Chapter 71 Rumors and Last Minute Plans

*Eric Lockwood *

"Father, there has been no sign of Lucas. We suspect after the howl he also became ill, him and his half-breed daughter," Chase said. We were inside my hotel room, here at the Four Seasons, and were anticipating my nomination for High Councilman.

The crème de la crème of all wolf society, here and abroad, was here in New York City. The whole Four Seasons hotel was fully booked by wolves. Everywhere you turned, there was someone you had to say hello to or talk business with. It was one of those rare occasions where all wolf kind was in one spot for a night.

But it wasn't the Christmas Ball that had brought everyone to the Four Seasons. It was because the High Lord Wolf was going to announce the nominees for High Councilman. It was a skip, hop and a jump away from the coveted High Lord Wolf position.

There were three positions available, however six will be nominated. I know I undoubtedly secured a nomination. I just needed to win in the election which will be held on New Year's Eve.

That's where Jacob Johnson comes in. All I needed was 39 plus 2 votes to win. Since Jacob Johnson has business with most of the Elders, he promised he would secure their votes for me and as payment, I will nominate him to take my place as Elder. It will be win-win situation for everyone.

"And how about Athena? Has she been seen entering New York City?" I asked Chase.

"No sign of her, although she was on the list of attendees for this evening." He showed me the pages of the list of the attendees of the Christmas Ball. "I have a group of men manning the entrance of the hotel. When they spot her, they will abduct her before she is able to enter the ballroom," he said.

"Good. I don't want anyone ruining tonight. Tonight is my night. Once I become nominated, I need to campaign aggressively if I want to become High Councilman," I replied.

We heard an unexpected knock on the door. Chase stood up from the couch of the hotel room and peered through the peephole.

"Father, it is Elder Callahan," he said before he opened the door. "Good afternoon, Elder Callahan." Chase bowed to my fellow Elder. He and I were good enough friends. I definitely had his vote.

"Good afternoon, Eric." He bowed his head slightly as he entered the room. He waited for Chase to close the door before he spoke again. "I have some important news. Minerva Allen is said to be in prison and is an Elder no more. According to my source, she was charged with murder," Elder Callahan said. I stared at him like it was a joke. I was waiting for a punchline, but it never came.

"Is this source reliable?" I asked him.

"Yes, very reliable," he answered.

"Minerva Allen, a murderer? Who in the world did she kill?" I asked. Murder is one of the rarest reasons to be imprisoned knowing most wolves kill anyway. I myself have killed so many, but I still enjoyed my freedom because I was not dumb enough to ever admit to my crimes.

"She was said to have killed a missing Alpha. I still don't have the details on who this missing Alpha is. Do you think Minerva Allen killed your son Lucas, Eric? He was the first wolf that came to mind when I heard the news," Elder Callahan said.

"And why would she kill Lucas?" Chase asked. "If I remember correctly, Minerva Allen was his teacher as well as mine. A teacher killing a former student? Doesn't seem plausible." I shook my head at him. He was such an idiot.

"Chase, think! It is possible Lucas had dirt on Minerva Allen. Maybe found something about her when he was still a student? He probably went to her so she could provide him safe passage into New York and tried to blackmail her in doing so. She being the longest reigning Elder, Minerva Allen had an automatic nomination for High Councilman and was practically a shoo-in candidate. She had dirt on every wolf in the Council. If Lucas told her he would go public with whatever he had on her to damage her reputation, I believe it was in her best interest to kill him," I speculated. If this were true, two rotten eggs were out of the equation. I smiled. Tonight was definitely my night.

"Well, I have not yet confirmed the details from my source, Eric, yet it is safe to assume the missing Alpha is he. I have never heard of any other missing Alpha except for your son," Elder Callahan said.

The fates have blessed me once more. My granddaughter who is now without a father will surely mate with the son of Edward Crowne. All we needed to do was plan the perfect abduction or plan the perfect accident where Ethan's new Luna will perish, leaving him a widow free to mate again.

"Chase, check if Alpha Ethan Crowne is on the list," I said. He nodded his head and began to flip through the pages.

"Found him." He pointed at Ethan's name on one of the pages of the list. "It says here he has a plus one."

"Call reception and find out where Edward Crowne's room is. I need to speak with him. It is a matter of both of our futures." I poured some champagne in three glasses and handed the other two glasses to Chase and Elder Callahan. I raised my glass in the air for a toast.

"Here's to me becoming High Councilman without anymore obstacles. Soon, everything will fall into place and the past that happened eighteen years ago, will remain a part of the past."

"Hear, hear," Elder Callahan said.

I sipped some of my champagne. Success tasted so good.

________________

*Edward Crowne *

Politics 101: Politics is governed by the rich.

Six Elders will be nominated as High Councilman, but who will they be? I was promising so much to so many, just to snare a nomination for Elder. Even if I was the richest in the Pacific West Coast, there was someone out there even richer than me and had more alliances. I just needed one of the High Councilman to nominate me as Elder, then all the promises I have made to the majority will be my way in. I have already signed contracts and sealed business dealings with quite a number of wolves today. Soon, I won't just be a former Alpha, I will soon have authority once again as an Elder.

I had just arrived at my hotel room to take a shower and get ready for the ball when the doorbell to my room rang. I looked through the peephole and saw Elder Eric Lockwood standing infront of my door. Great! The one Elder who kills his own family to get ahead. After he propositioned me in killing his own granddaughter, I avoided him as much as possible. As much as I would want Ethan to mate Sophia Johnson, killing my son's fated mate was probably something I would do as a last resort.

I opened the door wide and bowed. "Good evening, Elder Lockwood. Come in." Elder Lockwood nodded his head at me and walked inside my room. Good thing housekeeping had already cleaned my room. I looked around in the hallway to make sure no one was lurking before I closed the door.

"Elder Lockwood, what a surprise! I wasn't expecting you to visit. How can I be of service?" I asked. I wanted him out of my room so I could get ready.

"There is news that Minerva Allen was charged with murder of a missing Alpha. Rumor has it, it might be my son Lucas. If this is true, my granddaughter has no one else to turn to, but your son. This means they will be try to have a mating ceremony as soon as possible. Ethan Crowne is on the list of attendees for the Christmas Ball with a plus one. I suspect this 'plus one' is my granddaughter. I need you to distract your son so I can abduct my granddaughter. I already have men and women in place for the abduction. You do this for me and I will make sure you will be nominated for Elder," Elder Lockwood said.

"How do you propose to abduct your granddaughter?" I asked.

"By placing a chemical in her drink that will cause her to become violently ill. Once she excuses herself to go to the restroom, I need you to distract your son's attention away from the restroom. My people will do the rest. I will have Sophia Johnson comfort your son. It will be quick and everyone will get what they want."

"That's all I need to do? Distract my son?" Eric Lockwood nodded his head. "And what will become of the girl?" I asked.

"She will die after the rogues have had their way with her," he answered. I sighed. Poor girl. But I needed my son to mate with Sophia. Their mating will make sure our pack never goes bankrupt again.

I extended my hand to Eric Lockwood and he grasped my hand for a handshake, sealing the deal.

"I will help you, Elder Lockwood. I will distract my son. You have my word."

___________________

*One*

I was on the phone with Eric Lockwood and I was in good spirits. The shipment of elixir had just arrived without me paying a cent for it. However, the mage was nowhere to be found. This means this is the last supply of elixir for now. I have employed chemists to break down the elixir to its simplest components for them to try and replicate it. Unfortunately, it might take months for them to do it so whatever I had, if I do sell it, will cost gold.

"E.L., everything is in place. My men are disguised as servers at the Christmas Ball tonight. Look for the server named Dos and tell him what you need done. For now, they are already on the look out for Athena and Ethan Crowne," I told him.

"Good. If all goes well, One, I will make sure when I am High Councilman, you will be able to continue your activities without ever looking behind your shoulder. I will even recruit some of your men to be part of my private army," he said.

"I have one small question, E.L."

"What is it?" Lockwood asked, impatient.

"What if the rumors are wrong and Lucas isn't the missing Alpha Minerva Allen has killed? What should my men do if he suddenly shows up? Kidnap him too? Let's face it, that old hag can't even lift her cane and all of a sudden she killed a wolf who is still in his prime? E.L., I'm telling you. It doesn't make sense."

"You don't know Minerva Allen like I do, One. She might have ordered her butler, Jonathan, to do the killing for her," he replied. I chuckled. He didn't know everything.

"Well, there's something you don't know about Jonathan, E.L. My men found his dead body in the basement of Minerva Allen's mansion in Rhode Island. He was floating in a vat of boiled skin. According to my men, he looked 'cooked' himself." I pictured Jonathan in the vat and laughed. " Listen to me E.L., what if this whole 'Minerva Allen story' was just a hoax. What if Lucas, in cahoots with Minerva Allen, made the story up to make you believe he was dead. What then?" I waited for Eric Lockwood to answer. Apparently, he was deep in thought.

"Jonathan and Minerva were very close. He has been her loyal servant for several years. That could be the reason why Minerva Allen killed Lucas. He probably killed Jonathan," Eric Lockwood said. "However, you make a valid point. We must always have a plan B. Make sure your men are equipped with sedatives, silver knives as well as silver handcuffs. If Lucas is alive and is able to enter the hotel, make sure your men are ready to take him down. I do not want any complications tonight. I want tonight to be a night to remember."

"Am I allowed to use any means necessary?" I asked him.

"For Lucas? If you have to, you can slit his throat infront all the guests," he answered.

I smiled. The crazies are coming out to play.

This will surely be a night to remember.