The Alpha's Captive (5 page)

“Well, Phillip Stefano is at a resort with his wife.” He clicked some more.

“What resort?” Devon asked as he pulled out a pen, readying to copy down the information.

“Four Trails Hotel and Spa.” Dominic let out a whistle. “Fancy and expensive.”

“I guess hunting wolves really pays out,” Devon said as he took down the information. “That’s a couple hours’ drive.”

“Do you want to go out there?” By the look on Josef’s face, Devon could tell he didn’t like that idea.

“You don’t have to.” Dominic spoke up. “I got his room number. You just have to call the hotel and ask for his room.”

“Damn that’s amazing.” Devon was impressed with Dominic.

“Not really.” Dominic smiled wildly. “This”—he pointed down to his computer—“was a piece of cake. I just tapped into the phone company’s server and got his call records then I searched his recent credit card purchases.” Dominic sat back and put his arms behind his head. “Child’s play really.”

“Remind me to never piss you off.” Josef scooted his chair away from Dominic.

“Why? You have any secrets you’re trying to hide, Josef?” Dominic teased.

Dominic was a sweet young wolf, but looks were deceiving. Give him a computer and he could find out anything he wanted about anyone. It was scary yet very productive in times like this, and Devon couldn’t have been happier to have the computer genius in his pack.

Devon picked up his cell phone and punched in the number Dominic gave him. When it started to ring he snapped his fingers to quiet Josef and Dominic. Both men scooted their chairs closer to his desk and rested their elbows on the hard wood surface. Their eyes burrowed holes into Devon, and he felt the sweat drip down his back as the phone continued to ring.

“Four Trails Hotel and Spa, where relaxation comes to life. How may I help you?”

“Yes, I need to be connected to Phillip Stefano’s room please,” Devon said clearly into the phone.

“Yes, sir. Glad to have assisted you tonight.”

Devon heard a few clicks then the phone began to ring again. He looked at Josef and nodded his head.

“Hello?” a feminine voice answered.

“Yes, I’m looking for Phillip Stefano. Is he available?” Devon kept his voice calm.

“Sure, let me just get him.” She giggled. “He’s in the restroom. Just a moment.”

Devon wasn’t waiting long before a gruff voice came across the line. “Phillip here.”

“Hello, Mr. Stefano.” He hadn’t planned what exactly to say, so he had to wing it. “You don’t know me but we have some important things to discuss.”

“Oh, really? And what might that be Mr.…” Stefano trailed, but Devon didn’t have any intentions of giving the man his name.

“Sorry, I don’t give hunters my name. Call it self-preservation.” Devon didn’t mean to just drop that he knew Stefano was a hunter, but his patience was wearing thin. This wasn’t the time to play games.

Silence met Devon’s ear. All he could hear was the older man’s quick intake of breath. “Who is this? And how did you get his number?” The friendliness had vanished from his tone.

“Who I am and how I got this number isn’t important. What is important is how you’re going to right the wrong you’ve committed.”

In the background Devon could hear Stefano whisper something, then he heard a door shut. “I don’t know how you located me, but it’s a big mistake on your part. I’ve haven’t committed any crimes, so there isn’t a damn thing for me to right.”

Devon’s pulse began to race. Stefano spoke as if Devon was beneath him, and it pissed him off. “You took my brother, and I want him back.”

“We don’t negotiate with animals, so you’re wasting your time.”

“Maybe you would if we had something you wanted.” Devon tapped his fingertips against the solid surface of his desk. He needed to calm down.

“There is nothing you could possibly have that I’d ever want. So if that is all you needed—”

“Are you so sure about that?” Devon interrupted Stefano. “Maybe you ought to call home and check on Aiden.”

With that Devon hung up the phone. Stefano needed to know he was serious. An eye for an eye or in this case a son for a brother.

“Well?” Josef asked.

Devon still held the phone clutched in his fist. He could feel the hard plastic start to bend from the pressure. Not wanting to break his phone, he set it down.

“I’m going to give him a few minutes. Let him call home and see that Aiden isn’t there.” Devon looked at his watch.

“Devon, when you call back it’s safe to give him your cell number,” Dominic said as he clicked on his keyboard, never looking up. “I’m modifying the phone records, so if the hunters have anyone like me on their staff they’ll draw a blank if they search the call. And I’ve made your number anonymous. Not even the phone company will be able to pull it up.”

“Thanks, Dominic.” Devon didn’t know how the wolf did it and didn’t care. If it kept them hidden from the hunters he was all for whatever Dominic did even if was illegal.

Devon looked at his watch and saw five minutes had passed. He dialed the hotel once and again and asked for Stefano’s room.

“What did you do with my son?” Devon could hear the barely contained control the man spoke with. Stefano was scared.

“Not so much fun when the shoe is on the other foot now is it?” Devon wished he could see the fear in the older man’s face as he made the call to find out his son wasn’t at home. Stefano wasn’t the only hunter that took his brother, but he was the only one they could identify. And Stefano had leverage, Aiden.

“Just give me back my son. He’s innocent in all this.”

Devon wanted to laugh. “So is my brother. He’s just a kid.”

“He’s a wolf,” Stefano whispered into the phone. “He’s hardly innocent.”

“How the fuck do you know?” Devon shouted. He was sick of this man’s idiotic claims. All wolves weren’t blood-hungry, ravenous animals books and movies portrayed.

“The boy is a wolf, and one day he’ll become a killer. He’s a monster. You all are.” Stefano said the words without pause. Devon could tell the man truly believed what he said.

“The only monsters, or as you like to say killers, I’ve ever seen are hunters,” Devon spat. “They kill without mercy and without proof. They took my parents from me without cause. I will not let you take my little brother.” Devon flexed his free hand. His nails had lengthened to sharp points as his claws emerged. The change was right under the surface but he needed to rein it in. He couldn’t talk in wolf form and he wouldn’t give Stefano that satisfaction. Devon could control his wolf.

Stefano remained silent for so long Devon feared the man had hung up. A heavy sigh carried across the line. “I don’t know anything about your parents, and your brother is being contained. The hunters’ council doesn’t make deals. I can’t get your brother back.”

The air rushed out of Devon’s lungs in one quick swoosh. He had feared Stefano would say that, but he had a key piece to motivate the man.

“Well than I guess you don’t get your son back,” he said without one ounce of feeling. He wouldn’t hurt Aiden, but Stefano didn’t know that.

“Please,” Stefano begged. “I’ll pay any amount- just please give me back my son.”

“Money? Are you fucking kidding me? There is no amount of money you could possibly give me that will make me forget about my brother.” Devon ran his claws down the center of his desk, scratching the surface. The marks left deep grooves in the cherry wood. “If you ever want to see your son again, you’ll get me my brother.”

“I can’t!” Stefano shouted. His voice shook in panic. “Please don’t harm him. He’s all I’ve got. Please don’t kill him.”

He had Stefano right where he wanted him, but he had to push a little more. Stefano claimed he didn’t have the ability to release Erik, but if Devon knew one thing about people it was that they lied. Rules were made to be broken, and Stefano just needed to be shoved in the right direction.

“I never said anything about killing him.” Devon laughed menacingly into the phone. “He’s a pretty little thing.” He darted his eyes to Josef, and his friend nodded. He agreed with Devon’s line of thinking. “I think I’ll keep him for my own personal uses. I’m currently without a lover, and Aiden will fit the bill quite nicely, so sweet and innocent.” Devon smacked his lips together as if he could taste Aiden’s purity. “I bet he’s a virgin. What do you think?”

“Dear god, you’re an animal.” Stefano’s voice hardened.

“You already think I am. I might as well play the part,” Devon responded. “Listen, you have something I want, and I have something you want. I’ll give you three days to release my brother. And when you do, you can have your son back.”

Stefano cursed into the phone. “Let me see what I can do, but what if I can’t free your brother?”

Devon could hear the distress in the man’s voice. Stefano was afraid, and he should be because if he didn’t get Erik back in one piece, Devon had every intention of killing every single hunter involved then going after the rest. They would have inevitably set free the monster they already thought he was.

“You seem like a smart man. I’m sure you will come through. If not, well I guess I get to keep Aiden.”

“Can I have your word you won’t touch him.”

“Can you swear to me that my brother hasn’t been harmed?” Devon waited a long moment, but Stefano didn’t say anything. “That’s what I thought. Three days is all you have.” Devon rambled off his cell number. “Who knows, maybe your son will like being around a wolf.”

Devon hung up the phone, not letting Stefano get another word in. It was better to leave the man to wonder what was going on. He’d be more motivated that way.

“So what did he say?” Josef asked.

He quickly explained what Stefano said. They had three days to sit on their asses and wait. Dominic promised he’d search all the records on Stefano and see where the paper trail led him. He thought some of the information might lead to Erik.

“Do you think he’ll be able to free Erik?” Josef asked when Dominic left the room.

“I hope.” Devon moved his computer around to cover the claw marks he left on the desk.

“Well if nothing else you can get to know your mate.” Josef shrugged his shoulders. “It’s not a lot of time but enough to see if Aiden might someday feel that connection.”

Devon relaxed back in his chair. What he said to Stefano about Aiden was just to scare the man into helping him get his brother back. He never meant to sexually abuse the younger man. That wasn’t who Devon was, but he had to admit he’d loved the chance to learn the younger man’s body. To see what aroused him. To see what would make him scream out Devon’s name in full-blown ecstasy.

“I don’t know about that, Josef.” If he got too attached to Aiden and then had to give him up, it would be too much for him to bear. As it was he’d have to live without Aiden for the rest of his life. Why add more pain on top of that. If he by some miracle fell in love with Aiden it would be like ripping out his soul to never see him again. As it was his heart ached from just the thought.

“Devon, don’t be a dick.” Josef stood up from his chair. “You’re always worrying about other people and wanting to make sure they’re happy. What about you?” Josef leant over the desk and looked into Devon’s eyes. “I think you owe it to yourself to see what may come of this. Who knows, maybe Aiden will fall in love with you.”

Devon just stared at his friend as he walked out of the office. What Josef said sounded great. To explore his attraction to Aiden would be wonderful, but the alternative was too high a cost to pay. Aiden was there only as a way to get Erik back, nothing more.

Agitation wound him tight, and Devon jumped up from his chair. He needed to burn off some energy before he did something stupid.

Devon walked to the door in large strides, almost running when he reached the front door. He flung it opened and leaped off the porch. His wolf rose to the surface, and his body began to change. The clothes he wore stretched then ripped free of his body. His muscles grew and lengthened. Where there once were hands were thick, wide paws. Hair sprouted from his body to cover him in warm fur.

As his feet landed on the ground, the change was complete. Devon was in his wolf form and ran with no destination in mind. There was nothing to stop him. The sounds of owls hooting in the distance along with the sound of leaves and twigs crunching underfoot made Devon feel free.

The cool night wind whipped around his body as he raced across the land. Everything from the past week ran through his mind. Anger and fear had him pushing his feet harder into the ground, claws digging into the moist soil, propelling him forward. Maybe if he ran fast enough he could outrun all his troubles.

Devon followed the well-worn path that led him up the hill that overlooked his house. He came to rest and stared down at the quiet home. Nothing in appearance stood out that said wolves lived in that home or of the hardships that had followed the occupants.

All his life Devon followed human laws. He hid who he was from society and it still wasn’t good enough. Hunters had found them once again. And to add to that misery, he found his mate. A mate that would never be his.

Devon sat on his haunches and tilted his head toward the midnight sky. He howled long and low. Any animal in the distance would hear his sadness.