Chapter Seventy-one

A black fire burned in Dave's eyes as he asked that, studying Clay's expression intently. He was certain that Clay was aware but he wanted a verbal admission so that he wouldn't hesitate when he was bashing Clay's head in.
The second in command wisely said nothing, wisened brown eyes staring steadily at Dave.
Rage choked Dave, if Alpha Lukas wasn't the King he was, his only son would be dead by now. Clay knew that well and yet he had sat back and done nothing.
"The visitor's waiting," Clay broke the stretched silence, jabbing a finger behind him. "I'll tell him you'll be with him."
Dave said nothing, his mind was made up. He would be quitting the revolution. At the start it was filled with werewolves with like minds who wanted to exact righteous justice. But slowly, werewolves who wanted nothing but chaos and shady folks mixed into the ranks. The fires of rebellion were carefully stoked by the *'special visitor'* He would soon be meeting.
*Roman Bancroft.*
The British Alpha King no doubt had a hand in tearing apart the revolutionary group of Rogues and turning them into his minions.
He knew he should have turned down the offer of a weapon trade, considering who had offered it but it had been an easy method of getting quality weapons so he had caved in to his mens' demands.
Dave pushed open the door that led to the room where Alpha King Roman was made to wait for his return, Clay following closely behind him. It was just the two of them that entered the room, Clay resolutely closing the door behind him.
Bancroft was seated on the chair behind Dave's desk and the smug Alpha King had the nerve to gesture to the chairs that Dave would usually have visitors sit on.
He had no choice but to take the seat, Clay preferring to stand. "Is there a reason you're here ahead of time?" Dave asked with a calm he wasn't feeling, needing to take back some control from the poised Alpha King.
Roman just took a puff of his cigar, a faint smile lifting the side of his thin lips. "I'm well aware your meeting with Lukas was a bust." He said with humor.
Dave clenched his fists, "You bastard! How could you do that to my only son!" He cursed, half rising to his feet, a hand on his weapon.
Roman Bancroft laughed amicably in the face of danger, puffing away at his cigar. "He wanted to do it, I merely gave him the means to."
"He could have fucking died!" Dave lashed out, no longer caring about decorum.
"But he didn't," Roman tilted his head slightly, his smile never leaving his face. "Lukas is too fucking soft." He added to himself under his breath, quietly enough for no one else to hear him.
Dave gritted his teeth at this but he said nothing more. "Why are you here? If its for more weapons, we have no need for tha-"
"Actually, we do." Clay interrupted him, seeming to know something that Dave didn't.
"What?" Dave cocked a brow, looking to his second in command for an explanation.
"There's something you need to hear, Boss." He said the title like an insult, brown eyes gleaming.
Dave's instincts immediately started blaring, he could feel that things were about to go south, fast. His hand was still on the handle of his gun but that didn't give him any relief. "And what's that?" He asked in a guarded manner.
Roman tapped his nails on the polished table top, "I've come up with a perfect proposition for you to take down the American werewolf royalty once and for all." He said calmly, blowing rings of smoke.
Dave frowned, while it was no secret that Roman had skirmishes with Lukas, he had never outrightly mentioned attacking him. "The hotel attack is a bust, I had to sacrifice it for Jay's life." He said without remorse.
"I'm not talking about that." Roman said lightly, tapping his cigar ashes on a ceramic ashtray that was placed on the table.
Dave waited with his heart in his throat, sweat breaking out on his skin, making his palms clammy. He had that sensation of being a trapped rat again.
"It's a simple plan that will be useful in getting rid of multiple problems." Roman went on, unhurried. "You'll kidnap the human Luna Queen and when Lukas comes to get her, you take him down." He explained shortly.
Dave had the succinct feeling of a noose being placed around his neck, "Using his mate against him is cruel." He said in a quiet voice.
Clay was the one to respond, he snorted. "Werewolves should not mate humans, she's no mate in my eyes."
Roman leaned back in Dave's chair, "You heard Clay, now, are you in or are you in?"
"I'm not." Dave said shortly, his expression grave.
"Even if we have a really good bargaining chip?"
"What-" Dave started to ask but at the smug look on Roman's face, he could already guess. "Leave my son out of this!" He exploded.
"Too late," Roman said, snapping a finger.
Clay went out at this silent order, returning with a bound and gagged Jay who looked very confused and a little frightened.
Dave shot to his feet at this, "Taking orders from him now?!" He lashed out at Clay.
Clay looked thoughtful at this, his shaved head gleaming. "No but he can provide me with the means to get what I want, this is merely a partnership."
Dave chuckled cynically, "You might have as well made a deal with the devil himself..."
"Don't dawdle, Dave, are you in or does your son pay the price?" Roman cut him off.
"My son has nothing to do with this." Dave whipped around to glare at the Alpha King seated across from him.
"I alone decide that." Roman said calmly, unfazed in the presence of the older werewolf's rage.
"If you force my hand on this, I will only sabotage you at the cost of my life." Dave drew in a deep breath. "But in exchange for my son's life, you can buy my silence." He said bluntly, there was no time to beat around the bush with Roman.
Roman sharp eyes flicked over Dave like he was trying to ascertain if the Rogue was bluffing. He needed to tie up every possible loose end so he had to handle this carefully. "That can be arranged but I'll have to hold him as proof of your word."
Veins pulsed on Dave's head as he tried to work a way out of his current predicament but he knew that there was no better deal to be had. From the looks of things, with the help of Clay, Roman had already won over the group of Rogues and was making them do his dirty work.
"Fine." He bit out after the longest time, glancing at his son who looked back at him with a pitiful expression. "But don't hold him captive here, use somewhere else. I want to have nothing to do with the Rogues from here on out." He said the second part to Clay.
The clean-shaven man squirmed slightly under Dave's intense gaze. "I quit my position as the leader of the revolutionary group of Rogues, I frankly don't care what you all decide to do from here on out but I want nothing to do with it." He concluded, turning around and walking off.
Dave wished he had known about this while he met up with Alpha King Lukas, then maybe he could have given him some form of warning. He walked out of the building and headed for his car, intending to go on a long drive to clear his head.
*‘Things were about to get really really messy.’*