Chapter 23|Plan A.

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Alexander paced around his room, the to and fro motion sending Francis and Damon's head spinning. His head was pounding as though it was being hit with a hammer again and again. The other two were both seated on the settees lavished in the room.

"The Council wants your and Arabella's engagement to be held soon and be made public immediately after, people from her Pack are asking for the date you agreed to hold the engagement party."

"They can go to hell. The Council and her Pack representatives can go to hell." Alexander spoke through gritted teeth.

"I think it's best if you do as Old Bea says, it won't be wise to do otherwise. You'll be tempering with an edict made from your blood." The Beta spoke up for the first time.

Alexander narrowed his gaze at the speaker, "You mean we should get along so it gives you the chance to wrap Isabelle up in your charms and with your attention. What fucking game are you playing at Francis?" His voice was low but the menace lacing gave hint to the danger Alex was capable of doing.

Francis scoffed at his seething leader, with determination in his eyes he spoke, "All I did was escort her to dinner, or would you rather we let her make her way there alone in an unfamiliar place?"

"All you did was escort her." He scoffed again, "I felt the switch in her feelings, I know you were the reason for that and I'm grateful but the fuck if I'll sit back while you hold her in your arms, feel her skin on yours and whisper bullshit to her ears."

Francis stood from his chair staring at his Alpha with an incredulous expression, "Why the fuck are you acting like you walked in on me fucking her skin to skin?"

Alexander pictured just that and found his hands wrapped around his Beta's neck, threathening to cut off his air supply. Damon intercepted, he cooled both the seething Alpha and the equally enraged Beta down.

"I know how much you love her, trust me, she loves you too and she feels nothing towards me. Dammit Alex, what the fuck is wrong with you? I'm trying to make her feel belonged, like she's a part of us and all you're doing is accusing me of bullshit. Fuck man, you know me better than that but here me out this once Alex. I'll protect and be with Isabelle until you've sorted your situation with Arabella out. When you do that you'll be free to be with your woman."

Alexander glared hard at his Beta. He knew he had a point there but the thought of Francis being the one to keep her company made him loathe the edict much more than he first did. There was a line that couldn't be crossed between him and his two closest and most trusted repartees but the mere thought of Isabelle with a male that wasn't himself had him grounding hard on his teeth. Beta or not.

"Whatever you do Francis, don't touch her."

"Define touch." The Beta sarcastically snarled back with less vehemence than his Alpga.

"Don't fucking touch the nails on her finger. That's what I mean."

Francis smirked at the Alpha's misplaced possessiveness, "I'm not promising you anything because situations may arise and she might need my help, if it necessitates me touching her will make me break a vow and you know I have honor. Your jealousy is misplaced." He added the last part with a grin.

"The fuck it is, I grew up with you Francis, I know what you're capable of."

"You wound me." Francis dramatically splayed a palm over the left side of his chest. "But honestly speaking, there's something I feel towards her." He stopped when both the Alpha and Delta glared hard at him, with his hands up in mock surrender Francis continued speaking. "Have some faith in me, the feelings are platonic. It's just that I feel connected to her in a way I can't put a finger on and it irks me. I need to know everything about how you found her."

"How she found him more like, she found the Alpha wounded and left for the dead. We have important issues to discuss about especially pertaining your attack and the Pack's security." Damon explained, his scowl deepening.

Alexander and Francis both walked around until they were seated close to the Delta whose scowl was turning deeper by each passing second.

"The day you got missing we found tracks up North of both humans and wolves, we took it lightly without knowing you were attacked and missing already. When we tried your phone it went straight to voicemail, it was until the following day that your phone was tracked and found around the very area, that was when we knew something was wrong. Francis here and Luke suggested we keep it private for the time being." He paused to take a deep breath, referring to Lucas as Luke.

"The council heard and just when we began to make plans for your search, your Intended made her appearance and some members of the council suggested we not make mention of your absence until the situation was confirmed."

"Who suggested that?" Alex interrupted Damon.

"Viktor Ives , Alberto too and they were both backed up and supported by Adrianno Dimitri." Francis had a very sharp memory. He was as agile as he was charming which came in handy in lots of situations.

Adrianno Dimitri was among the few council members who were alive from when Stephano De Luca was Alpha. He ruled alongside the man as well as Enzo De Luca, old age did nothing to stop him from being a part of the Elders in the Council with Alexander as Alpha. He was seen as cunning and wise, courageous and confident. Having his support wasn't something that could easily be gotten.

He has something up his sleeves. Alexander thought, knowing Dimitri did nothing without second thoughts, but Alberto and Ives were among the few that Alexander couldn't find it in himself to trust.

"Rossi suggested Lucas take up your place and act as you knowing only the council were aware of her arrival. On the first Pack dinner that was held she claimed to be down with jetlag and so she wasn't able to come down for it." Damon furthermore explained.

"What bewilders me is how she jumped from Lucas to you just because she was apprised of the situation and the reason behind it." Francis muttered.

"It irks me too, there's something off about her. It's as if she knows things about me while I am left in the dark like a fucking idiot." Alexander tilted his head up, his fingers soothing the tense muscles of his head.

"We need to have eyes on Ives and Alberto. Someone needs to be assigned to the princess, I have no time to be at her beck and call. My wolf barely tolerates her scent."

"Lucas." Damon's one word response had both of them turning to him with brows raised up. "Lucas was the one who first entertained here around here. I think it's best if he gets assigned to the task. I have a feeling he stays around her on his own freewill. No obligation has ever made Lucas stay around for more than two weeks without fleeing like the hounds of hell were at his feet to some ungodly place for equally ungodly acts."

"Yeah, don't know how I didn't realize that earlier." Francis nodded repeatedly.

"Damon will take charge of the security problem, Francis will be with Isabelle, tastes vile in my mouth. Fucking touch her and I'll have your head on a pike faster than Damon can get your ass out of the country. I promise you."

"I won't touch her in any sexual or intimate way, I promise."

"I'll find out who's behind my attack myself. Let's keep this between ourselves, we have rats among the council members. Lastly, I'll take a trip to the girl's Pack and find out what I can about the edict." The Alpha explained.

"What of Old Bea?" Francis asked.

"What about her?" Alex asked back.

Francis exhaled through open lips before speaking, "Talk to her about the Arabella girl, that woman almost knows everything about almost everyone."

"I did, she spoke in the confusing way she does when she has that distant look in her eyes." He avoided having to explain the conservation that transpired between them as per her request.

"Ahh." Both men voiced out nodding in understanding.

"Wait. You said you don't remember anything before the attack?" Francis asked, "What of after, like how did you return to your senses?"

Alexander felt his heart aching with want for Isabelle, he missed feeling her in his arms coming apart from pleasure.

"When we mated, everything returned to me in a rush, I saw familiar and unfamiliar faces and events. I felt feelings, hurt, betrayal, passion, want but most of all I felt a terrifying sense of belonging. I knew she was my mate then."

"Definitely. Otherwise you both would've still been in the enchanted forest. Whoever is behind your attack must be someone who's familiar with black magic because it's only exile or black magic that could take one to the Forest of Eyre. They wiped your memory out."  Francis added.

"They did a good job, but they lost their chance to win against me. They should've killed me when they had the opportunity to. It was their once in a lifetime chance and they blew it." Alexander agreed, in the back of his mind he was making plans on how he was going to find out who was behind his attack, everything else came second.

He couldn't wait to be free of his intended's clutches.