When she woke up again Gaby was in a dingy-looking motel room on a bed with another girl. Her head ached and she felt disoriented. She couldn't remember what had happened and her first thought was she was late in cleaning Alpha Jerome's room.
The panic had her jolt up and dash for the door. As she touched the doorknob a jolt of electricity went through her. It was unpleasant enough for her to let go of the doorknob. She frowned.
Slowly, it started coming back to her, she'd been tricked by Alexa, the Beta's daughter. She had been in a van with other girls. And now she was here.
She looked down at her clothes, she was still wearing her clothes. She checked her pockets, her phone was still on her which she found strange. Why would anyone kidnap her and not take her phone away?
She tried the doorknob again and the voltage that went through her body seemed to increase. She released it again.
Gabriella went to the window and saw that although she could open the window there were bars that prevented one from getting out through the window.
The shape of the bars looked aesthetic but she doubted they were there to make the windows look pretty. The entire complex looked top of the range on the outside.
She could see brightly painted buildings which she assumed looked like the one she was in. The exterior looked very upmarket. The walls were white with forest green trim on the window exterior.
Gaby again projected the image to her Alpha, she didn't recognize any of the buildings and she didn't recognize any of the surrounding landmarks. She was flooded with disappointment, she had failed her training.
The door opened suddenly jarring her from her thoughts, she stepped back quickly to give herself space from whoever was coming in. A tall man walked in, he must have been at least 6' 7" as she saw him bend down to get in the door and he looked down at her from the very high ceiling. He smiled.
"You must be Diamond."
She shook her head, "No, I'm Gabriella."
He frowned then grinned before slapping her hard. Her neck whipped to the right and she could vaguely feel the throb of her left cheek. He swore loudly and shook his head.
"You bitch! You'll soon learn never to slap me!" He grabbed her by the throat and held her up, lifting her as if she weighed nothing.
She watched him curiously as his face began to turn blue and he dropped her to the ground as he gasped for breath.
He growled in frustration. "You're cursed, aren't you?"
She shrugged despite her accelerated heartbeat. She didn't know what to expect. She suspected that the Alpha had put her under his protection and for that she was truly grateful.
What happened next was horrifying. The big man woke up and tortured the other girl brutally and warned Gabriella that if she didn't behave her roommate would die.
Gabriella took the broken, bruised body and held it to her rocking her unknown fellow prisoner.
"Diamond, I am coming to pick you up for work tomorrow. You'll have clothes in your dressing room. Be ready at 3:30 in the afternoon."
Gabriella nodded tearfully. She would not get someone else's daughter killed. Not today, not ever.
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Jerome woke up feeling weird. He was in his room. At his parent's house. The air was slightly dusty.
He sniffed. There were traces of Gaby but the air in the room was stale. He growled and his growl turned into snarls.
Enforcers, guards, and his future top two rushed into his room. Pieter swore and held him down. Jerome threw him off. Two more grabbed him at his feet and shoulders and a third at his waist. He shook them off as if they were kids.
Soon, a large circle of his top fighters had him surrounded. His growl made most of them wince. Pieter knelt before him in obedience and the others followed. Jerome, no longer seeing a challenge, looked for one face.
"Ryan!" He bellowed.
Ryan dashed into the room. He'd heard the commotion from miles away and had known Jerome knew. He bowed his head. "You called, Alpha?"
"Where. Is. She?"
"She disappeared yesterday, Sir, in the middle of school. She told me that the girl-nappers were on the prowl and that Alexa had told her they were taking some girls."
"Alexa De Wit!" Jerome bellowed. His voice was so commanding that everyone who saw Alexa all but dragged her to the Packhouse.
"By the time I got to where she said she was going all I saw was a black van speeding off. I ran straight to the first guard I could find and told him what I knew then I went to your father."
Jerome shook with rage. Alexa walked into his room boldly taking in all the most powerful wolves on their knees, with beads of perspiration on their brows.
She'd always suspected that Jerome was powerful but this, this was even better than she thought.
"Alexa, submit or be killed!" Pieter snapped at his sister who brazenly admired Jerome.
Jerome's eyes changed color and his upper body started shifting. "Tell me why I shouldn't kill you, right now?" He snarled.
"Because I know where she is."
Jerome saw red, his control snapped and lifted her by her throat over the three rows of men surrounding him. "I know where she is. I know who has her. I'm going to get her. When I get her, you better have prayed to the Goddess that not a hair on her head has been harmed or I will do everything to you that was done to her."
"She's probably having sex with one of those guys now. Are you going to sleep with me as punishment, mighty Alpha?" Alexa asked with a smirk.
Jerome looked at her as he would inspect an insect under a microscope. He tightened his grip on her neck until she started choking. "Perhaps I should just kill you now. I have no use for you."
"Please Alpha! Please have mercy, she's my only sister. If you must mete out justice, do it on me." Pieter shouted still looking at the ground.
Jerome loosened his grip and dropped her body to the ground. "Lock her up in the dungeon, put her on rationed meals until further notice. Have all her school work given to her every evening and the answers collected before sunrise. No cellphone, no internet, no visits from anyone, including her parents." Jerome instructed a pair of guards.
They both stood up knowing he was speaking to them and lifted her out of the circle.
"Jerome, what is the meaning of this?" Johan, his father's Beta asked as he saw his daughter kicking and screaming at guards.
"She has broken the terms of her hearing. She endangered the Pack Doctor's daughter and exposed her to a trafficking ring that has been exploiting young women. She also challenged me and mocked me. I will not tolerate disobedience from anyone." Jerome spoke evenly though his tone was very clipped.
"Surely Alexa didn't mean it?"
Jerome growled the sound filling the entire house. "If Gabriella dies, she dies." His island accent came in full force.
"As you wish Alpha, perhaps it would be best to have the Luna oversee the matter between the two girls?"
"If the future Luna lives through this she will personally mete out Alexa's punishment. Alexa is lucky to be alive as it is." Jerome handed his father's Beta the official approval letter from the Council of Councils. "Leave me, all of you," Jerome turned to face his window.
He recalled his dream vividly. He was looking at a series of buildings, with similar motifs.
Gaby had called him Alpha and shown him where she was and whom she was with. He knew he had to turn in the evidence. He called his commander.
"Jerome, I was wondering when you would get bored." His commander chuckled.
"I'm afraid, I have to report for duty though it is a personal matter. My mate has been taken by Alexandr. I want her back, I know exactly where they are. I have evidence. Requesting permission to lead the investigation, sir."
His commander sucked in his breath. "Come in and see me, son. Bring your father and his command team. I can have your transport ready to pick you up in 20 minutes."
"No need, I will inform my father of your request." Jerome turned to leave his room and found his father standing at the door.
"Let me talk to him." His commander instructed.
"Father, Commander Weiss, would like to speak to you," Jerome handed his phone over to his dad. Ten minutes later they were heading to the training base. Jerome was silent, the entire way.
When they arrived Commander Weiss was waiting for them at the door to his office.
There were enough chairs for everyone placed in the large conference room adjacent to his office. Everyone sat down except for Jerome.
All eyes eyed him warily. He was far too calm.
His future was literally on the line and apart from pacing, he did not react. That unnerved the older fighters and guards. The second he lost his cool there would be hell to pay for anyone who stood in his way.
Commander Weiss cleared his throat. "Son, why don't you take a seat?"
Jerome shook his head. "I'd rather stand, thank you. If I sit, I will feel a greater need to destroy things. What do I need to do to lead the investigation?"
"I need to know that you will follow the law, to the letter. So that we can bring these guys down for good. How much danger is she in?"
"She is being manipulated. No one can harm her without being harmed themselves. However, Gaby won't leave unless she can take the other girls with her. She will do whatever she needs to, to protect them. Someone is trying to have sex with her. She's holding him off but I don't know how much longer she can do that. If he succeeds, the law will have to pardon my actions. It will not happen again." Jerome stated factually.
An uneasy silence settled in the room. The amount of power that emanated from Jerome was unsettling. Particularly as there was already a lot of power at the table.