Part 9. Ares POV

/Ares POV/

"Oh, you haven't heard the half of it, brother." Zach pressed his lips together. "I just had a nice little chat with our father, who wants us to mate his friends daughter."




Ares blinked at his brother Zach as if he grew a second head, mouth agape. How could the Alpha be so calm? It's close to nightfall now, the faint light of the moon beaming in through the window and cold clinging to his skin.





“A-Are you joking?” Dante was the first one to break the heavy silence that settled upon the room. “If you are, then it is a cruel joke, brother!”




Zach let out a sigh. “I’m not joking. Our father sounded very serious. He doesn’t want to see us waste our youth without a mate.”




Ares rolled his eyes, stubbornly leaning against the headboard. “So what? An arranged marriage is the solution? We don’t even know this omega!”




“That’s the point of her staying here! We will get to know her, and then it won’t matter.” Zach shrugged.




“We are talking about a bond, brother”, Ares sharply reminded him. “It’s not that easy. What if the omega is unfit to be a Luna?”




“He’s right, you know.” Dante hummed. “Besides, I want to fall in love before mating someone. Don’t you think it’s an important part of the relationship?”





Zach stood up abruptly, lips pressed in a straight line. “This is not my decision. Why don’t you argue with our dear father, who already feels burdened and guilty about us? I won’t oppose his wish. If you want to go against his decision, then take it up with him, not me! Good night,”




They watched him walk out; his shoulders set straight and back rigid. Ares let out a sigh, palming at his forehead.




"It will be ok," Dante murmured, rubbing his hands up and down his arms. "We will find a solution."




Ares sincerely doubted that but he didn't voice anything aloud; he focused on slowing down his breathing. The Alpha clenched his eyes and rested his forehead against the folded hands, a long sigh leaning his lips. What were they going to do?
***
The heat of the cup of tea he had earlier in the early morning kept on warming the Alpha inside, helping fight the cool breeze of the day. He rubbed his puffy eyes, sighing as his digits meet the raised dark circles. A smoking cigarette dangled from his lips as he leaned back, hands scrawling across the documents.





Ares inhaled the tobacco-infused smoke, his lips rounding slightly as he breathes it out. He didn't like smoking, and has stopped the filthy habit considerably, but sometimes the sight of a pack through the glass window of a store is too strong, too enticing. Said pack weighted down in his trouser's back pocket, burning a hole. Besides, the Alpha only smoked when he had to go through files; arranging and sorting them had to be the most tedious work.




They should get someone for help, but with pack duties and their old assistant resigning, it got too much. He sucked in some more of the smoke, then crushed the butt against the tray.




Just then, someone knocked on their door, the sharp sound pricking at his ears. Dante was patrolling, so it's him and Zach in the cabin. A sigh escaped his lips as he dragged himself out of the chair and opened the door.




Ares gawked at the unfamiliar faces standing outside; his eyes narrowed together. A woman in her thirties along with two tall eccentric guys. Those suits looked far too familiar, but he didn't want to draw any conclusion. He waited for them to introduce themselves when his brother, Zach, happened to stand beside him.




"Who are these people?"



Ares shrugged. "I have no idea."



"Is Ava Pearl inside? We need to talk."



At the mention of the betas name, the hair on the back of his neck stood up in alert. Why were they looking for her? Before he could get a word out, Zach interrupted them, a low growl escaping his lips.




"Is that how you address Pack Leaders?"




The betas face flushed. She immediately bowed down and introduced herself as Perrie, mentioning her council position. Ares twisted his mouth at that, stomach in knots. How did they find out about her? The werewolves council of packs was a scared society built solely for the werewolves. It is above everyone.




Their father was once a member but resigned due to his deteriorating health. Whatever information they had about the council, the brothers received from their father. He worked in the council for years, and if one thing he taught them was to never mess with them.




"What business do you have with Ava?" Ares questioned, voice unwavering and eyes fixated on the council guards.




Perrie looked hesitant, mouth opening and closing as if she wasn't sure of revealing the information. "Umm...may we speak with her directly?"




"She's not here", Zach huffed.




Perrie pressed her lips together, gripping her notepad. "But we have a reliable tip that she's in fact in your pack grounds."




Ares glared at his brother. What was with the hostile tone? Did he want to create more problem than they already had? Forcing out a short chuckle, the Alpha patted his brother's shoulder jokingly. "My brother here means that she's not living with us in our cabin. Her condition is unstable at the moment, so we admitted Ava to our clinic."




"Oh. But we need to talk with her now."




Ares cleared his throat. "No worries. We will get her here as soon as possible."




Perrie looked conflicted for a second before nodding her head. "We can wait here in the meantime."
***
The heels of his boots click against the ground as Ares made his way to the clinic, which was quaint and doesn't usually stand out against the row of identical houses, except a huge board with neat calligraphy font on the roof, differencing it from the rest.




There's a low buzz in the back of his ears, a nervous sweat soaking his skin and a mild throbbing in his temples. Zach was fuming by his side, molars grinding together.




"I knew that beta was a trouble!"



"We don't know if it's her", Ares rasped. It sounded stupid even to his ears. The council was acting upon a tip given to them. Why would anyone else want Ava to stay in the pack except for her?




"Are you listening to yourself?" Zach snorted. "I thought Dante was the naive one!"




Ares let out a sigh. His brother has been trying to convince them that she was bad news ever since they found out about her. Of course, he would take the chance to gloat. The sound of the door shutting snapped him out of his thoughts, and he caught Zach's eyes, finding nothing but anger in them.




It was not going to end well, the Alpha thought to himself.




Gulping down the lump in his throat, he stepped into the corridor, the fragrance of tea sweetening the air. He didn't dare remove his coat even though the inside was nice and warm, somehow finding comfort in the weight it added to his shoulders.




They headed straight to a room only to find it empty, sheets folded. His head snapped in the direction of his brother.




"Fuck!" Zach cursed under his breath, a hand running through his hair. "Where did she go?"




"She must be around somewhere. I don't think the beta could have left without a word." Ares tried to reason out, panic rising in his chest. At first, when he heard Zach's ridiculous rules, he laughed to himself. Now they seemed reasonable. How could she leave her room while being under treatment?





"We should ask around."




Zach scowled but still nodded his head. They managed to ask the doctor on round, but he had no idea about Ava. She left before his shift could start. Frustrated, they ended up in a cafe where they were successful in tracking Ava and Rayly
***
Of course, the Council members turned out to be impatient and followed them all the way. Not surprising. Ares stood with his brother calmly, letting Perrie talk with Ava. The Alpha was taken back as he heard the word "summon" by the beta. It sounded scary.




Perrie pointedly turned towards them. "Alpha Zach, Alpha Ares and your brother, Alpha Dante, needs to be present in the council as well. There will be no official letter as we are acting upon a tip." She licked her lips before pulling out the card, which had a token number.




Zach opened his mouth, definitely to raise another argument, when Ares gripped his hand and shook his head. The action was noticed by Perrie, who smiled.




"Hope to see you three tomorrow along with Miss Ava. Thank you very much for your time."




She bowed down before the sound of her heels clicking against the floor disappeared.