Red:The Alpha's Queen

Chapter Ten. 1

Part 1.

~Jared~

Finally.

I was glad I was out of that old Gothic Council headquarters. Even though my shoulders still rang with painful exhaustion, I was relieved this weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I couldn't wait to go home.

I know it was a good thing to follow protocol, but those old hags were too preoccupied with keeping up with old customs and keeping things traditional. Even knowing this, it was the whole process that had been too tiresome, and this had already been a long week.

I had barely had any time to recover, before I was whisked off to give detailed reports. I hadn't realized the whole process would take a week and then some. I was relieved that I was finally done with all these meetings and reports about all the past ongoing events. It was time to go home and return to pack duties.

Speaking of which, it seemed they were other things to attend to and it had me thinking about the pack. With how busy I was, I had been so disoriented I had not thought about anything but finishing all this once and for all. Now that this had settled down a bit, I was preoccupied with thoughts about her.

By the time I left for the Council headquarters, she was still unconscious. I wondered if she was awake by now, and what was she currently up to. Was she curious where I was or was she causing absolute havoc? Or perhaps she was wandering the property, touring the place. I didn't know.

I hadn't received any messages exactly, but since nothing had been reported, I assumed everything was peaceful. I guess I could only confirm when I arrived at the pack house.

"Gosh, I'm so exhausted. I could really use a hot bath and some potatoes glazed in butter, with a ton of steaks mounting my plate." Ray moaned, throwing himself in the car next to me.

You and me both.

The car ride was short and quick, having used a portal to get to the pack grounds much quicker than normal. I wondered about pack affairs, but once again my mind reverted back to Ruby. I couldn't help but wonder how she was fairing in my absence.

However, the moment we set foot on pack grounds, it was all chaos and panic. Everyone spoke at the same time and with how weary I was, I couldn't keep up with their voices. I didn't even know whom to ask or talk to exactly before another person was talking over them and begging for my attention.

My frustration was setting in, and I could feel my anger slowly begin to simmer. I had to get everything in order as soon as possible.

"Silence ". I yelled, letting my wolf out. The hall went quiet, and I could finally hear my thoughts once again. I surveyed the room, finally finding who I was searching for. Aiden, a young werewolf I had left all responsibility to.Though inexperienced, he was capable and had a lot of potential. I had taken up my betas advice and decided to sharpen his skills much earlier than I had initially planned.

"Aiden, please report to my office right now. The rest of you, return to your respectful positions and duties."

After a collective affirmative response, Aiden, Raymond and I made way to my office. As soon all three of us were seated, I got to asking questions. "What is going on here?"

"Wellllll. I- It's about Luna."

"What about her?" Speaking of which, now that I thought about it, I hadn't noticed or even heard about her yet. I had fully expected her to barge in my office anytime from now. How suspicious.

" She's..uhmm..not here. At the pack house, I mean." Aiden mumbled, dragging out his words. While his voice didn't shake, his hesitancy to reply only made my suspicions rise.

"What do you mean she's not here?" I demanded. "Tell me everything and don't leave any detail behind."

30 minutes later, I fell back in my chair, a newly formed headache pounding my head. Holy Creator! What was I going to do with her?

I hadn't even gotten the chance to settle down and everything was already amiss. The fact she had caused all this mess less than 24 hours was crazy. I didn't know if I wanted to laugh or lash out. Well, atleast she had tried to actively reach me before attempting to leave.

Leaving my guards temporarily paralyzed however, was taking it too far. That darn woman.

I sat up once again. "Any news about her so far?"

"Uhm..yes. We managed to find her location and whereabouts. I have Lex and Levi tailing her, but I ordered them not to do anything until you returned. That is unless she was in danger."

I nodded in approval. Atleast one good thing had come out from this. "Let Lexi and Levi know that they should keep their eyes on her and not let her out of their sight. Raymond and I will go after her ourselves."

I could see Raymond's protest coming but I shushed him. "We will rest for three hours before setting out. Make sure everything is ready and set by then."

"Yes, Alpha."

****

"Are you sure she's right here?"

"Yes." Levi and Lexi both nodded. That's all I needed before dismissing them. Raymond and I would take care of the rest.

Tangled vines and moss draped cyptess trees loomed above us, with sounds of croaking frogs and buzzing insects filling the air. This was definitely a magic bog, and the place was infamously known for attracting a lot of vermin to it.

'I hardly believe this where she is."

"Neither do I, but here we are."

The small woman was so full of surprises. Just when I thought I had her figured out, she pulled me under the rug instead. Without wasting any more time, we beelined for the cottage-like building that was slightly hidden behind the moss drapped trees and ghostly plant vines. After paying with a few gold coins to an ogre that stood guard at the door, our entrance was granted.

The inn was noisy and rowdy, and it was most definitely somewhere I had not expected her to be. The place was filled with vampires, nymphs, valkyrie, giants and so on. With such a large number of species gathered here, I was guessing this was particularly a fan favorite. From what I could tell, these were neutral grounds too. Any wrangles or bad energy was strictly forbidden here.

I sharpened my senses, adjusting my irises to the dimness of the room. At the moment, Ruby was on the dance flow, swaying her hips to the slow beat of the music. She smiled, then laughed as the nymph, who I presumed was her friend whispered something in her ear.

They must be close, since they had been joined at the hip since Raymond and I got here.

I took in what she's wearing, a long plain maxi skirt that's as brown as the earth, matched with a strapless white corset top that has been embroidered with pink, yellow and white roses. She moved, revealing the long slit that stopped at the top of her knee, revealing green strapped wedge heels.

I was surprised, having never expected to see her dressed so... feminine or should I say womanly? I had no words to describe it but she looked so different but yet ethereal and very breathtaking. The look was a far cry from all the warrior gear she had on, leather pants, boots and metallic vests over her black shirts.

In that moment, watching her move so majestically, I realized I was wrong to assume and draw conclusions about her, especially when I knew so little about her.

The women danced for an extra hour or so, and I relaxed in my seat and watched patiently, letting her enjoy herself as much as she wanted before I could evade her space.

The music soon turned to a slow tempo, and the women returned to their seats at the bar. I only waited to 10 minutes, before I unmasked my presence and let Raymond's and I's presence known.

I watched as her eyes widened with each step we took, closing the distance between us. Her eyes held a hint of fear, but something else was in them too. A streak of defiance, as if she was searching for a fight. Too bad for her.

There wasn't one. I wasn't going to add more fuel to the fire by causing a scene.

On my way here, I had rationalized her reasons behind leaving the pack, and had concluded I had made a mistake on my part. She had probably felt like a prisoner and Ii was sure having her freedom taken away wasn't something Ruby liked.

With merely a few feet separating us now, I watched as she nervously swallowed, her throat muscles moving up and down. A slight furrow marred her brow , as if she was debating letting her guard down or not. She probably didn't know yet, but her expressions always gave her away.

A mischievous plan formed in my head, and I smirked, something that caught her attention and made her draw back further into her chair. I grinned, greatly amused at her discomfort.

I could feel Ryan's gaze burning a hole on my profile, but I ignored him. He was a smart guy, so I fully expected him to catch on.

The redhead was the first to rise from her seat. Her eyes were glued on me, something I didn't like at all. "Gentlemen, care to join us for a drink?"

"Absolutely, gorgeous. This must be a sign we were meant to meet tonight, because I was about to ask you the same thing."

"I see you know how to use your words." She giggled, before reverting her gaze to me once again. "And who are you, handsome?"

That question was aimed at me, and I didn't like one bit of anywhere this was going. Before I could answer, Raymond beat me to it.

"Never mind this boring old man. All you have to do is keep your eyes on me tonight, and I promise I'll bring your every fantasy to life." Something must have convinced her that he meant every word he said, because she was offering her arm to him.

"The name's Ciara. And this here," She pointed at the woman who probably wanted nothing to do with our presence. " is my bestfriend, Ruby." She finished her introductions, twirling her hair with her middle and index fingers and batting her lashes at him. Raymond, being the super flirt he was, kissed her fingers. "A pleasure it is meeting two gorgeous women. Though I find you much more lovely. A lovely name for a gorgeous woman like you. I'm Raymond, but you're free to call me whatever you want. I make specific exceptions."

He winked at her and she laughed , before he found his way beside her and the two continued there outrageous flirtations. And just like that, I had been forgotten. This was why Raymond was my best wingman. He knew what to do when I was stuck up. Especially when it came to women.

I didn't waste my time as I found myself a seat next to Ruby. Unlike her friend, she was frowning with disapproval. I almost laughed at the sight. She must have caught on my inner dialogue because next thing I knew, her glare was leveled at me.

"What are you doing here?" She bit through her teeth, speaking lowly for only my ears to hear. The little action only amused me, and only made me want to tease her more. "Why not be here? We afterall came to have fun like we always do."

"Hmmph" She turned away folding her arms across her chest. "F**king liar." I heard her mumble under her breath, and this time I couldn't help but let out a small chuckle.

This was definitely going to be a fun night.