Alexander immediately picked up on a familiar scent. He carefully walked around examining every little detail that he could observe. There wasn't anything he wanted to miss. He could smell his mate, and her team mates at the scene, he could smell the human investigators who were also at the scene. But, one smell stood out to him stronger than the rest.
One of a vampire, who he could name at this very moment. Alexander made eye contact with Avalyn, nodding at her that he was ready. "Do you know who it was?", Avalyn asked, as they began to walk off the site. Alexander nodded his head. "I do", he answered.
"Tell your chief to meet us at my pack", Alexander told her. She nodded and did as was asked of her. She jumped in the driver's seat. "You get shotgun", she grinned at Alexander through the open window.
"I thought I was driving", Trey pouted as he got into the backseat with Finnick. "I know where we are going now. Do you?", she asked him, looking through the rear-view mirror at him.
Trey shot Avalyn a go to hell look, before putting on his seat belt. Avalyn's phone rang through the vehicle, showing Hitch's name. "You are on speaker", Avalyn answered. "Grant, what do you mean he wants us to meet him at the packhouse? I have a team full of humans", Hitch said.
"I give you my word that your people will be safe, Hitch", Alexander's deep voice resonated throughout the SUV. "You will be safest there. It is, after all, a vampire you are looking for", Alexander added.
Hitch sighed, "What is this talk about rouges?", he asked. "We have a breach in the treaty. I need to have a meeting with the rouge Alpha", Avalyn answered. "It's worse than that though. Hunter's knives have been discovered at the scenes", Avalyn uttered.
Hitch was silent for a few moments. "We will discuss this more at the pack", he said, hanging the phone up. "The autopsy report came in", Finnick said from the backseat. "Who cares? I want to know what is going on", Trey interrupted him.
"What's the matter, Finn?", Avalyn asked. "It seems as if he actually tried to reattach the head this time", he answered her. "What does that matter? Why are you ignoring the importance of the situation here? Our teammate is lying to us and expecting us to follow her blindly", Trey snapped.
"Would you shut up? Listen to yourself. You sound like a wounded hippo. Hitch will tell you whatever the fuck you want to know when we get there. Until then, shut up", Avalyn finally snapped.
"With his level of remorse escalating, it seems like he is snapping in and out of it. He is slowly losing his grip on reality", Avalyn bounced off of Finnick. "Wait, you think that he is slowly going rouge?" Alexander clarified. "That's what it seems like", she nodded.
"Something like that hasn't happened in centuries", Alexander said skeptically. "Neither has the appearance of a hunter's knife", Avalyn added, looking over at him briefly, to study his reaction. He nodded in agreement. "That is true", he said.
"What is a hunter's knife?", Finnick asked curiously. He really enjoyed history and artifacts, so if it was centuries old, he wanted to know all about it. "In 1428 during the Valais witch trials in France and Switzerland. A group of men self-proclaimed as self-made witch hunters captured themselves a very powerful witch", Avalyn began.
Finnick scooted himself closer, leaning between the two front seats so he could better hear her. "They forced the witch to forge 7 very powerful knives, in each knife is a stone, that signifies how they will die. What they didn't know, is for every weapon formed against the supernatural, another is formed to protect it", Avalyn grinned, looking over at Finn and Alexander.
Alexander has heard this story before, a long time ago. "Well, tell me. What artifacts were made?", Finnick asked, excitedly. "That's the thing. No one knows. Nobody has been able to discover them", Alexander added in, looking over at Avalyn.
A sly smirk graced his lips, when he saw her look of surprise. "Father, use to tell me the stories", he answered her unasked question. "So, it's a mystery and a scavenger's hunt", Finnick said with a wide grin. Alexander smiled at his young curiosity.
"So, I have a question for the both of you", Alexander said, looking between Avalyn and Finnick. "What's that?", Finnick responded, finally loosening up. "Why does grouchy back there carry a gun, but you two do not?", he asked, looking mainly at Avalyn.
She doesn't have her wolf or her powers at the moment. So, why wouldn't they permit her to use a weapon? "I am too young. I am only nineteen. You have to be 21 to carry a handgun", Finnick answered.
"And, what about you?", Alexander questioned Avalyn. "I am only permitted to carry guns when I have special clearance", she answered, avoiding eye contact. "Why is that?", he inquired. "Because, she is bat-shit crazy and can fly off the handle at any time. That's why I don't understand why she is second on this team", Trey answered for her.
Alexander watched Avalyn's reaction to Trey's statement. She shrugged her shoulders and nodded agreeingly. "That pretty much sums it up", Avalyn said, not at all phased that Trey would take any opportunity to make a jab at her.
Alexander shook his head and chuckled. "You don't have to stop at the gate. They know we are coming", Alexander said, resting his elbow on the center console. Avalyn nodded, as she looked around.
Everything had grown so much more since the last time she had traveled this road. Finnick noticed dark figures running in the tree line next to the SUV. "Avalyn what is going on?", he asked, looking at her nervously.
"Those are my people. You are safe", Alexander answered for her. Memories of the first time Avalyn came here, started to resurface. She knew she had finally found her calling all those years ago. It felt right orchestrating a treaty that would bring all of the species together.
Though, six years later, here she is, trying to repair the damages done to all of her hard work. "You good?", Alexander asked, noticing the change in Avalyn's aura. She looked over at him and smiled gently. "Yeah, it has just been a minute since I have seen this place. It's grown a lot", Avalyn answered softly.
Alexander was captivated by Avalyn. He wanted to know everything he could about her. He wanted her to know that they were mates. But she only recently discovered that she has a wolf. He doesn't want to push her too far.
Avalyn subconsciously reached her hand to her necklace and gripped it. She stroked the pendant as her mind raced. The pack gate came into vision. A large rot-iron fence, slowly creaked open as they approached it. Avalyn didn't stop as she crossed onto pack lands.
"I already let the gate know that the other half of your team is on the way", Alexander informed Avalyn. "Thank you", she nodded, looking around the now booming town. They had their own cinema, restaurants, gas stations, grocery store, city hall, and water tower.
"Wow. This place has really developed in the last six years", Avalyn commented. Alexander chuckled, "It's actually been within the last three years", he said, looking around and admiring his handy work. "Since you have been King?", Avalyn confirmed.
Alexander nodded and smiled, "Correct. I also own a general contractor business. When father handed the throne over, I decided it was time that we modernize our own world here", he began to explain. "Contact with the human world is scarce, per the treaty", he said, looking over at her with tender eyes.
"I think what you did, teaching each pack to be self-sufficient, and to trade is noble. We needed that, we were entering a time of famine when you showed up", Alexander explained. "I remember that", she whispered. "Some packs still have issues growing enough, or trading enough to keep their packs afloat during the winter. So, I did that", he said, pointing at the ginormous grocery story that covered at least three football fields.
"Any extra product each pack may have, I buy from them at a generous price and store it there. Come winter, when other packs are suffering, the Alphas can send a designated person with a voucher slip and they will be given what they need. You can also regularly shop there. So, if they have money and want to stock up, they can", he explained.
"It just sounds like regular stores and food stamps to me", Trey popped off. Alexander clinched his jaw as he tried to control his own beasts. "Except for the fact that, the United States government doesn't give a damn if you eat or starve. You should know that, working in the line of work we do. What you are witnessing for the first time in your insignificant life, is a true leader who loves and protects his people. I understand, you have never seen anything as such before, so your behavior is excusable this time. However, it won't be the next time, so keep your uneducated mouth shut", Avalyn told Trey, trying her absolute best not to yell, or pull the vehicle over to smack the piss out of him.
Alexander smirked, feeling pride build in his chest. Knowing that his mate is proud of what he has done to extend her treaty further for the greater good of their people, has his beasts dancing in his head like children.
"Why are you such a bitch?", Trey hissed. Alexander growled, now ready to rip this little shit's head from his body. "I was born this way. Can't help it. Either, suck it up, buttercup, or quit. Those are your only options", Avalyn said, with a shrug.
Alexander laughed out loud, unable to control himself. "Do you think this is funny, Mr. Black?", Trey asked in anger. "Ah, shit. I think it is fucking hilarious. You talk so big for such a weak human. You disrespect anyone for any reason, burning bridges that you may need in the future. Like the protection of your life. If you run your mouth like this here, and someone rips your tongue out, I may not be able to help you. Hell, I may NOT want to. Especially, with how you speak to your teammates", Alexander growled. His chest rumbled for his entire speech, making the entire SUV vibrate.
The power that Trey could physically feel, told him it was time to be quiet. "You can pull right up to the door, follow the half circle", Alexander explained tenderly to Avalyn. It was like two whole different personalities. Honestly, for Alexander, it was just that, he had a personality for his mate, and then the one for everyone else.