Wolf Zero's nose flared several times, air escaping with loud grunts. Some calculations were quickly running in the man's head. Nelly licked her lips once, catching a stray drop of blood, undisturbed by the towering werewolf. She really wished she had an apple right about now, would feel quite pleasurable to pierce it with her teeth, she had always practiced on one. It was quite how some teenage magazines called that you should practice kissing with a tomato, but apples in the case of vampires.
The Wolf finished its calculations, and its nails pierced through the shoes he wore, gaining purchase for a lunge. With one whiplike release the wolf was airborne, claws outstretched, out for Nelly's blood. She had prepared beforehand, vampiric energy throbbing in her veins, and unleashed it all with one quick slap.
Zero's face twisted more from the force of the impact than pain, Nelly had caught the wolf right in its cheek, face moving slower than the skull inside. A large thump, as the man tumbled in to the wall, a few paintings clattering down on him. One managed to land squarely on his head, his head sticking through the canvas. His head appeared through something that resembled a river, the slowly dropping blood painting it red. Zero's eyes were full white, his mind unreachable at the moment.
"I was quite sure this would be how it ended, but seeing you fling an adult werewolf like it was nothing has me awestruck, rendered straight up speechless" Kabek said, mustering up words quite contrary to what he said. Nelly was still seated, and waited for the man to stand back up.
The river turned in to one full of blood before the werewolf came to. He spit some more blood on the floor, and one unlucky tooth clattered with it. Nelly uncrossed her legs, just to cross them again the other way around. Some more noises of life and gray eyes that tried their best to focus on something in front of them. When they did focus, he rattled to life with quick motions, ready to stave off another attack. He looked at Nelly and dropped his fists down, the moment he saw her still sitting there, completely unharmed.
"You are strong…" Zero said, words taking a while to form. Nelly stared him down, and he added one more word. "Alpha"
"I would say that it would have been smarter to just yield, but knowing you guys, I guess it was inevitable we clashed." Nelly said and fished her phone out for a selfie with the bloodied werewolf. The werewolf looked genuinely horrified at the image of his downfall being immortalized, so Nelly added: "It is just something I'll keep as a reminder if you so happen to fall out of line again."
Not so strangely it didn't seem to calm Zero down too much. Nelly took a look at Kabek to gauge his further reaction, and his face had lit up like a puppy that was told he was a good boy. It wouldn't have been a surprise to see his butt wiggle due to the lack of tail to wag. Nelly wondered if he had a problem with Zero prior or he was just happy to have a great master that chose him.
"What do you wish from us Alpha" Zero said, taking the painting collar off of his neck.
"For now nothing, keep going as you do. I am just here to show that I am the one in charge, and you did luck out as the first chosen." Nelly said and pondered why mother had chosen the Wolf organization as the first target, and specifically the the Wolf Alpha legion. To be fair they were the strongest Wolf Legion on paper, but there was always the option of taking someone closer to home.
The reason would have to come on its own time, mother would treat it as another test. There was never enough tests in mothers eyes, as long as they were chosen with the best interest of the receiving party. Till this point, mother hadn't gone overboard and Nelly was quite happy to do her bidding.
"At your behest Alpha," Zero said, giving a slow bow, a few drops of blood splattering on the ground with this show of obidience.
"One chance to prove yourself capable Zero. Without it you will end up as a thrall, just like Wolf One here" Nelly said and Zero winced at the mention of a thrall. Kabek wasn't slow enough to miss it either.
"Hey what do you mean? Why is it such a bad thing, what have you done to me?" Kabek said and kept repeating the words as Nelly stood up, leaving behind an identification crystal on the stool she was sat on. His words kept ringing through her ear and out the other, when they exited the room.
***
Their third stop of the day was to meet one Dove operator, a meeting Nelly had set up through the Master of Secrets—the official head of all espionage activities. The Doves were a more secretive unit, named after the peace dove, that stood for the safety of the nation. They had lots of special agents that made sure no external or internal threats could surprise them. Information was their main weapon, but they also had operatives to conduct surgical strikes.
They were only a few blocks away from the meetup, when Nelly's phone rang. The screen of the phone lit up with the Arbore tree, a call through the official channels, armed with the sigil that only the Empress could use. Nelly answered immediately and motioned to Paco to form a perimeter so potential eavesdroppers were further away.
"You need to be home within 30 minutes, a Walsh delegation snuck in incognito and are demanding to see you." Mother said on the other end. Nelly swore, they must know she wasn't at home, otherwise there was no need for this theater. The only one with enough warning to set this up, must be the Dove, but Nelly had a hard time seeing the operative the Master of Secrets recommended be a mole.
"I am 500 floors down, permission to use a loud bird?" Nelly said and mouthed 'home' to Paco and Yellow. Two guards were left with the cart of goods and and the rest began walking briskly while Nelly waited for an answer. After a moment of silence mother spoke.
"Loud bird approved, west gate eight in seven minutes." Mother said, dropping her official tone to add. "Brace yourself dear, Gideon is here."
Nelly swore loudly as she cut the connection. There was no time to swear or run, Nelly commanded Paco to commandeer the closest airborne vehicle. A sleek white shuttle was liberated of its previous owner with gun and money, and seconds later Paco had the shuttle scream through the air.