Alpha Convict - Burgov Series I

5. Benson

The one thing I hate the most is Monday morning. But there's nothing worse than waking up on Monday with a raging hangover and pounding in my head as if a thousand horses raced there. But it's still better than hearing my own thoughts and dealing with my f****d up reality.

I opened my eyes and pounding seemed to get even louder and more frantic, but I quickly figured out that it wasn't coming from my head. At least not all of it.

"Ben, I swear to Goddess, if you won't open those f*****g door in three seconds I'm going to break them down and move your bed to the hall!" - I heard the demoness of my life screaming through the thick wood. The story of my life, just f*****g kill me now. - "One… Two…"

"I'm coming goddammit!" - I yelled back getting off my bed with a grunt. I dragged my feet to the door and opened them just wide enough to look at my overbearing sister. - "What… ugh!" - I didn't get to finish my question because as soon as I opened she pushed the door hitting me straight in my forehand and barged inside like a tigress on the hunt. - "What the hell, Sabine?! What was that for?"

She turned to face me and brushed her long dark hair with her perfectly manicured fingers, the thing she does when she's extremely irritated, and then her dark eyes settled on me with an expression that makes most of our Pack mates scurrying to the side. But me, not so much. Knowing her my entire life I learned early on that her b***h mode, she sports maniacally, is just for show, while in fact my sister has a golden heart. Sure, it's hidden very, very deeply, but it's still there, otherwise she wouldn't put up with me this long.

"You took it too far this time." - she hissed with her meanest glare. - "I have no idea what you did this time, but I'm done. I'm so f*****g done with all your bullshit, Ben. Brother or not, I can still swear you off, you know!"

I watched her as if she was crazy, which wasn't that far from the truth, but my clueless expression only fueled the anger in her eyes.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

She crossed her arms, pursed her lips, and tilted her head to the side, putting on her standard pep talk pose. - "You don't know?"

I slowly shook my head, not taking my eyes off of her, because I did that once when she was this mad, and she started hitting me with her shoe. f*****g five inch high-heel, which for most of women is just a fashionable accessory, meant to add them some grace, and make their asses look better, but for Sabine it's a deadly weapon. I'm not making the same mistake again.

"So you want to tell me, you have no idea why the League sent here a bunch of warriors and a prosecutor with a search warrant for the entire house and basically everything we own?" - she asked and my eyes grew big as saucers.

"What?! Why?"

"Well, you tell me genius, they want to investigate some alleged crime you committed."

"What crime?"

"They wouldn't tell me, because I'm not the Alpha." - she spat with anger, but she knew when I was lying and this wasn't the case. I was as confused as she was, and Sabine noticed that.

Her glare softened, however didn't disappear entirely, but this was still a good sign.

"Listen, we need to cooperate with them if we don't want to jeopardize everything our parents worked so hard for. So take a quick shower, scrub yourself twice, because I could smell you before I even entered, and then come down to talk with them, okay?" - she said in a much calmer voice.

"Yeah, sure." - I nodded, turning around to go into my bathroom, but then I glanced back at my sister walking backwards. - "Would you be a doll and order me breakfast?"

"Don't push it, Ben." - she said, stomping out of my bedroom.

I smirked to myself and went to the bathroom. Unfortunately, even being the biggest pain in my ass, Sabine was sometimes right. I did smell bad. And it didn't help that the water drops in the shower were pouring so vigorously that it almost hurt my too sensitive skin.

I wrapped the shower quicker than she would expect of me and when I started dressing up, choosing the clothes from the very end of the closet, where all the stiff and impractical ones were hanging to never be used. Just next to those She bought me.

I brought a black dress shirt to my nose. It was clean, but months of hanging without the purpose made it accumulate that specific dusty smell. But it's either that or T-shirt, and I know Sabine would probably kill me before my foot would step into the room.

Once the clothes were on my back and I was ready to face another boring, political affair that would only irritate me, I stepped into my room. But my mind started to clear itself and this unbearable guilt and suffering came back with full force. I went to the nightstand and snatched a small bottle of vodka. I watched the tiny thing for a moment contemplating if that's the best idea before facing those idiots from the League, but when I reminded myself how incompetent they are I shrugged and chugged the whole content. That wasn't nearly enough to make me forget, but it worked pretty well to bring the familiar buzzing in my ears. And that's the distraction I need before my uninvited guests would get the hell out of here.

I opened the door to my bedroom, but before I could step one foot in the corridor the well-known figure blocked my path.

"Is that an alcohol I smell on your breath?" - my Beta Trevor asked, crossing his arms over his chest and raising one brow in an unamused expression.

"Is that my sister's p***y I smell on yours?" - I asked back, wrinkling my nose and I saw how frustration was taking over his previously calm pose. He brushed his short military-cut hair with one hand and shook his head disapprovingly.

"You couldn't stop for just one morning? It's the f*****g League, man, don't you know what they can do?"

"Relax, they can do s**t, and we both know it. Just like they did nothing after Emily…" - my chest squeezed by the force of the invisible hand that has been reminding me of how painfully useless were everyone, my Pack, allies, the League, when the one person I cared about the most was ambushed.

"I know, Ben. But there's something strange about them. I'm pretty sure at least three of those guys are trackers, meaning they are looking for something, or someone and with the search warrant… I just have a bad feeling. Tell me you haven't done any stupid s**t again?"

"Me?! I would never." - I answered with a fake grin, and Trev just groaned and looked up for the help from the above, which never came. Trust me, I know.

"Fine, let's not keep them waiting." - he said, sauntering down the hall without even waiting for my reply. I noticed his hands dug something from his pants pocket, and he immediately threw the object behind his shoulder at me. - "Here, take this."

I caught a small pack of gum and quickly put two in my mouth.

As I expected Sabine made the League's morons wait in the living room. That was probably her only choice since I haven't stepped foot in Alpha's office for the last two and a half years, and I'm not about to change that.

The room, even being one of the largest in the estate, still looked crowded with a large number of people scattered around. A quick glance made me notice one Mr Big Shot sitting with my sister on a beige sofa, three brainless muscle-men standing by each of the entrances, and another two, leaner, and with sharper gazes, covering the windows.

What are they expecting here?! An ambush? Attack? Some kind of fight? I'm well aware I don't have the best reputation, but to lay a hand on any League's emissary I ought to be insane.

"A! Alpha Benson, I was afraid I missed you already." - the middle-aged man sitting next to Sabine said, but his fake friendly smile and cunning eyes made me think he was definitely someone I should be cautious of.

"No worries Mister…"

"Oh, right, where are my manners? I'm Noah Quentin, investigator and prosecutor representing the Supernatural League."

I crossed the room and extended my hand for the handshake. His small, almost girly hand was soft like a virgin's ass in my hard and calloused one. If I haven't disliked him by now, that would be the changing factor. Men who spent more time on their appearance than any average woman, are some sappy bastards, who try to make up for a small ego, or d**k, or try desperately to hide something. Either way, they aren't to be trusted.

"What brings you to Midnight Banes, Mister Quentin?" - I asked casually, taking a seat, but I made sure to choose the spot from which I could see all the warriors this smug Asshole brought with him.

"The League received a surprising call from one of your Pack mates about a missing she-wolf."

"Oh?" - I frowned. - "We haven't received any missing person reports." - I said glancing at Trevor to back up my words. When he nodded I immediately felt more confident, because truth be told, I had no clue, and that was just my assumption. - "What's the missing she-wolf's name?"

"Claudia Montgomery. She just turned eighteen." - he said for some reason watching me intently, as if that name should ring a bell. It didn't. - "Apparently her link to the Pack has been broken and her close ones are worried. Haven't you felt it, Alpha?"

Hmm, that was a tricky question. Should I tell him that I tend to reach for the bottle to numb every scrap of emotion, communication and basically anything that comes from my wolf. No, that's probably any discussion killer.

"Unfortunately no. When was it?"

"She was last seen on Friday evening." - when words left his lips he was once again holding his breath waiting for my reaction, but I still didn't know why. What an odd man.

I nodded accepting this piece of information, from the lack of a better reaction. - "So how can we help with your investigation, Mister Quentin?"

The tiniest smirk curled up his lips, but it lasted just a few seconds before he composed himself once again.

"Actually, I don't need your help, Alpha. You have been identified as one of the potential suspects. And that's why I'm here. Please tell me where were you on Friday?"

A dred spread through my spine. Me a suspect?! That's ridiculous, but knowing how many people may have something against me, I can't rule out that someone is setting me up. And to choose Friday for that… that wasn't looking good.

"I can't say for sure. I went for a ride." - I answered carefully and in my peripheral vision I noticed how Sabine, whose face didn't even flinch, started nervously picking on her nails. Not many would have noticed that, but my sister was nervous as f**k at this point.

"Alone?" - the sly bastard Quentin feigned bewilderment.

"Unfortunately yes."

"So there is no one who can verify your alibi?"

"Only when I left and returned, otherwise I was by myself."

"I see." - he said moving two of his fingers along his boney chin. - "But you don't seem like a man who would have anything to hide, Alpha, so I don't suppose you would have anything against us looking around?"

I wanted to snort at his efforts to keeo his excitement hidden, but stopped myself just in time.

"I was told you already have a warrant, so I believe the question is more of a courtesy than an actual request." - I pointed out.

Quentin smiled, but there was nothing friendly on his face, more shrewd than anything else.

"That's true. But fear not, I'm sure it's just a formality to rule you out, Alpha."

I nodded, not buying even a word he said. I may have many flaws, neglect my duties and depend on my sister more than I should, but I wasn't stupid enough to trust even a single wors coming out of this snake's mouth.

"Then be my guest." - I said, spreading my arms invitingly.

"Excellent. We'll start with your car since you used it on the night Miss Montgomery disappeared."

"Of course." - I said standing up from my seat.

Everyone who previously silently occupied my living room's space, started following us outside. They didn't have much job to do here, since only three cars were parked in our designated spots. One mine, one Trevor's and one Sabine's. But when I watched the five warriors jump into work I didn't miss that they seemed to already know which one was mine. Odd.

They started opening every door and when they opened the trunk one of them waved for Quentin to come closer. That got my attention as well, so I stepped down from the porch and crossed the few steps separating me from them.

When the inside of my own car was in view I stopped in my tracks not recognizing the cargo space I knew so well. Actually the space was the same, what was in it however, took me completely off guard.

The plastic covering sheet with a large amount of smeared, dried blood on it was something I wouldn't forget in a million years. But not the brutality of the founding made my mouth drop, it was because I have no knowledge of where it came from.

"Would you like to change your statement, Alpha?" - Quentin's voice pulled me out of the abyss of my own thoughts and I turned towards him, but my eyes landed not on his face, but on a figure standing in the distance behind his back.

The stormy gray eyes that were glaring at me from across the street with such hatred, that I wanted to look away and cover from her gaze. But I didn't.

She, that young girl with dogs, a sister of one of my own men.

Was she doing this to me? Was this some kind of revenge for my momentarily outburst? If so, some women can be really crazy.

But I guess that's fair, since one woman already killed my soul, it's only logical that another would end my life.