Chapter 9: Confrontations, Confrontations

Alastair

It was three in the morning, two nights after Elder Holden’s visit as well as my conversation with Harlyn and her idea of being politically correct. It had also been two nights since I found that John Minken was roaming around outside of my home…near Valene.

My plan was to immediately confront him with this but then I came to realize that I physically did not have the time to do it. Keeping Shadow Veil, and Virginia clear as a whole was my first priority. And it seemed that the Moon mother’s luck had shown up on the Shadow Veil pack as there hadn’t been an attack in the last forty-eight hours.

I wasted no time in setting up a meeting with my Delta to see not only where his loyalties lie but his intent with Valene.

“We both know what the bastard’s intent is, Wade,” Aziz grumbled in the back of my mind. “Minken may have a guard on his mouth but Kine…is another story in general!” Aziz complained about Minken’s wolf counterpart. Apparently, my Delta’s wolf had his own feelings concerning Valene.

“I’m going to assume since I have never heard these conversations between you and Kine that you hid this from me,” I said with as much disgruntlement as I could muster.

“Hm, must not feel good, knowing that there are some things that could be hidden from you.” He sarcastically retorted.

“Aziz,” I frustratedly hissed. “Whatever conversations had between yourself and Kine was something that I certainly should have had some insight on.”

Of course, he did not agree with this. “On the contrary, Wade,” said my wolf. “You forget why the ability to turn one’s self off from the other for a prolonged period of time is necessary.”

“I have not forgotten anything-”

“Seems you have,” he countered. “You would not have handled graciously what Kine has said in the past. You have a tendency to act out of impulse versus logic at the best of times. Especially, where the human pup is involved.”

“And am I wrong for that?” I asked. “Being protective?”

Of course, acting on impulse all of the time was never the best way to handle such sensitive situations where an Alpha was concerned. Nevertheless, John Minken, whether fellow pack member or not, needed to understand where the line was drawn when it came to me and those that were considered to be under my care; that included Valene.

“It is not wrong to be protective, Wade. You well know, that I am protective over the child myself. However…our feelings do not negate our title nor our responsibility to it. We must act with tact.”

“Act with tact,” I sarcastically rebutted. “What? Is that your slogan now?”

“If it will help you get a grip on yourself, then for the time being…yes, it will be.”

“I hope I’m not interrupting something, Alpha.”

The sound of John Minken’s sarcasm broke apart the conversation between Aziz and I.

“Remember yourself, Alastair,” Aziz said in the back of my mind.

I turned around and with a calmness that I wasn’t feeling, approached my Delta and greeted him with the pack handshake.

“Delta,” I smiled professionally.

Whereas my smile wasn’t reaching, the Delta’s sure was. He was guiltless, it seemed, and for good reason; what was he guilty of? Feinding for my human serf? That wasn’t against the bylaws. In fact, alternating and or exchanging Vassals have been a long-standing tradition in our world. I, personally, unlike my family before me, never found it very…appropriate.

“How are you this fine morning, Alpha?” John Minken asked me.

“It depends on what news you have of what’s been going on in my territory, Delta,” I responded.

“Sweet and silent,” He grinned, “Alpha,” he added. “But then you know that.” John countered. “We’ve been keeping you heavily informed, Alpha Wade.” He said. “So, are you going to tell me the real reason that you asked me here?”

I didn’t respond right away because truth be told I was a bit angered by his gumption to confront me before I had the restraint to confront him. Again, I had to gather my resolve and push away the desire to break his neck and leave him to wake up in some barren desert land.

“I understand that your perimeter check led to my neck of the woods two days ago.”

“It did.” His answers were very short and to the point and to be honest, this only served to make me more inclined to punch him in the bridge of his nose.

With a visibly impatient snicker, I asked. “May I ask why?” It was certainly a veiled demand. John knew that he had no choice but to answer my question.

His response was prolonged silence and I knew that the Delta was trying to get under my skin. It nearly worked until I remembered that I needed to be an example of diplomacy for not only Harlyn but Valene as well.

I simply played his card in turn. “I take it you do have something to tell me.” a smirk played across my expression. “Or were you just trying to get a better look at my vassal?” I asked. Yes, I was treading thin by approaching this subject. I knew, that depending on John Minken’s answer, I’d potentially lose my cool. Nevertheless, I also knew my Delta well; if I’d have blatantly tried to veer away from approaching the subject of Valene, John would only use it as a ploy to get under my skin even further. Broaching the subject before him gave me the upper hand of sorts; he’d see that I was not so sensitive about Valene as he assumed I would be.

He laughed at my question and immediately, I knew that my assumption was true. Still, I did not act on this. I let him speak further.

“Who could resist not taking a once over at your prized possession, Alpha?” He smirked. “The Alpha with the only known gold blood left in this world.” John turned away from me, chuckling as he took a few steps away. Smart move, Delta. “All due respect, lucky bastard you are, Alpha.” My Delta commented as the subtle sound of a bic’s flic ignited a small flame. By the time he turned to face me again, there was a cigarette in his mouth, the strong odor of nicotine wafting from the small stick. “Such a…sweet-smelling and rare creature you have on your hands, Alpha.” He pressed my patience further. “It is a wonder that you’ve restrained yourself this long.”

Despite the inclination to lash out, I kept my cool, Aziz in the back of my mind bubbling over with anger. “Is there a point that you’re arriving at, Minken?” I asked him. All the while insisting that my normally cool counterpart calm down.

John stared at the cigarette for a while and then finally stared at me again before nodding a yes. He sighed and chuckled. “We’re here right?” He said without provocation. What did he mean by this? “Alone?”

He was getting at something. “Obviously,” I retorted looking around sardonically as if I didn’t know that my boatyard wasn’t cleared.

“I feel like…like maybe you have something on your chest, Alpha.” Here it was, he finally confronted me on my true feelings. Now, it was time to confront him concerning his.

“Seems, we both have things that we need to get off of our chest in that case,” I said, taking a step close enough to face him directly. “Delta.”

If this was a pissing contest, surely, I’d win. John Minken, though trusted in some aspects, did not have a handle on his desires. Because of this, he sometimes forgot his place in the pack and this could lead to more problems for me. Problems that, frankly, I had no use nor the time for these days.

“Speak, Delta Minken.” I commanded. “There’s obviously been something stewing on you and your counterpart’s mind.”

“Your vassal, since we’re being clear.” He answered after a tension-filled silence. “It is quite hard to look away from her…her scent does not dwell much in helping matters.” He admitted. “Even with that scent-blocking gear that you force her to wear.”

“And so what would you have me do about this, Delta?” I asked. “Since you seem to have studied my human so closely?”

He sensed my frustration and laughed. “Listen, Alpha, I…” the Delta paused before saying. “May I…speak freely, sir?”

Usually, when this was requested of me, it meant that they-whether a pack member or a general member of the Veil, ask that I listen without lashing out. This meant that even John realized that he was teetering on the edge of my patience. I had to hope that there was something useful to John beside his ill-controlled desire for my vassal.

“Speak.” I said.

“Approaching your human was out of line, I admit. I am assuming that Slaughter told you what was said between us.”

“Only that you made a pass at her-”

Delta Minken shrugged and this garnered hostility on my part but I kept cool nonetheless. “Calm down, Alpha. I know it may seem that I have it out for you but…I only want your vassal, and I know that I cannot have her,” He grinned. “Not without a fight, that is.”

“And I assure you…you don’t want that,” I stated blatantly. “Now I’m hoping that you have something useful to say in the next second John. You’ve already crossed a line with me, I am trying my best to withhold restraint.” I growled.

The Delta’s amused expression turned a little more serious than it was after I said this. “A wildling,” He finally cut to the chase. “Was yards off, hiding in the forest, and watching your home.”

“You took care of it, I assume.”

“I took care of that one in particular but…” There was something that he wasn’t telling me.

“What is it? Spit it out, Minken!”

“That beast was focused on only one part of your house, Alpha. And it was in neither part where you nor your pup resided.”

“I’d have expected as much since they’ve been focused on humans of late-”

“Yeah, yeah, right, but no.” John quipped. “No, it’s not right…what I saw was…it was odd and yes, I understand that I am talking about wildling beasts.”

“What happened, John?” Now I was not only more curious about what my Delta had to say but what I was suddenly far more concerned.

“Slaughter told you about the death of the two drudges.”

“Of course.”

“Well, then I take it, that he also told you what the beast called them before killing them.”

Yes, he did.” I replied, recalling what Toran said the beast called the humans. “Heir of Shadows? I remember.”

“They’re looking for something, Alpha.” He said to me and suddenly I knew where he was going with this. “That human of yours…”

“Valene…what about her?”

“Gold blood…do we really know…or understand what that truly entails, Alastair?”

His question was reasonable, that I could not deny. “What are you getting at, John?”

“You know what I’m getting at, Alpha.” He replied. “What if she’s the reason that our attacks have been so…frequent? Does it not make sense? Over the years…your human’s scent has only gotten stronger with age and following that, so have the attacks. I’m beginning to wonder if she is the reason behind why Caris-”

Before the words could leave his lips my mind was wrapped around his neck like a vice, ever-tightening. “Don’t…you dare!” I snarled, a shiver of anger trailing up my spine like the fur on the back of my enraged wolf.

John struggled to breathe and when his already fair skin began to turn placid, I released him, allowing him to collapse to the ground. As he struggled for breath, coughing violently from the sudden flow of oxygen overwhelming him now, I stood over him.

“I know that you think that because you and Caris were best friends that you have a right to speak freely about her but…you are sorely mistaken, Delta.” I reminded him. “I’m done talking to you. Disperse.” I walked away, realizing that this conversation carrying on any longer would have been the direct cause of John’s death.

“I loved her too, Alastair!” he growled from behind me. I whirled around, enraged but still restrained. There was a look in his eyes, one that I took pity on as he looked up at me. “I-I loved Caris too.”

John had known Caris far longer than I did and by rights maybe he should have been the one who ended up with her. Sometimes I wondered if he was her true mate, but that was neither here nor there at this point. She was gone, and it didn’t matter.

“I know.” My response was without emotion as I spoke. Something told me that John was speaking in terms of more than a friend. I turned away from him and started to walk away again when I paused to let him know. “If she were still alive, you’d be dead right now, John,” I told him; that confession and Caris could not exist in the same world. Not my world. “Return to the pack house Delta.”

“Maybe you should move your family to the pack house, Alpha.” He said after finally recovering from my anger.

“So you can have easier access to Valene?” I glanced at John. As I said numerous times before, John was a great Delta, the greatest of his time, but I don’t know that I’d ever trust him again. “No thanks.”

“One more…thing you should know, Alpha.” He called to me as I turned my back on him. One last time, I paused, reluctantly giving him space to speak.

“What is it?” I snarled.

“That rogue…it wasn’t the first beast at your home,” he said, his voice still slightly raspy from my choke hold. “There was a scent…buried beneath the earth… it's settled.”

I no longer had the tolerance to continue a conversation with John anymore but this bit of information, I needed. For all his faults, my Delta was one of the best trackers who ever lived. So I knew that he’d know the answer to the question that I was about to ask him.

“How many times, John? How many times has this scent been lingering?”

“As I said, Alpha,” I turned around just in time to see John brushing off his clothes and fixing his collar. “The scent has settled within the woods in the earth only yards away from your serf’s window. Whoever it is-what ever it is, it’s been watching your little vassal for a while now.”