Rowan
Nightfall, I was dressed and mentally ready to see the biker gang. Soren called me into his office to come see him before I leave and I agreed,
I went downstairs to unlock the room Rudolf was in, I knew he would be awake. I docked once his fist flew to my face and chuckled,
"I see you are awake,"
He grunted and aimed for my face again but I evaded him and pinned him to the wall with his hand behind him,
"Are you listening?" I asked,
He tried to push me off but I was much stronger, "Don't bother. I am an Alpha and you are a beta. Your strength means nothing here,"
He relented, "what the fuck do you want?"
"Nothing. Just wanted to make sure you have learnt your lessons. I won't have you fucking around with me, do we understand each other?"
He nodded.
I let him go and kicked his leg from under him, he fell with a groan.
I left him there.
I knocked on Soren's door and he mumbled, "come in,"
I entered and stopped short at the sight of the guns scattered in front of him. They were laid out on the table.
I raised a brow, "what's this for?"
He stood and rounded the table, "You are going to need this. They are dangerous and they won't listen to a word you have to say,"
"Okay,"
I had never gone on any job with a gun before mostly because those people had no idea who they were dealing with. They thought I was disposable and I taught them that I wasn't.
There is a reason why I haven't revealed the nature of who I was to Soren yet. He needed to trust me and this first assignment he was given me was a test of some sorts.
"Do you need backup?"
I shook my head, "No, like you said I am just going to sit down and talk with them. The gun is just for precaution."
He eyed me suspiciously but didn't say a word, he motioned to the display of guns for me to choose the one I wanted.
Since I wasn't going to use them, I opted for the Glock and the Sig. I tucked one into the waistband of my pants and the other in my socks.
"Ready?"
I nodded.
He looked like he wanted to say something but he shook his head and detached himself.
It was better this way. If he knew what I was then he would want nothing to do with me.
I left the mansion with my overnight back, it had my replica clothes I had stashed earlier. It was a disguise to mask my intentions.
Once I was far enough from the mansion, I ducked into an alley, changed quickly and hid the bag in the dumpster. My new outfit was a plain black hoodie and jeans.
I took a cab downtown. As a local gang, I knew they would set up shop in a local area.
The gang's hideout wasn't hard to find. It was exactly where I expected, a run-down dive bar at the end of a graffiti-smeared alley.
The kind of place young kids make bad decisions and where broken bottles decorated the sidewalk and the air reeked of stale beer and bad decisions. I stood outside for a moment, inhaling deeply to calm my nerves, before pushing the door open.
The heavy scent of smoke hit me first, followed by the din of conversation and the occasional clink of glass. I scanned the room, my eyes quickly adjusting to the dim lighting. The bartender spotted me immediately, his gaze narrowing as I approached.
"What'll it be?" he asked, wiping a dirty glass with an even dirtier rag.
"Scotch," I said gruffly.
He raised a brow at me, "you are new around here, who are you?"
"I came for a drink,"
"What do you want?" He snapped.
"I'm here to talk to your leader," I said evenly, my voice calm despite the tension coiling in my gut.
His eyes flicked over me, assessing, before he snorted. "Nobody sees the boss without a damn good reason. State your business."
"I'm just a mediator," I replied, "I don't want trouble. I've got a message from Alpha Soren."
At the mention of Soren's name, his face twisted into a sneer. "Alpha Soren, huh? What kind of message?"
"I think it's best delivered in private," I said without so much as a flinch even when he leaned in, his breath hot and sour against my face.
"You think you're funny, showing up here uninvited?" he snarled, pulling a gun from beneath the counter and leveling it at my head.
I didn't flinch. "If I wanted trouble, I wouldn't have come unarmed."
He hesitated, his eyes darting to the two bikers lounging at a nearby table. With a sharp nod, he signaled them to search me. They stood and crowded me with the intention to humiliate me as they patted me down.
"Clean," one of them grunted, stepping back.
The bartender relaxed, lowering his gun but not entirely letting his guard down. "All right, mediator," he said, "Follow me. And don't try anything stupid."
He gestured toward a door at the back of the bar, prodding me forward with the barrel of his gun. I walked ahead, keeping my pace steady and my shoulders squared. The hallway was narrow and poorly lit, the walls stained with all kinds of things.
The room we entered was different than the rest of the bar. A single hanging light cast a yellowish glow over a large table where an older man sat playing cards with a few of his men. The air was heavy with smoke, and the faint sound of rock music filtered in from somewhere beyond.
"Got a delivery," the bartender announced gruffly, shoving me forward so hard I stumbled.
The leader glanced up from his cards, his sharp, gray eyes locking onto mine. His face was weathered but commanding, a scar running down one side of his jaw. He exuded an aura of quiet menace, the kind that didn't need to be loud to make its presence known.
He looked reasonable from what I could see.
"Ease up," he barked at the bartender, his voice deep screamed of authority. "No need to be rude to our guest."
The bartender stepped back, muttering under his breath, as the leader motioned for me to sit. The others at the table exchanged glances before he waved them off, leaving just the two of us.
"I don't think your men like the idea of leaving us alone," my poor attempt at a joke.
"They will live," he grunted.
I chuckled.
"Let's hear it," he said, leaning back in his chair and folding his arms across his chest.
I hesitated for a moment, choosing my words carefully. "I've come to broker a deal on behalf of Alpha Soren. He respects your territory and doesn't want unnecessary bloodshed."
The leader raised an eyebrow, his lips twitching into a faint smirk. "That's a pretty way of saying he wants something. What is it?"
"Peace," I said simply.
He laughed, a harsh, guttural sound. "Peace? That's rich coming from him. What's he offering in return?"
I met his gaze, unflinching before I laughed, "Let's not act like this isn't something overdue. You are encroaching on a territory that isn't yours and it needs to stop. He is offering you peace because you need it,"
The leader leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. "And what makes him think I won't just kill his little messenger and send him a message of my own?"
"Because if you wanted to kill me, you'd have done it already," I said evenly. "And because you know as well as I do that an alliance is more valuable than a war neither of you can afford."
His smirk faded, replaced by a thoughtful expression. "You've got guts, I'll give you that. But guts only get you so far."
He stood, circling the table slowly as he studied me. "You're not one of his usual lapdogs. You've got a backbone, and I respect that. But respect doesn't mean I trust you."
"I'm not asking you to trust me," I said, turning to keep him in my line of sight. "I'm asking you to listen unless you want to get wiped out,"
He stopped, standing directly in front of me. "You've got five minutes to convince me why I shouldn't throw you out of here, or worse, kill you."
He made a grab for his gun on the side of his hip but I was faster, my Sig was already pointed at him.
He blinked slowly, the surprise and realization dawning on him when he saw I was indeed armed.
"What the fuck?"
"Sit down," I waved my gun at him,
He obeyed the order immediately still with wide eyes, "how did you?"
"Nobody bothers to search your shoes. This shows that I could have wiped your entire gang in one night and still slept soundly in your corpses. Now, let me say this in a way you understand, Alpha Soren is offering you protection in a way that is solely for your benefits. The other Alphas do not share this sentiment and believe you should be wiped out. I believe a collaboration is in order, don't you think?"
He was still stunned so I waited. I tucked my gun into the waistband of my pants and waited.
"Why is he doing it?" He asked finally.
I took a deep breath, meeting his steely gaze. "Times are changing, and you can either adapt or get left behind. A partnership with him means security, power, and a future. Going against him means risking everything you've built."
The leader stared at me for a long moment, his expression unreadable. Then, slowly, he nodded. "You've got a sharp tongue, kid. I'll give you that. But a deal like this doesn't happen overnight. Tell your Alpha I'll consider it, but only if he's willing to show me he's serious."
"He did when he allowed you to live. Your death certificate was signed today but he tore it up," I shrugged.
"I need to talk to my gang," he said finally.
I nodded, "You have three days,"