Today the pack was throwing a feast in honour of their saviour's.

"However back to my original question, what are you doing here?" she asked.

"Making plans to celebrate"

"Really, and how is that relevant to you being here?"

"Simple, you are a part of that plan?"

"Me?" she paused her work and turned around, looking at him with a question.

"Yep, it includes you, me and a promised dinner. Today"

"I don't remember any such promises"

"Evy!" Ales exclaimed "Deals were made, promises were exchanged and I never thought you would go back on your word"

"I never..." Evelyn started to protest.

"However knowing you, you would feel terrible if you were not able to keep your word...so I won't let it come to that...I will ensure you keep your word"

"Alex!" she said expiated "There is a party in your honour tonight and you want to go out for dinner? There is so much work to do...I cannot possibly..."

"All taken care of" Alex said smugly.

"What? How?" she asked confused.

"As you said, do you think they would refuse their hero?" he beamed.

She simply rolled her eyes.

"So I will pick you up around seven" he said.

"I never agreed" she said folding her hands across her chest.

"How long have you been cooped up in here Evy? Don't you want to go out and get some fresh air?"

She indeed did, it felt ages since she stepped out of the pack compound and she started to bite her lower lip thinking, tempted.

"So seven it is" he said and smiled at her.

"But..."

"Evy! Don't you want to go out, have a good time and relax? I am offering you a chance with the bonus of my awesome company" he paused and said "I am making an offer you cannot refuse" imitating Don Corleone from godfather movie.

She laughed at is antics "All right you win, but I need to speak to my mom"

"Nope. Already taken care of, spoke to Jeff who spoke to your mom, they love the idea" What he was not telling was the part where Jeff grilled him for half an hour.

"Wow" She said clearly impressed that he had gone all through this.

"So, officially you are out of excuses and I out of time, so Seven it will be" with that he walked out of the kitchen without looking back and not giving her an option to answer.

***

"Why so serious brother?" Alex asked Adrian who was sulking all morning. He stayed away from everyone and was sipping away beer and throwing rocks in to the stream in an isolated section of the forest. Alex had to hunt him down and judging by the empty beer cans he was here a while.

Adrian didn't respond but simply offered Alex a can of beer and Alex took it sat next to his brother and opened it up and joined his brother in throwing rocks in to the stream trying to get them to skip the maximum number of times.

"So why the thundercloud?" Alex asked again.

"Sebastian called, chewed my ass off" Adrian grumbled unhappily.

"I can imagine, you should have gone to him first" Alex admonished gently.

He understood Sebastian's frustration. Everyone was jumpy while Drake was concerned and he going directly to Roma about it was a bad idea. She would react with emotion rather with logic and that's what she did. She stepping out of Roma was a bad in so many ways. Inside Roma she was safe the werewolf nation was a fortress and she stepping out of fortress would present opportunities to her enemies...opportunities they just might not be able to resist.

"That's not all" Adrian added miserably "Sebastian is going to call Maxwell"

Oh! Shit! Alex thought.

Where was Maxwell by the way? Wasn't he somewhere in Africa? "Isn't he in Africa?" Alex voiced out his thoughts.

Adrian shrugged and added "Some shit swamp somewhere there I guess, forging whatever alliances he is forging"

Adrian and Maxwell did not see eye to eye on some of their ideologies, but he would be the first one Maxwell would call if he needed someone to cover his back. Maxwell trusted him with his life but that didn't mean he liked him or his thoughts.

Alex and Maxwell shared a better relationship, in fact they were best friends since they came to the palace.

"So, he is going to know soon and he will go apeshit"

Alex scoffed, apeshit was understatement and he would go bat shit crazy and he didn't need a guess who he would blame.

"Can you call him, get him off my back?" Adrian asked. If there was someone Maxwell would listen to it would be Alex.

"What about Roma? Was Sebastian able to change her mind?" Alex asked.

"Nope, she is on her way already, should be here tomorrow night"

"So soon" Alex asked amazed.

"She's got her own 747 with four Rolls Royce engines worth of thrust and a dedicated crew doing her bidding. Do the math"

"Shit!" Alex muttered.

"What? You got somewhere else to be?"

"Tomorrow? no" Alex mumbled that indicated he was busy tonight.

"Don't tell me. You got a date?" Adrian asked surprised.

Alex did not respond.

"Did that girl finally agree?"

"What girl?" Alex asked, how did Adrian know?

"The same girl you follow around like a puppy wagging its tail"

"I do not follow her like a puppy and there is no wagging!" Alex mumbled a denial.

Adrian laughed.

"don't worry about it, Roma should not be here before tomorrow midnight, you can go on your romantic date and have time to get lucky...if you do get lucky...do you plan to get lucky?" Adrian was teasing him.

"It's not like that...." Alex was losing control of this conversation.

"Well date or not-so-date you might as well enjoy as well as the peace lasts" Adrian said

"What do you mean?" Alex asked.

"I feel the other shoe is about to fall. Whatever Drake is going to tell us is going to change a lot of stuff, I feel it in my guts. Why do you think Roma is rushing down here? She feels it too and wants to hear it first-hand"

Alex and Adrian sat in a sombre mood drinking away the afternoon.

***

Evelyn was getting ready in the evening, she had thirty minutes before Alex would pick her up and her thoughts were in a jumble. Did she like Alex? Sure he was a great guy. He was smart and funny and what was not to like? But, what would this lead to? She set her mind on medical school and he would go back to Roma not that the rogues were taken care of. Did she want to get in to a relationship? And a tiny voice at the back of her mind kept repeating he is not your mate. Well there was that.

She sighed, she would go out with him, but let him down gently, she could use a friend like him. At the same time there was a knock on the door and her mother stepped in

"Oh...Evy...you look all grown up...you look beautiful, honey!"

Evelyn blushed "Thanks Mom"

"You know I don't remember the last time you went on a date...in fact I don't recall.."

"Mom" Evelyn interrupted her mother "You needed anything?" she asked to distract her from getting all motherly

"No dear...I just wanted to tell you to have fun!"

"Thanks mom!" She smiled

"And... I wanted to tell you..." she paused as Evelyn looked expectantly

"I realized how precious life is with all this...at one point I did not think we would make it out of it alive" she teared up.

"oh, Mom" Evelyn got up and hugged her.

Her mother sniffled and looked at her "You always were strong headed, brave and had a clear thought on what you always wanted"

"Mom..." Evelyn interrupted her mother's thoughts, she was getting emotional too

"Listen to me...I wanted to say, I Love you and I am proud of you" Her mother said

Tears welled up in Evelyn's eyes.

"And if you want to go and be a doctor...that's what you should do. I and Jeff will speak to the Alpha if needed to ensure you get what you want.

"Thanks Mom!" Evelyn sobbed and hugged her mother back "Thank you so much!" her mother's support meant the world for her. Her mother was never on board with her idea but whatever caused the transformation she would be foolish to question it.

"Now look at me, making you cry and spoiling your makeup!" her mother exclaimed.

At the same time they heard the doorbell ring. Apparently Alex decided to come in early.

"Now why don't you fix yourself and I buy some time with that boy" She smiled at her daughter and hurried downstairs.

***

They were seated in an Italian restaurant, it was a popular one in town and was quite full as well.

"I am glad you convinced me to come Alex" Evelyn said, she was having a good time with Alex, the drive in to the city and Alex being his charming self, made her forget all her worries.

"See" Alex said "Remember in future, always listen to Alex"

Evelyn rolled her eyes.

"So, Alex, why don't you tell me about yourself?"

"Me?" Alex asked taken aback

"No, about Adrian, of course about you, I want to know everything, how did you become this cool computer nerdy geeky guy?"

"Thanks....I think, but nothing fascinating, you make me sound like Neo from Matrix"

"Well you know all about me, I have been boring you with the details for the past half hour, but now your turn Alex"

"Well, to begin with, we started our life much like you, rogue pups, abandoned and we would not have made it if Maxim Roma did not come across us"

He paused as the waiter came to serve them and continued after he left

"They adopted us, sort of. We were young pups the age of their son. We grew up in the palace along with Maxwell, they showed us love and they treated us like their own. They were the parents we never had. We went to military school because we didn't want to feel helpless as we felt when we were pups"

"What happened?" Evelyn asked.

"Don't remember too much, we were young, our pack was destroyed by a rival pack, some joined the other pack, some left including my parents, not sure who killed them, rogues or the other pack" he shrugged "but we found ourselves alone"

She reached out to touch his hand "I am sorry Alex"

"Don't be" he said looking at her "I have a good life, I live in a palace, how many can boast of such a distinction"

"True" she smiled "what's it like?" she asked, she would probably never see it.

"It's amazing!" he said awe clearly in his voice "You should see it Evelyn, early in the morning, it overlooks the city, perched on a mountain range, impregnable fortress but beautiful, I believe you would love it"

"Someday perhaps" she mused.

They had finished their dinner.

"Desserts?" Alex asked.

"No, I am full" she said emphasizing by shaking her head.

Alex asked for the bill and soon they were in the car on their way back, they listened to music and had some small talk and finally they were in front of her house. He stopped the car and went around and opened her door like a perfect gentleman.

She smiled and got down "Thanks for the lovely dinner Alex, I really enjoyed it"

"You are welcome Evelyn" he said

"You are an amazing guy Alex" she said "whoever that lucky girl is, you would make her very happy" she kissed him gently on the cheek.