“There is something else.” Mark had said to him. Keith walked over the desk and took a seat, put the phone on speaker and set it down on the desk, crossed his legs and interlocked his fingers, setting them to rest on his knee.
“I’m listening.”
“Cheryl Declan Xiu was attacked last night.” Mark dropped the news.
“Attacked?” Keith sounded alarmed and because he was, the word ‘attacked’ sounded more than what he had allowed the boys to do. “Was she badly hurt?”
“Terribly hurt, Keith.”
“What the…” he sighed and brought his legs down to rest on the floor, then planted his elbows on the desk. “I told you not to…! subtle was what I said Mark, subtle!”
“It wasn’t us Alpha.”
He paused and his expression calmed somewhat. “What do you mean? Someone else attacked her? Another group?”
“Yes, someone else got to her before we could.”
“Are you being serious?” Keith calmed down now.
“The rouges and outcasts, we ran into some of them lurking around the area and they had boasted and bragged about what Hunter had been able to do that you…” Mark paused, allowing his words remain in his head, but Keith already knew what he had wanted to say.
What Hunter had done in one night that he had been able to do in years.
Keith let out a breath, all this was tiring for him already. “Where are you now?”
“Staking out their hideout, Sebastian was able to trace them down to this place. They are close to the Quarry.”
Keith nodded his head. This was somewhat good news, they could be traced and tracked down, it was very good news. “Are you alone there?”
“No.” he replied. “I am here with Sebastian and Shelby.”
“Shelby?” Keith was surprised that the young lass would be included in this operation. “The young one from before?”
“Yes, Alpha.”
“Okay, hold your ground.” Keith said and stood up sharply from his chair, grabbed his phone from where it had been on the desk and car keys and walked briskly for the door, he brought the phone closer to his mouth and said. “I’m coming there now, I need to be a part of this operation so I can give them an answer once and for all,”
And with that, he ended the call.
* * * * * *
“Well, well, well.” Keith spoke as he entered the building, announcing his arrival and causing the other group of rouges to get defensive. He smiled as he continued to stroll in. “What the fuck do we have here?”
He had met with Mark and the others where Mark had said they would be. The building was close to the Quarry, old and abandoned for years now but the structure still stood. Mark had said this had been their home, or one of their many homes situated in several parts of the city. This piece of information had angered Keith and he wanted them cleared out.
“They outnumber us at least five to one, Alpha.” Mark had expressed his concern but Keith had been unfazed, he had come here for a blood bath and he was certainly going to get a blood bath.
“Keith Preston!” Hunter called out in a merry voice, but everyone knew he was far from being merry. “What a surprising visit, I for one never expected to have the high and mighty Alpha of the twelve order to grace our dump of a place with his majestic presence.”
Hunter stood facing Keith as he and his very few group walked in. Hunter knew them well, Mark Lyslow, Shelby King and Sebastian Andre, he almost chuckled at their number, compared to the number he had with him in this building presently, Keith's turn up was a joke. But then Keith alone could handle the boys he had with him so maybe…
“Ah,” Keith chuckled. “One thing you finally got correct Hunter. Dump. Good to know that you are aware of what level you are on in this.”
Hunter gritted his teeth and fisted his palms over the wooden cane he held in front of him, he was angry and felt insulted by what Keith had said but he still managed to maintain the fake smile plastered across his face. He sighed, letting out a long breath through his nose.
Keith side smiled and cocked his head to the side as his attention moved from Hunter to the man emerging from behind him. “Is that Maxwell I see? Finally decided to show your true colors now?”
Max hissed as his fangs dropped. “You caused this Keith!”
“Don’t well me you’re still sulking from the beating I gave you.” Keith said and straightened up. “You know it is my duty to punish and correct those who have gone astray.”
”Gone astray?!” Max took a couple of intimidating steps forward. “I just asked for that whore of a secretary you have for a night!”
“Watch what you say, Maxwell.” Keith cautioned, his voice dropping dangerously down and octave. “I can still discipline you even here.”
“Well then fuck you Keith!” Max said with a chuckle. “I let you have my sister but you still clamp your hands around another woman! A mere human woman!”
“I see it is bothering you that your sister is still mine.” Keith looked down at his fingers and chuckled. “Or that you still consider her to be mine.”
Maxwell’s voice dropped and he seemed to calm down briefly. “And what do you mean by that? Consider her to be yours?”
Keith sighed and looked up, fixing his eyes which had already changed from its regular brown to a golden yellow on Maxwell.
“Nobody dares to lay a finger on what is mine, Maxwell.” His voice carried the amount of seriousness and threat he meant. “You only did think of it but Laura actually did do it, causing harm directly to her!”
“To her…” Maxwell thought of whom Keith was referring to and when it clicked, he got angry. “Are you still referring to that secretary Keith?!”
“You can have your sister back, Maxwell…” he said, allowing his voice to trail off.
Maxwell fumed. “Have her back! After you have used… are you choosing that human over-”
“I, Keith Preston,” Keith began, cutting off Maxwell as he was about to rant. “…alpha of the twelve order, reject Laura Jones as my Luna.”