THE LAST ALPHA FEMALE (sequel to Reign of the hybrid)

Chapter 2

The parking lot of royal hotel was filled to the brim with state vehicles. State security both outside and within the hotel and its surroundings was beefed up. When James and Jefferson arrived they thought maybe a world leader was visiting or they were meeting the prisedent. He had received a late night call from one of his superiors to attend a high profile meeting that was meant to change his career completely. It was a week of blessings for the sheriff. He felt honored. He was joyful. Besides a promotion news had reached his desk that two of the most notorious super natural creatures in skyview and the entire planet were no more. They had caused him and his people much pain. Both of them. His kind was the collateral damage in a war they knew nothing about.

At the entrance they were asked for identification. The dress code was a black suit, white shirt black tie and black shoes. It was a relief for James. The police uniform didn't make him feel safe anymore as it used to. They went through the biometric scan then they were frisked physically before they were allowed to get in. The hotel was exquisite. Comfortable C_suite chairs surrounding a long glass table with the large one at the far end. The walls were painted all white. There was a table in the front with a projector on top of it. At the head of the table was the secretary of the state, beside him was the national police spokesperson, the cabinet secretary for defence was on the opposite end, the regional police boss and the man who replaced his father Edwin as the county police boss. He knew them all. Powerful people one could rarely meet in one seating. Unless something was wrong. Very wrong. The two took the empty seats around the table. The secretary of state cleared his throat to capture everyone's attention.

"Thank you all for coming. The minutes of this meetings will be send to the president. I want it to be brief and straightforward. When we step out of this doors gentlemen... Our kind should never suffer at the bottom of the food Chain again and that's upon all of you seated around this table. You were invited here because you have to be here. Thank you", He said his arms forming a triangle with its base on the table.

From the short bit exclusive speech James and Jefferson had a clue what the meeting was about. The events of war between their superior species had affected many humans. People were now living in fear. It was hard to tell who was dangerous. Random deaths, kidnappings and people disappearing were all major cases in the four neighboring towns of skyview, Greenview, old fort and owl city. Most of them were found with mysterious bites around their necks, arms or with missing body organs. There was unrest among the citizens who wanted answers. The regional police boss took the podium.

"We all know there's a superior kind living amongst us", He said playing a sideshow of vampires and werewolves ", They depend on us for food. We have two options. One is to fight back which we all know it's almost impossible and the second one is to create peace between we and them. Reach an agreement that in case one of our kind is harmed in their wars either accidentally or out of their own willingness there shall be consequences"

Jefferson was the first to raise his hand up. Once a tutor always a tutor. The rest of them stared at him as he shyly adjusted his spectacles.

"Yes professor, a question?"

"Yes, first of all Thank you for inviting me, are you insinuating we should reach out to them and get to an agreement?"

"Exactly. You and James have done that before. You can help us reach out to them. Let them know they can live safely among us but they have to be civil about it if they can't this is not a threat_they have it coming"

The rest of the meeting was about the states intervention on the issue. A special task force was formed to lead in the negotiation and its leader was the former sheriff of skyview James brown. His second in command was professor Jefferson. They were assigned guards and state vehicles. James was to report to the secretary of state directly on any upcoming issues. Now he had a tough task ahead of him. Bringing the groups together. Lucky or maybe unlucky for him. It was the reign of the Alpha females almost all over. women were understanding.

*******

The pack was picking up from a series of setbacks that had hit them. Steves leadership was incompetent but it was the best they could get. It was not like they wanted Don to rule them. No one wanted to die in his hands. His obsession with killing Don to be the legal pack leader was clouding his judgment. He knew the power transfer theory could work on him too. Killing Don could have made him an alpha. To make matters worse the only person who could or was close to calming him down was also in the wind with Don. He missed her. Steve had searched the whole region. The spies were still telling him the same thing, she was nowhere to be seen. But unlike Ariella and Leon Debbie wasn't swallowed by any portal not one he had heard of. It gave him more reason to hate Don.

"The vampires are back, their numbers are very low but we can't underestimate them" A guard said.

He was seated in the office. His legs hoisted up above the table with a glass of whiskey by his side. He had been there for days leaving to use the toilet or take a shower once in a while. He ate from there and slept there staring at the blue sky. Memories of his loss to Leon playing in his mind. The pain he felt on his neck when he woke up to find Leon had infiltrated his own pack. Killed his men and even kidnapped his girlfriend and a ticket to his superiority.

"Steve!"

"What the f**k is wrong with you mate", Steve growled his iris glowing.

There was silence between them. Steve calmed down while the guard just stood there unshaken. He was the only friend he could count on. The others were doing his bidding out of fear. His name was Kyle. The beta of the pack though unofficially but there was no one better fit for the role. Unlike the others he did not see a ruthless leader who led a coup against Don. He saw an opportunity to make a name for himself and a man screaming for help.

"Am sorry man it's just.."

"Just what steve?" Kyle asked raising his voice, "You've fought tooth and nail to be the leader of this pack. You even beat the odds and went toe to toe with the hybrid. Now he is dead. The witch Ariella is dead too. Now you want to give up?"

Both of them were confused. Steve for why Kyle was not afraid of him like everyone else. Was his influence fading? The few days he had locked himself in the office no one was scared of him anymore yet fear was his tool of leadership. And for Kyle, why was the ruthless steve not showing off his masculinity? Why hadn't he slit his throat or asked the other guards to apprehend him and lock him in the dungeon? His theory was right. Steve was unstable. He needed someone to show him the bigger picture.

"My point is, with them Gone Eric, Leon, Ariella there's a void to be filled. And that void my friend can only be filled by you but before then..."

"We have to kill Don", Steve interrupted happily.

"Exactly... Now to kill Don you don't need this army. You need men whole die for you in the battle field turn this army into your brother's and sister_treat them as if they are family and they will follow you to hell and back. Am here to announce my allegiance", Kyle said going on one knee.

They say if you can't be the king be the king maker. That day Kyle anointed a king. He gave him a purpose. Something to kill and die for. Steve walked towards him and asked him back on his feet. He looked straight into his eyes, stretched his arm for a handshake. A sigh of relief escaped Kyle's mouth. Steve took a deep breath.

"You think I can't see you for who you are?" Steve asked tightening the grip around his hand.

The fear he expected was now evident on Kyle's face. He enjoyed it. Beings as powerful as him shaking in fear at the utter of his name was a dream come true. Whoever said power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely might have met steve with his ego twice the size of an ant hill.

"I hate rats. Don send you to sweet talk me into trusting you so that you can turn against me and take what's mine. I build all this! He had his time and now it's mine alone. No one tells me how to run it!" He ordered.

"You're being paranoid mate I haven't had any contact with Don since he flee" Kyle said retreating.

"Who said you can speak!" Steve shouted.

His iris glowed again. This time it was very intense he used his mind link to summon the other guards. They came in one by one wondering what had happened. Kyle was disarmed and forced to kneel in front of him. In the middle of a circle of an angry beta with his associates, trying to prove he was a better alpha even before he became one.

"we are going to find them. As long as they are still alive we don't have a pack!" He shouted.

"We have looked everywhere", one of his men complained.

"Then keep looking. Go even to the witches castle they can be anywhere but I want them found by the end of the day or you're all out of work", He threatened.

They knew what "out of work" meant. Without Don and his cronies they were dead. But he needed them. He was nothing without them. Fear could earn him respect but it couldn't win wars and conduct searches for him.

"Keep this snitch in the dungeon and get the hell out of my face before I think of killing someone", He ordered going back to his seat.

At heart he knew kyle was right. His advice was good but he didn't trust him. Steve trusted no one. Trust had gotten Don thrown out of his own pack forcing him to run with his tail between his legs. He was better than Don. More better than to make the same mistake his alpha made. It all started with kylan. That was where everything started going wrong. Trusting someone who had taken a life of his only sister. His first love. It was a well kept secret. No one else knew apart from him. Even though she had chosen a human over him Steve really loved Veronica. He wanted to take care of her and when he heard she was killed he stood by Don's side as they ripped the whole pack into pieces. Then when they were about to kill the very last of them Don turned his back on him. For long they had worked together. Always on the same page. Grew up together. They knew each other more than their parents, every secret, strength and weakness. And he ignored his input and trusted kylan. It was the first seed of betrayal he had planted and now he was going to pay for it. Steve smiled at himself. What he had accomplished was just the beginning, like Kyle said there was a void and he wanted to fill it. That explained why he kept Kyle alive for the time being. There was a chance he Was Don's implant but that was a war. It needed strategy. What better strategy than giving an enemy a taste of his own medicine.

*****

When Amelia requested Grace to start her own coven she had no objection. Her work was done. She had helped them get rid of Eric's killers for good and endorsed her as the true leader of the vampires. The only thing she wanted was their friendship to continue. As a leader grace knew another war was coming and their score with the werewolves was not settled yet. Tina was coming for her vengeance and Amelia had proven to be a good partner in war.

"Take care of the girls, raise them to be as powerful as you" Grace had said to her friend.

She didn't know where to start from. There was a lot to be done. She had to take care of the covens businesses Eric had established,attend meetings and make schedules for the guards, cooks and arrange for blood without raising any suspicions with the humans. Killing aimlessly was going to put them on notice with the authority. With their less numbers he couldn't stand another war. Even though they were inferior to her kind she was human once before she turned. Humans killed whatever they couldn't understand. And it was obvious they couldn't understand why some species couldn't sleep at night, healed instantly when cut or were too strong to be kept in a metal box not to mention they moved faster than a streak of lightning. It was not scientifically possible for people to die without dying, for the human body to digest blood or for humans to live for five centuries.

"Here is a list of all assets under the Eric Winston foundation", A middle aged gentlemen of Asia decent dressed in a grey suit said.

Grace was enjoying the warmth of the morning sun standing in front of a big window in Eric's room.

"you're the lawyer?" Grace asked turning around to face him.

"Yes mum my name is David Lee", He said handing her a file.

"Mr. Lee call me Grace, have a seat", She offered showing him a two seater coach with a glass table in front of it. There was coffee jar and a bottle of whiskey on top of it. Behind them was a shelf full of wine.

"Coffee?"

"Yes please, two sugars" He said.

Grace placed the file on the table and looked around for the sugar. There was none remaining in the dish. She excused herself and left the room in super speed. She came back a few moments later with sugar and an empty wine glass. For a minute Lee was scared. He was used to Eric. He felt free around him but Grace was new.

"Don't worry Mr. Lee the glass is for wine not blood" Grace assured when he realized his heartbeat had elated to abnormal levels.

"Nice to hear, you have to read and sign the document now that you're the next of kin to Eric foundation", He said to grace who was serving him coffee.

"Good", She said reading through the papers.

It took her around fifteen minutes before she touched her glasses of wine again. Lee was feeling relaxed looking around the expensive pieces of art Eric had collected for himself over the centuries. He still. Couldn't understand why Eric despite all the power he had chose to do business. He owned a series of flats in town. Vineyards and factories.

"Eric has a school?" Grace asked surprised.

"He wanted to create a school for children with special abilities before he died. Where they couldn't feel different. Instead they could feel loved and cared for not freaks", Lee explained, "Sorry if I overstepped his words not mine"

"No he was right... We continue with his dream" Grace assured going through the blueprints.

"We were still stuck at a name"

"Eric Winston Academy of children with special abilities" grace said confidently.

"sounds good. He'd be happy if he were here", Lee said

Grace signed every part she was required to. She realized Eric was more than just a ruthless five century old vampire that enjoyed killing people. Apart of him was human despite the years of violence. He was building a legacy of his own. Perhaps seeking forgiveness from the world he had caused much pain. For the first time since taking over from him grace was proud to be a vampire under his coven. As matter of fact she found a new resolution. She as no longer interested in being a ruler. An alpha female. She wanted to be a leader of the coven. To ensure Eric's dreams were a reality.

"Thank you lee, you're still my lawyer nothing changes. Now organize a meeting with the managers of other firms. The contractor too we have to finish the school" She said handing him back the file.

"Thank you Grace consider it done, we should exchange numbers" He suggested.

"Ooh sure here have my phone" Grace said.

When Lee took the phone he froze for a minute. The screen lock was a picture of the most civilized vampire he had ever seen. He looked back at grace with pity in his eyes.

"Am sorry he was a good man", Lee said.

"Thank you lee. It's so nice to hear someone speak highly of him" Grace said.

She walked him to his car and bade him goodbye. As soon as he had left another fleet of cars was seen coming in. State cars and many of them. Maybe Lee had forgotten to mention something about Eric owing money to the state? She and the vampires stood guard as the dark SUVs filled their compound. When the dust had settled first came the guards with their sophisticated guns. Grace raised her hands up to signify peace. The others did the same. Was the reign of the Alpha female coming to an end before it even started?