A Leader Must Rise

Chapter 12: An Entertaining Dinner

The second the bedroom door was closed, Aria turned to her brother with a stern expression.

‘Now, we know why he didn’t want to go through the warrior channels,’ Andrew said.

‘He’s not the alpha,’ she stated. ‘Something is so terribly wrong. Jack reported Chase taking over, the entirety of the warriors felt it, and the elders confirmed the time and date. How is he not alpha?’

‘I don’t know, and Jack oblivious lied about it.’

‘But we felt it happen.’

‘Jack must have timed it with another alpha handing his title down; it’s the only way he could have swung it.’

‘But how would he know something like that? Every alpha must confirm a time and date two months before the hand down. No one knows that list accept the commander, the council and the elders…’ Aria paused in her rant, realising what she just said. She turned to Andrew with an expression of disbelief. ‘What the hell have we stumbled across?’

Andrew was as white as a sheet when he said, ‘The largest case any warrior—past, present or future—will ever handle in their lifetime.’ Aria ran a hand through her hair, horrified and repulsed at the same time.

‘We need to inform the warriors,’ Andrew said.

‘No,’ Aria said. ‘If there is a collaborator amongst the high levels, we need to keep a lid on this until we either have more information or we know who he and or she is before doing that.’

‘And keep this under wrap? Between us? Aria, we’re meant to be on vacation, not on any sort of assignment. Especially training packs. You’re dreaming if you think we’ll be able to keep this silent.’

‘Do you have any other suggestions?’

‘Yeah, let’s call the team here. Ashton will keep our electronic footprints off the net and Jon is still in Washington, he can keep on eye higher-ups there. The others can help us figure this out faster than we can by ourselves.’

‘No, for two reasons. The two of us can easily go unnoticed, but the second you call the team here, we’ll be drawing the warriors unwanted gaze. And Jon is a doctor, a brilliant one, but not a spy. His relationship with his wolf is far too unstable for that line of work.’

‘Okay, those are excellent points, but we can’t do this ourselves, Aria,’ Andrew said.

‘You’re scared and—’

‘I’m not scared; I’m f*****g terrified! This is way beyond our paygrade. Hell, teams with fifty years of experience wouldn’t touch this investigation even if their life depended on it. There’s no way we can handle this. We only graduated in December; we’re halfway through our vacation.’

‘I know that, Andrew,’ Aria yelled, her breathing harsh and fast as she found herself nearly chest to chest with him. ‘I know you’re scared; I’m scared, but we can handle this if we play our cards right. All I ask is for you trust me.’

‘I trust you, of course, I do,’ he replied as he took hold of her shoulders, ‘but this…this is beyond anything we’ve handled before.’

‘I know, but we can do this. At least for now.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘I didn’t say no to calling to the team indefinitely, just for now. You are right; we will need their help eventually. What I want to do first is observe and learn. Something is clearly going on here, something we need to know first. Once we know that, we’ll call them.’

‘Promise?’

‘I promise, but we should keep our warrior status between our friends and us for now,’ Aria said. Andrew sighed relieved, nodding in agreement to the second portion of her sentence.

‘After we observe, what then?’

‘Rose said to make them earn their right to be by my side, so we make them earn our trust as we should earn theirs,’ Aria replied.

‘You’re serious about this?’

‘Rose offered, and I declined a second-chance mate. I believed her when she said there were reasonable explanations for what they did; I can’t find out those answers by demanding them.’

‘You could, you know.’

‘Do you think they’ll answer honestly on the first try?’

‘…probably not, no.’

‘Exactly.’

‘I cannot believe this went unnoticed for two years,’ Andrew said. He turned to place his bag on the bed, muttering to himself as he unpacked. Aria grunted in agreement, still unnerved by the revelation. She knew she wasn’t wrong about what she and the other warriors felt; the transfer of power was something that couldn’t be faked by magic. The sensation was too unique to replicate; a magician won’t tell what it feels like unless they experience it themselves. Even if they are somehow familiar with it, they wouldn’t be able to place it into words.

‘I can’t believe it either, but considering only someone on the inside could help Jack pull this off, it’s not surprising,’ Aria replied. She hauled her suitcase onto the bed and started unpacking herself. She hesitated in grabbing the first item, bracing herself instead with another sigh.

‘You alright?’ Andrew asked.

‘It feels weird to be back.’

‘Feels weird for me too. Especially under false names.’

‘How about a little wager?’ she asked after a devilish idea came to her. Andrew raised an eyebrow, interested.

‘What sort of wager?’

‘We take bets on how long it will take for Chase and Justin to figure out it’s us.’

Andrew frowned, lifting his right hand to show his magic ring when he said, ‘This ring will stop them from recognising us, even if they see our true features.’

‘Ah hah, you forget. The mating bond is a force of nature in itself; it’ll help Chase figure it out sooner or later,’ Aria said. Andrew frowned, unconvinced and she added, ‘Remember, I loved Chase since we were eight; long before either of us knew we were mates.’

‘But we were kids then, A. Surely that would be too young to feel the bond.’

‘One would think so, but I know what I felt when I found him that day and every day since then. The bond will tell him it is me eventually.’

Andrew sighed, thinking it over before he said, ‘What’s your bet?’

‘Three days.’

‘One week. We’ll see what you say about the bond is true.’

‘Deal.’ Aria shook his hand to settle the bet. They returned to unpacking, Andrew finished first when someone knocked on the door. Both turned towards it when Justin announced dinner was ready. Aria looked at Andrew, and at his nod, both greeted him. Aria smiled as Justin gestured down the hall.

‘Are the others downstairs already?’ Andrew asked, and Justin nodded.

‘Yes, they wandered down a few minutes ago.’

‘Will we be dining with the rest of the pack?’ Aria asked when she noticed Justin was leading them to the alpha’s private suite.

‘Not tonight, no. You’ll be dining with Chase and me instead.’

‘Will the girlfriend be present?’ Andrew asked, refusing to say her name. Aria schooled her expression when a snarl briefly pulled at Justin's lips at the mention of her, though.

‘Unfortunately,’ Justin muttered.

‘Trouble in paradise?’ Andrew said.

‘Something like that,’ Justin said before changing the subject. ‘I hope you like Jalapeño Popper Chicken?’ Aria didn’t have to fake her response; she freely moaned as the flavours’ memory awakened her taste buds.

‘As you can see, it’s one of my sister’s favourites,’ Andrew said. Justin laughed as he shook his head. He opened the door and gestured for Aria to enter first. Aria hid her surprise and nodded in gratitude.

‘Hey, Ar—Evelyn,’ Ian shouted, holding up a glass of wine. Aria glared at his near mishap but took the wine with a smile.

‘Careful, Ian, you’ll spoil my fun,’ she whispered.

‘This is fun for you?’ he asked.

‘Well, Andrew and I have a little wager on how long it’ll take for them to figure out it’s us. I betted three days; he thinks a week. He doesn’t believe the mating bond will help Chase in realising who we are.’

‘Ooh, sounds like a fun little wager indeed,’ Ian said. Aria took a sip of her wine, l*****g her lips at the fruity and honeyed taste of the pinot grigio.

‘I see you approve of the wine,’ Chase said as he walked over.

‘Evelyn is a bit of a connoisseur, particularly with wines,’ Andrew said.

‘Amateur division, though. I hardly consider myself an expert,’ Aria added.

‘I’ve love to hear what you think?’ Chase asked, hopeful. Aria hummed as she took another sip, holding the liquid on her tongue before swallowing.

‘You can taste the fruits that it’s made with, particularly the grapes. They’ve got a honey taste to them, but it’s not sweet and less dry like the chardonnay is known for, more of a crispy texture,’ Aria paused as she sniffed inside the wine glass. ‘It has some floral aromas…honeysuckle, I believe, with…a saline-like minerality.’

‘Wow,’ Chase whispered, his voice husky again.

‘What’s minerality, again?’ Declan asked.

‘It’s loosely defined as a combination of characteristics: mouthfeel, taste, aroma and acidity levels by wine experts.’

‘Loosely defined?’ Justin asked.

‘If you were to ask several wine experts what minerality is, you’ll get a range of answers. Much like the ones I listed and likely more I don’t know about,’ Aria replied, and Kara scoffed.

‘So, you don’t know everything, huh?’ she said. Everyone faced her; Aria was frowning in feigned confusion while Andrew and their friends glared at her. Chase and Justin briefly looked horrified before they schooled their expressions.

‘I did say I’m an amateur, didn’t I?’ Aria asked.

‘Yes, you did say you were unprofessional,’ Kara said the word as if it was ‘sloppy’.

Aria raised a brow as she thought, If it’s a battle of wits you want, Kara, then so be it.

‘Miss Kara, you might be the alpha’s girlfriend, but you are certainly not his mate. If you somehow by any chance bare his mark, you’ll be lucky indeed, but until then, you will treat my members with the respect they deserve as Chase’s guest. He did call us after all,’ Declan said.

Aria held up her hand as Kara went to reply and said to Declan, ‘Thank you for defending me, Dee, but I can fight my own battles.’ Declan nodded and gestured to Kara, reclining to watch the show. Kara shuffled in her seat as Aria walked towards her, seemingly as threatening as she was clam.

‘Have I done something to offend you…oh, sorry I didn’t catch your name?’

‘Kara,’ she forced her name through gritted teeth, her hands clenching in her pleated skirt before she managed to calm down enough to add calmly, ‘and no, you haven’t done anything to me.’ Aria could hear the unsaid ‘yet’ in her mind

‘Then is it because you are merely Alpha Evans girlfriend?’ Aria said, placing a little emphasises on ‘merely’. Kara began to flush an angry red, taking a hasty sip of her wine.

‘No.’

‘Then is it because you are a non-rank? Far inferior your boyfriend would like in a girl?’ Aria insulted outright, and everyone froze as Kara started trembling. Chase and Justin stared horrified as Kara stood, adjusting her grip to toss the wine. Aria noticed the action as well, and with two quick steps, she intentionally bumped into her. The wine spilled onto Kara’s chest, soaking her blouse enough to stick to her skin. Everyone could see she wasn’t wearing a b*a.

‘Oh, dear. I am so sorry. Here, let me help you with that,’ Aria said, feigning concern as she grabbed several napkins from the table. She started dabbling the wine off Kara’s shirt, purposely knocking the glass out of her hand. Kara jumped when it shattered, shrieking and slapping Aria away.

‘How dare you!’ she yelled. ‘I am the Luna of this pack; you will treat me with respect.’

‘Really? I don’t see Chase’s mark on you anywhere, subordinate,’ Aria replied, deathly clam. ‘Until that happens, sweetheart, I will treat you however I goddess damn, please. Besides, respect is earned, not freely given. You have not earned that right, not since insulting me without provocation.’

‘Chasey,’ Kara whined, stomping her foot like a five-year-old, ‘are you going to let them treat me like this?’ Chase swallowed as Aria turned to face him, raising an eyebrow in question. He almost bowed his head under their stares and not just the two ladies. Everyone was staring at him, waiting for his reply.

‘Chasy,’ Kara yelled, her expression promising all sorts of horrid things.

‘Get changed, Kara,’ Justin said.

‘But—’

‘Now,’ Justin yelled. Kara glared at him as she left, pushing past Chase as she did. The man couldn’t hide his wince when she bumped into him. Aria glanced at Andrew with another raised brow, intrigued and a little worried.

‘Now that we got the w***e out of the room, let’s have dinner,’ Amy said, and Aria snorted.

Justin had to fight a smile as he addressed Evelyn, ‘As much as you have the right to defend yourself, Evelyn, she does have a point.’

‘Yes, you are guests here. I won’t have you disrespect my packmates,’ Chase hurried to add, hoping not to make himself look like a total clod. 

‘I hear and understand you both, but hear this, you asked my alpha for the best and second-best trainers—’

‘—And we’ll warn you now; we do not give respect freely as A—Evelyn told your s**t of a—’

‘—Amy, please,’ Aria said tersely.

‘Oh, alright.’

‘But yes, as I told Kara, we do not give respect freely. Not to subordinates, not even alpha’s,’ Aria paused as their jaws dropped. ‘Most hate us for it, others are grateful. Some don’t care; they only want the best results.’

‘And we always provide that,’ Andrew added. ‘Plus, no matter how they feel towards us, they learn humility and respect.’

‘Exactly, it is because of this method we have excelled in training local packs. If you do not wish for us to help you, we can offer a list of the best warriors near here and leave in the morning?’ Aria said. She watched satisfaction as their eyes widen, glancing at each other in alarm.

‘No, that’ll—that’ll be fine,’ Chase coughed. He dropped his gaze to the young omega when she entered, ushering her to clean the mess as quickly as possible. No one spoke again until she finished, leaving the room in awkward silence.

‘Food is getting cold,’ Max said. Aria turned to sit next to her brother, Andrew first tucking the chair behind her before sitting himself. Kara returned just as the servers placed down the last plate, taking her seat next Chase with a sour expression. The three Blood Moon members never said a word as the rest of the table chattered quietly with their neighbours. Aria kept an eye on Chase during dinner, taking note of every minor twitch when Kara so much as looked at him. She even noticed Justin acting more protective over Chase than he ever did before.

Declan saw her watchful eye and asked him, ‘Chase, why don’t we talk logistics?’

‘Yes, by all means,’ Chase coughed at the sudden question, but glad Kara’s gaze was no longer on him. Aria nodded grateful to Declan, and he nodded back, turning to face Chase properly with his next question.

‘When do you usually train your members?’

‘Two sessions Tuesday and Thursday, giving members who work odd hours a chance to train both in the morning and in the afternoon, and an extended session in the morning on Saturday’s,’ Chase replied automatically, his gaze on his plate.

‘That’s either a lie or he’s not telling us everything,’ Max said, and Andrew nudged his leg.

‘Later,’ he said.

‘Is the entire pack present for tomorrow’s sessions?’ Amy asked.

‘Almost everyone, we’ve increased patrols since the attack,’ Justin replied absentmindedly.

‘Good, we’ll evaluate those present tomorrow and figure out a regime, a routine and a schedule,’ Aria said. Her knife and fork clattered on the plate when she finished, causing Chase, Justin and Kara to flinch.

‘Evaluate?’ Chase asked nervously.

‘Yes,’ Andrew drawled. ‘Were we meant to know what level your pack is by a psychic?’

‘No,’ Chase said quickly.

‘Then we’ll evaluate you all in the morning. What time do you usually start?’ Aria said.

‘We usually start at nine,’ Justin replied.

‘Usually?’ Declan asked.

‘Saturday’s are more flexible.’

‘…You’ve got be f*****g kidding me,’ Amy groaned.

‘We’ll be here for years,’ Max added.

‘Tell your pack to be up and on the training field by 6am and no later,’ Aria said. All three gazed at her, shocked.

‘Absolutely not. The pack has a right to sleep in,’ Kara replied. She tilted her head up, raising her nose in that old fashion superior manner. 

‘That’s what Sunday’s are for,’ Ian said. Kara glared at him.

‘They will be up and ready by six or else we’ll drag them to the field ourselves,’ Aria said.

‘And trust us when we say, you do not want to experience that,’ Michael said.

‘The last man who defied Ar—Evelyn was immobile for a month,’ Ian added. Aria shot him another look, and he mouthed ‘sorry’.

She sighed as faced Chase again, standing as she said, ‘I suggest you tell the pack to rest in the next hour or so. I do not handle grumpy people well and believe me; they won’t be able to handle me either.’

‘But then again, they won’t be able to handle you in general,’ Andrew added.

‘Shh, they don’t need to know that.’

‘I’m not even speaking aloud.’

‘Just making sure, Airhead.’

‘I hate you sometimes.’

‘I’m your twin; you have to love me. It’s a requirement.’

‘Har, har,’ Andrew feigned a laugh as Chase shakily nodded, his eyes shifting from the table to Aria’s eyes and back again.

‘I’ll tell them,’ he replied.

‘Then I’ll be bidding you goodnight, everyone. I need to catch up on some sleep,’ Aria said. Andrew stood to follow because rings or no rings; he did not want to leave her alone for a second.

‘Another nightmare last night?’ Declan asked worriedly.

‘Unfortunately,’ Aria replied before excusing herself and Andrew from the room. Aria sighed and rubbed the headache between her eyes. ‘That was entertaining.’

‘I bet. You insulted Kara and bullied Chase and Justin into submission,’ Andrew whispered into her ear, and she smirked.

‘That was exhilarating for sure,’ she said as he opened the door for her. Aria changed straight away as Andrew finished unpacking her things, quickly changing himself. Aria cuddled into his chest when they settled under the covers, her eyes closing immediately.

‘Do you think you’ll have one tonight?’ Andrew softly asked.

‘If I do, Blood Moon better watch it. I won’t be taking prisoners,’ she mumbled, falling fast asleep at the last syllable. Andrew curled his arms tighter, bringing her as close as possible.

‘That’s what I’m afraid of,’ he muttered as drifted off as well.