The Mystery of You

Alpha Sebastian’s POV  “Do you have those numbers I asked you to prepare?”  “No Seb, I didn’t get around to it-“  “Are you f*****g serious Dan-“  “Relax Alpha… I’m f*****g with you. Damn you’re a barrel of laughs today huh?” he grins as he hands me the file tucked under his arm.  I open it quickly and run my eyes over it to make sure everything is in order.  “I need to make sure everything is spot on… you know that. You can’t give these assholes a whiff of weakness or uncertainty.” I reply as we walk down the steps of the pack house.  “f**k, tell me about it… no offence but I’m glad I don’t need to be in that snake pit. It’s impossible to know who to trust.” Dan answers opening the car door to hop inside.  I gesture to my warriors to enter the car behind us before jumping into the driver’s seat beside Dan. “It’s not that hard Dan… you don’t trust anyone. Not a single one of them. A snake is a snake after all. It’s only a matter of time before it bites you.”  I toss the file onto his lap and turn the car engine on, pulling out of the driveway quickly.  “I’d step on it if I were you… it’s a two hour drive and the meeting starts in about an hour and forty five.” Dan says, studying his watch.  “f**k them… they can wait.” I answer determinedly as we cross the boundary.  “Power play… nice.” Dan nods his head and opens up the file on his lap.  I switch off from reality for a moment as I recall all of the information and figures that I need to know regarding our pack’s businesses and finances.  It’s not a difficult task for me to do. When I was young I discovered pretty early on that my brain didn’t work like the average person. One look at a page of words, one scan of a set of figures, one glance at a picture was all it took for me to memorise it and remember it.  They call it a photographic memory.  The teachers at school thought I was some sort of f*****g child prodigy, a fact that made my mom proud. The same could not be said for my father.  Growing up in Shadow Warriors, even as second son of the Alpha, has always come with immense pressure and expectation. Before my father died, I doubt he ever suspected that I’d become Alpha one day. After all, that job was always going to go to my older brother Aiden first and foremost. Despite this, my father pushed me to train just as hard. To become just as capable and strong as my brother. That sort of dedication and commitment to training meant that academia was never high on the agenda and he made sure I knew it.  He was a cruel bastard about the whole thing to be quite honest.  Pierce men are built for fighting.  Built for ruling.  Built for war.  They have no time for anything else.  So I took a step back from that part of my life and threw myself into the family trade.  However it would seem that all his pushing was indeed useful in the end.  When my brother left after the death of my parents and my sister, I was left to take on the role of leader of this pack.  A job I was only prepared for due to the persistent pushing by my father whilst he was alive.  “Take it you don’t need this anymore?” Dan asks with a grin, holding up the file he has been studying for the past twenty minutes.  I shake my head in response.  He opens up the compartment on the dash and shoves the document inside.  “So what’s up for discussion today?” he asks curiously.  “Just the same s**t to be honest. Trade agreements, land negotiations and business deals.“ I shrug.  Twice a year the six packs in this region come together for a strictly Alphas only meeting, “The Phoenix Meeting”. The original purpose of these meetings were to keep the peace between the packs, to ensure that all sources of tension or feelings of animosity were worked out face to face, without the need for constant fighting.  For the most part this has remained the case, however, it doesn’t stop the underhanded betrayal and bullshit that goes on in the shadows. After all, it was another Alpha from the Phoenix meeting who killed my parents all those years ago. Granted my brother Aiden avenged our parents deaths but the tragedy taught me a valuable lesson from a young age. That’s why I’d never work with any of these men, let along trust any of them.  We don’t need them anyway.  Shadow Warriors is prospering on its own. Our finances are in order and our pack is growing. Everything is heading in the right direction.  Be strong enough that you don’t need to rely on or trust anyone else, that’s the mantra that my father drummed into us and it’s one I intend to live by.  We continue the rest of the drive in silence which I’m thankful for. I like to be focused and at the top of my game when I walk into a room with these assholes. I pull the car up next to the large hotel and get out to take a closer look.  “This place is nice!” Dan comments as we walk inside the foyer of the fancy building.  The Phoenix meetings always happen on neutral territory and the location of each meeting can charge at any time.  As soon as we are inside, a tall blonde woman approaches with a bright smile on her face.  “Alpha Sebastian Pierce I presume?” she asks clearly.  I nod in answer and she beams at me in return as her eyes flick over me quickly.  “Please follow me…” she purrs before turning to lead us down the hallway.  “Looks like you have a fan…” Dan comments privately through the mind link.  I glance at him from the corner of my eye and see him smirk at me knowingly.  She stops abruptly in front of the closed door of the conference room and turns to Dan first, giving him a cold look.  “You are welcome to refreshments in the room next door… it’s Alphas only past this point.” she states matter of factly.  Dan raises his eyebrows and chuckles slightly.  “Trust me, that’s fine by me.” he answers in amusement. “I’ll just be next door if you need me.”  I nod in answer before making a move towards the door. “Wait… uhh Alpha Sebastian… this is for you.” the blonde woman smiles, handing me her card. “If you need anything… anything at all during your stay with us… please don’t hesitate to call.”  “Thanks… I appreciate that…”  “Camilla… my name is Camilla.” she smiles coyly, flicking her long hair over her shoulder. “Camilla… thank you.”  I take the card from her and offer her a smile in return before tucking it into my inside jacket pocket. I place my hand on the door handle and walk inside.  The chatter in the room stops immediately and the four men already seated around the large table turn around to look at me in annoyance.  “You’re ten minutes late Pierce… do you think your time is more valuable than ours?” Alpha Ivan snarls as I walk towards the rectangular table and unbutton my suit jacket.  “Not at all… where were we?” I ask taking a seat and looking around at the others, studying their demeanour.  Alpha Tobias sits at the head of the table, as per usual. The asshole makes sure to arrive early to snag that seat. I’m sure it makes him feel superior to the rest of us but little does he know I don’t particularly give a s**t where he sits.  Old Alpha Saul lowers his spectacles to examine me thoroughly before returning to the pile of papers he has stacked by his side and placing the open document down in front of him. He’s the oldest of us all. Always over prepared and speaks a hundred words when only ten would do.  Alpha Otto watches me intently, one of his eyes covered by a thick black eye patch. He takes a swig of his drink before putting out his cigarette in the ashtray by his side. I’m sure the old war dog runs on a diet of nicotine and alcohol alone nowadays.  I then turn my attention to Alpha Ivan who is sat across the table scowling at me with a look of pure distain.  We both became Alpha of our packs around the same time and since then we have never saw eye to eye. The fact that we are similar in age and the fact that out packs are the largest in the region automatically makes us enemies apparently.  I ignore his blatant, challenging looks and instead look towards the empty chair at the other end of the table.  “Where is Reuben?” I ask looking around the others.  “Maybe he thinks he’s above the rest of us… a bit like you do Pierce.” Alpha Ivan answers quickly, clasping his hands and resting them in the table in front of him.  I turn to look directly at him and smirk, knowing that my lack of reaction will rile him up even more.  “Don’t know where he is… never known him to be late though.” Old Alpha Saul adds, furrowing his brows. Just then the door opens and the blonde woman from earlier strides inside confidently.  I instantly see Ivan straighten up in his chair and run his hand through his hair eagerly. She makes her way over to Alpha Tobias at the head of the table and bends down to whisper something in his ear.  After a few seconds, she stands up straight and turns to leave, giving me a cheeky smile on the way past.  I can almost feel Ivan’s rage across the table as he notices our exchange and I can’t help but feel a little smug at his reaction, clearly he has his eye on her.  Tobias clears his throat dramatically in a clear effort to exert some sort of dominance over us all.  I catch Otto across the table rolling his one good eye before lighting another cigarette.  “Get on with it Tobias…” he grunts in annoyance.  Tobias shoots him a look quickly before continuing.  “It seems that Reuben is dead.” he announces clearly. “His Beta is outside and wishes to inform us that arrangements have been made and Reuben’s great nephew will be travelling to the pack to take over in due course.”  It doesn’t escape my notice how Tobias seems to take great pleasure in sharing the news. If I remember rightly, he and Reuben have had many run ins over the years.  “So that’s the reason why he couldn’t come today.” he finishes.  “Yeah no s**t Sherlock.” Otto states, tossing back another drink.  Tobias opens his mouth to retaliate before he is interrupted by Alpha Saul.  “Well the news is unfortunate but we have a schedule to keep so if you would all please direct your attention to the copy of the agenda, we can get on with this meeting.” he states, shuffling his many papers.  “Did you come to talk business Pierce? Seems you forgot your paperwork.” Ivan adds, looking at me through narrowed eyes.  “I don’t need any.” I answer confidently, leaning back in my chair. He shakes his head and clenches his jaw in return whilst Saul jumps head first into business. We spend the next hour or so going over our various business entanglements and making sure that everyone is holding up their end of the bargain to ensure the region continues to run as efficiently as ever.  Ivan throws question after question at me, clearly perturbed by my lack of paperwork, he seems determined to catch me out or leave me looking like an i***t but of course I’m able to handle anything he can throw at me.  Finally we come to the last item on the agenda which is usually set aside for matters relating to security.  “As you are aware… disappearances have still been plaguing the region… it is true these seem to be effecting the rogue population more but it wouldn’t hurt to keep an eye on the situation. Would anyone care to add anything about this or able to shed some light on the matter?” Saul states, pushing his glasses to the end of his nose.  “It will be rogues at it again amongst themselves…filthy animals… they have no honour.” Otto mutters shaking his head.  “We have had no disappearances at Shadow Warriors so far. I’ll keep you all informed if we do.” I add.  The others nod in agreement and it becomes clear that the meeting is drawing to its close.   “Well it seems that everything is as it should be for now… at the next meeting I’m sure Reuben’s replacement will be instated and will be able to join us.” Tobias says standing up to push his papers into his briefcase.  I stand up and look around the room at the others in turn.  “Gentlemen.” I nod before taking my leave, striding out of the room and leaving them all behind to pack up their things.  “Dan it’s finished.” I say to him through the mind link.  He instantly emerges from the room next door and walks over to join me.  “Everything alright?”  “Fine… Reuben is dead. Apart from that, it’s business as usual.” I shrug.  “Sounds pretty tame.” Dan chuckles as we make out way back to the foyer.  The truth is that is was pretty f*****g run of the mill with only minor disagreements but I prefer it that way. Less drama means less upheaval for our pack.  “It was pretty straight forward this time.” I reply as we reach the lobby area.  “Well Rosalie is cooking tonight… you up for it?” he asks with a smirk.  “Nah… I was thinking I might hang around for a bit.” I shrug, pulling the card out of my jacket pocket.  “Thought you might.” he chuckles before heading for the door. “See yah later.”