The Alpha Killer

Daniela’s POV

Near Werewolf Council HQ

“I just don’t believe the werewolves will really stop their experimentation on our kind,” I said as we were driven down the road by one of Master Leonardo’s familiars. We had flown in to his Coven near Syracuse last night and were expected at the Werewolf Council HQ shortly after sunset.

“That’s why we are going ourselves,” Master Nikolai said as he sat on the couch. The transport vehicle was a modified Class A recreational vehicle, with a barrier between the driver’s compartment and the living area, and all windows replaced with solid panels. It made for a comfortable trip, much nicer than the modified cargo vans or moving trucks we tended to use. “Chairman Talia has been up front about what she found and has granted our Doctor full access to the records. Hell, she rescued two of our kind from the facility in Mount Shasta. I have every confidence she will follow through, but that is why I’m bringing you. If you are convinced, the rest of the Council will agree.”

“It’s not just the Council that must agree,” Master Leonardo said. “I appreciate the invitation. I look forward to seeing Chairman Talia again, she is an impressive young lady.”

“You’ve met her?”

He nodded at me. “She had a flight problem and had to go into Syracuse instead of Pittsburgh, and Master Jarrod called and asked if I might want to meet her. We had a lovely late dinner. I rather like her. I can understand why Jarrod thinks so highly of her.”

I wanted to react, but I suspected it was part of keeping Nikolai unsuspecting of our true motives. Inviting Leonardo had been my idea, suggesting him because his Coven was close, and the Pittsburgh Coven master never left his city. Communications with Leonardo were difficult; I didn’t know who might be listening, and I couldn’t get away to plan things. I sent my trusted familiar, June, to him with a pair of recorded messages. In the first, I told him my feelings about the hybrids and why we couldn’t trust the Werewolves given our long history. I laid out how the Council was split, with Louis and I on the short side of the majority. “You are next in line,” my message said. “I need to know if you will be with us or with the Chairman and the others if you are elevated to the Council. Let my familiar know if you are with me.” When he indicated he was with us, she gave him the second video where I laid out our plan to remove the Chairman and take over.

The key was to blame the Werewolves so no one would look at us. That was why we were traveling this way, with the Council meeting us at the edge of their territory. Between our two covens and Leonardo’s, we had twenty experienced vampires near the meeting site. They had arrived last night and dug caves under the hills to hide them from the sun and hid their scent like a deer hunter would. With Leonardo by my side, two masters against one with plenty of backup, we would kill Master Nikolai while the other vampires took out the hybrid and any werewolves around. When it was all over, we survivors would write the narrative about how the hybrid bitch and her wolves had betrayed our trust.

There was a knock from the front of the RV. “Sundown is past, Master Leonardo,”

“Open the door,” he said. The panels slid aside, allowing us to see forward through the windshield to the twilight and the passing trees. “How far now?”

“Twenty minutes, sir.” He pulled out his phone and sent a text, I did the same with my phone. The innocuous group message just said we’d be arriving on time at the Werewolf Council.

It was the longest twenty minutes of my life. This was high-stakes poker, and I had to maintain control so my nervousness would not betray us. The last attempt on a sitting Council chairman had resulted in a bloody purge and torments that left them begging for their own destruction. We could not afford to fail.

Master Leonardo’s face was just as impassive. He moved into the front seat next to his driver, looking out over the road as they approached the meeting spot. I spent my time going over the plan. The vampire warriors would rush forward as soon as they saw the two of us attack Nikolai, ensuring the Werewolves and that bitch of a hybrid were killed before reinforcements could be summoned.

I rehearsed the attack in my mind a hundred times before the RV came to a stop. “We’re here,” the driver said.

“Let’s take care of the ceremonial part of this,” Nikolai said. “Once introductions are made, we will be officially welcomed onto Pack lands. Talia and her escort will join us back in our vehicle and we will drive together to Headquarters.”

“You sure we can trust them,” Leonardo asked.

“Trust but verify, as Reagan said.” He was looking at me when he said this, but immediately got up and walked for the door. Leonardo and I followed him off the RV, turning towards the front. The Werewolf Council had brought four vehicles, and I could smell maybe two dozen werewolves plus the distinct scent of a hybrid… wait, TWO hybrids?

“Welcome, Chairman Nikolai, Mistress Daniela and Master Leonardo,” Talia said as she stepped forward to meet us. Behind her stood a large Hispanic werewolf and the second hybrid, Erica.

“Thank you for meeting with us,” Nikolai said smoothly.

“It is our pleasure. May I introduce my Chief Enforcer, Jacque Jones, and my friend Erica.”

It was time. I didn’t see the vampires, but they would not break cover too early or it would endanger us. The two of us were on either side of Nikolai as he went forward to shake hands. Catching Leonardo’s eye, I held out fingers three… two… one… GO!

My talons had descended during the count and I slashed at Nikolai’s neck with all my speed and skill.

Leonardo did nothing.

My right hand was caught before it could touch him. Nikolai’s right hand shot out and grabbed my throat, his claws penetrating my neck as he lifted me off the ground. I tried to bring my left hand up, but Talia had blurred forward with vampire speed and caught it with her own hands. Leonardo took over the grip on my right, and I knew I was doomed. Helplessly hanging there in the clutches of the strongest vampire in the world, I looked over to Leonardo. “You were right about me in some ways, I am ambitious and want a place on the Council,” he said in his accent. “What you forget is that I am now, and always have been a man of honor. When I am raised to the Council it will be based on my deeds, not treachery.”

I looked about in panic for the vampire warriors. Nikolai just shook his head. “No one is coming to save you, Daniela.”

“My warriors are back home, I would not waste them on something like this,” Leonardo said as his talons pierced through my forearms.

“Your co-conspirator, Master Louis, is in the cells right now awaiting his fate.” Nikolai’s expression was a mix of disappointment and anger, and I knew I was well and truly fucked.

“My warriors cleared the hills today. Burying vampires in shallow graves is not a smart move, all it takes is a few werewolves with wooden stakes. In the bright sun of midday, they were helpless against us,” Talia said.

“You BITCH,” I said as I turned to her. “I will see you in HELL.”

“I don’t think so,” she said. She nodded at Master Leonardo, and they each yanked hard on my arms as Nikolai held me a foot in the air.

I screamed in agony as my arms were ripped from my body at the shoulders. “For the crime of treason, you are sentenced to death, Mistress Daniela. Said sentence to be carried out immediately.” His left hand came up, twisting my neck until it snapped.

Talia’s POV

Nikolai ripped her head from her shoulders, tossing her body to the ground by where her head rolled to. I tossed her arm on top of it. I called Eduardo up, he and Jarrod got out of one of the Pack vans in back. ”We will burn her body,” Eduardo said as he and two Enforcers moved towards the pile.

Nikolai reached for my hand. “I’m sorry our first meeting had to be under such circumstances.”

I shook it warmly. “What is important is that the peace we are seeking to create will not be harmed,” I said. “Master Leonardo, it is a pleasure to see you again.” I moved forward and he embraced my shoulders and kissed my cheeks, European-style.

“It is my pleasure. I could not allow a beautiful lady like yourself to be harmed in the plots of bitter and power-hungry leaders. My thanks for your help today.”

I looked around, the body had been wrapped in a tarp and was being carried back to a cargo van. “Why don’t we continue on to my office?”

“If you would join us, Chairman Talia, Master Jarrod,” Nikolai said as he extended his arm back to his RV.

I followed the two men back on board as Jarrod came alongside. “Thank you for being here,” I told him.

”You know I will always protect you, my daughter,” he said as he put his arm around my shoulder. “When Nikolai called me, that wasn’t the only reason for coming.”

“What do you mean?”

“Leonardo is the senior vampire not on the council, and he will be taking Daniela’s spot on the Council. What I didn’t mention to you before is that I am the next person after him.”

“You mean?” It hit me, there were two plotters in the Council against the Chairman.

“Yes. Master Louis has been arrested and will be executed before the Council when we return to New York City. I am to be elevated to the Council before then.”

I squealed in happiness, hugging him as we got to the door to the RV. “So you’re moving?”

“Marceline and I will move to the Council Headquarters, but we will not be moving the rest of the Coven. Anastasia will run the Coven and maintain the New Orleans mansion, and Eduardo and Erica are going to stay there with her.”

“She won’t be too far when Randall and I go back home,” I said. “And there are plenty of flights to New York.”

“You and Erica will always be welcome to visit,” Nikolai said as we sat down and the RV started moving again. “He has made it clear you are family, and Erica is now part of his Coven.”

We caught up on what had been happening during the short drive, then we met the rest of the staff on arrival at the Council building. I had their bags taken to their rooms, while we sat in my office. “Before we tour the facility and talk with the prisoners, the team we assembled to investigate would like to make their presentation of findings,” I said.

“Excellent, bring them in.” We sat at my large conference table as my team entered. The Vampires had sent their Doctor, a human familiar, while I had an investigator and a doctor. They took almost an hour to complete their presentation on the experimentation that had been going on here and in other facilities. “You have my word that these experiments have been stopped, and the data from them has been destroyed on all computers and storage except this flash drive. We would have destroyed it already, but you deserve to know.”

“Are you satisfied with the investigation,” Nikolai asked their Doctor.

“I am, they have been transparent and the investigation was thorough,” he said.

“Good.” Nikolai took the flash drive, crushing it in his hand and dropping it on the table. “I did not bring it, but I have overseen the destruction of all data from werewolf experimentation as well. It is an offense we cannot allow again.” He reached across the table with his hand; I stood and took it. “Thank you, Talia.”

“I’m glad we could bridge the gap between our kinds,” I replied.

“You are the bridge we needed, part of each side,” he said. “Your time in this Chair is temporary?”

“It is,” I said. “Soon the Alphas will vote on a new Council; that is one reason I wanted to complete this business today, before it could be reversed. I do not think that will happen; most believe my father-in-law will become the new Chairman. I guess we will see.”

“And the prisoners, those who did the experiments? How can we be sure they won’t go back to what they were doing before?”

“Because their sentences have been issued and they will die tonight,” I replied. “In fact, we need to go. When the moon is highest, they will be executed.”

“Not a fun way to spend your last night as Chairman of the Werewolf Council,” Leonardo said.

I just looked at him. “I didn’t want this job, I just killed to get it,” I said. “Wait, that didn’t come out right,” I said as they laughed at me. “I can’t wait to turn it over, I just want to be with my mate and be normal again.”

“You’re a long way from normal, Talia,” Jarrod said. “And it’s a good thing.”