Claimed By The Enemy Alpha

Bad Blood

"What was that about?" Yui asked, her eyes moving from the closed door back to me.

I shook my head, my gaze remaining fixed on the exact spot where Dario had just walked out. I let out a heavy sigh and rubbed my hand over my face. "It's nothing important," I said, my voice sounding flat even to my own ears.

I walked over to the leather couch in the corner of my office and sat down, the physical exhaustion from not eating was pulling at me and the throbbing in my head was constant now, making it difficult to keep my posture completely straight.

Yui stepped closer, her expression shifting from curiosity to concern. "Are you okay?"

"Hmm," I murmured, nodding once without looking up at her. I shifted on the cushion and focused on the task at hand. "What did you manage to find?"

Yui did not answer the question immediately. Her eyes narrowed as she studied my face, taking notes of the slight tenseness in my jaw and the paleness of my skin. But she didn't need to be concerned, I can take care of myself.

Instead of opening the tablet in her hands, she sat down on the chair directly across from me. "Are you really okay, Astrid?" she asked again, ignoring my previous question, her voice dropping into a quieter, more personal tone. She hesitated for a second, her fingers tapping against the edge of the screen. "How are you adjusting to your new life?"

I let out another long sigh, leaning my head back against the top of the couch. "Terrible," I said honestly. "And I don't need to adjust because I won't be there for long."

Yui nodded once, accepting my answer without pushing further into my personal business. Though I could tell she was clearly conflicted if she should press more into the matter.

She knew exactly what was at stake, and she understood that my presence in William's house was entirely a matter of survival. Yui stared blankly at me for a few seconds before she adjusted her grip on her tablet and tapped the screen to wake it up.

"I managed to get some background info," Yui said, her professional tone returning. "So Allaston Reed is William’s uncle," Yui said, scrolling through the lines of text on her screen.

"According to what I gathered from talking to a few people in their inner circle, there is significant bad blood between them regarding who was supposed to become the Alpha of the pack. When the transition of power occurred, Allaston was passed over. More digging into their recent corporate and legal filings shows that they do not like each other at all, but they tolerate one another for the sake of the organization's structure. That is basically it. Just like with William, I couldn’t find much on him except that."

I sat in silence for a moment, pondering on Yui's words. An uncle with a grudge over the leadership position was a flaw in William's setup. He could simply cut him loose and let him go, but maybe he couldn't. Maybe he needs something that only Allaston could provide him.

That is what I would go after.

"He can still be used against William," I said, looking across at her. "Did you find contact information on him?"

“Yes, but not his personal contact details, but I could reach his secretary desk.” Yui answered.

“Set up a meeting with him for today if possible.” I told her, going over everything in my head. The earlier this is over and done with, the less likelihood of William finding out.

Yui gave a firm nod, her fingers tapping her tablet. "I will contact his office immediately."

I let out a heavy sigh, shifting my gaze away from her to look out the large glass window. I needed to get blood soon, maybe I could go out tonight and find someone.

Several seconds passed in complete silence. When I turned my head back toward the room, I noticed Yui was still seated exactly where she was, staring at me with a heavy, unblinking expression.

"What?" I asked, my tone sharper than I intended.

Yui shook her head slowly, but she did not look away. "I just wanted…I'm worried I guess." She said, “You seem a bit off today.”

And we were back to this topic.

"It has only been a day," I said, cutting her off before she could get into a deeper discussion about my life in William’s home. I honestly had nothing to tell her other than I was fine. "And I hope we find something to use against him soon so I can leave."

Yui opened her mouth to speak again, her shoulders dropping as she clearly prepared to have a heart-felt conversation about my safety and my well-being.

But I wasn't in the mood for any of that. I shut it down immediately. I did not have the physical energy or the emotional capacity to handle sympathy right now. What I needed right now was blood and for this ache in both my head and fangs to stop.

"Just have Allaston in my office before the end of the day, Yui," I said, my voice cold and final.

Yui closed her mouth and it was silent between us for a long time. She looked at me, seeing the rigid set of my jaw, and realized I was not going to open up. Yui stood up from the chair, holding her tablet tightly against her side. "I will take care of it," she said quietly.

She turned and walked toward the entrance. I watched her go, the sound of her heels clicking softly against the floor until the heavy door clicked shut behind her.

The moment the room was empty, a wave of guilt hit me. Yui was only looking out for me, and I was taking my frustration and my intense hunger out on her because she was the closest target.

I released a deep breath, leaning my head completely back against the leather cushion, and closed my eyes.