C3 CHAPTER TWO

Vincent pov

I can't sleep. I can't close my eyes without seeing my people die before my eyes, for I can do nothing about it. I may be an Alpha, but the disease I am fighting now is about as insurmountable as one can imagine. Over the last month, I have slept twenty hours at best. I have turned my office into a living space - I have everything I need, and the Omegas bring me any food or liquor I ask for.

It's early morning, and whoever is the moron knocking at the door deserves to rot in Hell. I grunt and get up from my seat to unlock the door. It's not surprising to see my Beta at the door, grinning like a kid on Christmas morning.

"Good morning, Alpha, pal, bro, Vince, I don't care how you want to be addressed. I have huge news, and when I say huge, I mean fucking huge!" Aros laughs and invites himself into my office. I roll my eyes at his behaviour and close the door behind him. If anyone would talk about the term "brother from another mother" they would probably mention us. We didn't grow up together, in fact, the opposite- as kids, we hated each other, but after I had to accept the title, I chose him as my Beta. My parents used to say that it's better to keep an enemy closer than a friend, so I did just that. Despite his annoying nature, I don't regret my decision for a moment - Aros is the one person I can trust completely, the one person who stands by my decisions and never questions me. Sure, the little shit challenges me from time to time, but that's just part of being close friends.

"I am listening." I lean against the wall, just in case he decides to leave anytime soon. Aros has a habit of leaving doors open, and it irritates me to a degree I didn't know existed before.

"The Hunter Alliance," he whispers, and my body immediately tenses. I reach for the key and lock the door before sitting down. There are a lot of things that need to stay confidential, and this is one of them. If the information got out, I would know who leaked it, but that would be a painful blow. Up until now, Aros has been nothing but the best of friends and a confidant; I don't want that to change.

My eyes follow his movements as Aros walks around the office, checking every little thing. The guy's a little paranoid. We have a few secrets, and to ensure that no third party finds them out, he always searches my office before discussing anything. Since I haven't slept much and spent my time locked up here, there shouldn't be a bug planted anywhere. Still, I am grateful for everything he does, for the effort and work he puts into everything he starts.

As Aros sits in his seat across from my office desk, I chuckle. "Finally done?"

"Dude, this is not funny. Seriously, the things I found out are unreal; I am careful- no other person can hear what I have to say." And there it is, the smirk I like to call "Aros knows everything."

"Alright," I put my hands on the desk and lean a little closer to him. "I'm all ears; what did you get for me?"

Aros looks to either side of me, scans the room one last time and copies my movements. "This could be our downfall, just as it could be the long-awaited victory. Vince, this is a big deal, so you better listen. The Hunter Alliance is going to hold another ceremony tonight," he whispers.

I expected more; whatever he thinks is huge about this is ridiculous. We get news about the Alliance and their new recruits from time to time, and not once has that information helped us in any way. If he told me more about their plans, I might feel interested. All I can do now is fall back in my chair and grunt in annoyance. All this crap for a few words about unimportant ceremonies. I have a feeling Aros has a goal in mind to prove to me that I made the wrong decision in choosing him as my second-in-command.

My Beta starts laughing as he places a hand over his ribs. "Sorry, man, I had to do that; I couldn't pass up the opportunity. It was so easy. But seriously, there's more to it than the ceremony. I mentioned it both as a joke to piss you off and as bait because what they are planning after the ceremony is something we should look into." At least half of his words are spoken through laughter, so I fail to understand him. However, I do catch Aros mentioning some plans the Alliance has after their ceremony, so I stare at him and wait for him to be ready to explain himself. Fortunately, he notices the look on my face and pulls himself back together. "I have some strings to pull, and a little birdie told me it's not another ceremony they have held in the past. This year they involve children. Pretty damn low move, if you ask me. They call us animals, but we don't force our kids to fight our battles. Anyway, they are going to mark the Red tonight. The idiots are actually giving us the identity of that pig. So if we ever catch that bastard, we will know who he is. Dude, that's great; if we kill him, we shake up the whole Alliance, they won't have their secret weapon anymore, and they are as good as dead. The neighbouring packs are ready to join us if we decide to fight the Alliance. Not only could we outnumber them and take down that bastard Red, but we could win. We can live in peace without Hunters bothering us. Tell me why this is not big news, and I'll tell you more to convince you of all the shit I managed to dig up."

I want to jump up from my seat and laugh as hysterically as my friend did a minute ago. Suppressing such feelings and joy is quite difficult, but I manage to force my emotions down. I grin like I am standing on top of the world. Finally, there is the long-awaited ray of hope. As Aros watches me, I think of all he could tell me- what better thing could there be? We will be able to track down that bastard Red; it's the achievement of the century, literally thrown to us like a bone in times of hunger. Still, I want to know more. I rise from my seat and walk around the desk to sit on it, right in front of Aros. He's pretty paranoid; if we sit closer, he might tell me more. Besides, it's the easiest way to keep him from leaving my office, like he always does when he's bugging me with the news. I don't have another five hours to wait for him to be ready for another conversation. I need answers, and I need them fast. "The information you shared with me would be enough, but I can't fight curiosity. What else is there? I doubt there is anything nearly as good as this." As I talk, I stare at my fingers as if the tiny specks of dirt under my nails are more interesting than my Beta or anything he tells me. Another way to piss him off and get the information faster- Aros ego is bigger than the globe; this man doesn't tolerate disrespect, even if it comes from an Alpha.

"Do you remember what day it is?" Aros raises an eyebrow.

To be honest, I doubt I know what year it is now, let alone a day. "Sunday?" I guess.

"And?"

His questions irritate me. I need information, not a guess and pretend game. "And, what? Don't play another trick on me; I don't have time for that kind of nonsense. I have a pack to lead and protect, remember?" I growl out in anger.

"Think, Vince, think."

"Nothing comes to mind."

"The moon rituals, you moron."

"They are happening tonight? Are you serious? Fuck!" I can't believe I forgot the moon rituals. Just a few months ago, I couldn't stop talking about this event. This year, I might find my mate.

"Yeah, but don't you see what I am getting at?"

I think about the things Aros mentioned, but I can't think of anything he wanted to tell me. Maybe it's my exhausted state or just the shock moment about the most important thing I managed to forget. No wonder he called me a moron. "No, I don't. I don't sleep, I don't have time to enjoy proper meals, and most of the time, I have zero energy. I forgot about the damn moon rituals. You really think I'd take you up on your words, huh?"

"I told you that shit about Hunter Alliance, mentioned their ritual and the moon rituals. You could fucking think, for Moon Goddess sake!" He gives up and rises from his seat. I can see the hint of anger in his eyes, but it doesn't bother me. Aros is the true definition of a drama queen anyway. "The Alliance knows about our ritual. We could witness a bloodbath tonight. They will attack, and that bastard Red will lead their forces. One of our neighbouring Alphas received a letter from that fucker; Red has promised them a great massacre. It's too late to call off the ritual; far too many wolves are on their way into our territory. They have waited a whole year to come and find their mate."

"In that case, I see no choice but to prepare ourselves and wait for the moment they attack. The Alliance may think we are not expecting the attack, but we will be ready. We will wait for them."