Chapter 69 The Marina

(Hope POV)

It's been a very busy week for me. Board meetings during the day and events at night. I presumed we all would be going back to the territory after staying here for 3 days, unfortunately my schedule needed me to stay for a while longer. Apparently, Stella Foundation had planned a small soiree in Arthur's honor, something I didn't want to miss. Since the party was tonight, there were no meetings for today and for the first time since I arrived, I could savor the morning not rushing to get to a meeting.

Amelie and Alarick's mating ceremony went smoothly. I was expecting another interruption such as the one at the Hemming Event, but I guess I was just paranoid. Everyone had fun at The Plaza and the couple, after mating, flew to the Bahamas for a short honeymoon. I just received a message they have just arrived back, also not wanting to miss the celebration later.

My phone pings again and I see a message from Lucian asking to join him and Amanda on their newly purchased yacht for lunch today. That's something Alexander and I could do for today. I walk to the small office in the suite and I find him typing on his laptop furiously with a frown on his brow. I wait until he stops typing to interrupt him in his work.

"Alexander, Lucian and Amanda have invited us to have lunch with them at their yacht." He looks up and finally notices me standing in the doorway.

"Sorry, Hope. I need to finish these before 3PM today so they include this shipment in the manifest for tonight. You can go without me. Have some fun with my sister and her mate. Anyway, you need to be back at around 3PM to prepare for your event." Alexander looks at me, frustrated all these documents need to be prepared in such short notice.

"I'll just have Oliver get you lunch then." I walk to where he was seated and start massaging his shoulders to ease some of his stress.

"That feels wonderful, my love, but if you continue doing that, I won't be able to finish my work." He takes my hands and kisses them. "Go, get ready for your lunch date with my sister."

"Alright. Just call on Oliver when you need anything. Bye, Alexander. I'll see you later." I close the door to the office and walk to our bedroom while messaging Lucian that it will only be me for lunch. He messages me back saying me alone for lunch is fine. He had some business dealings he wanted to discuss with me.

It will be my first time on a yacht and I want to see what it's like. I asked Alexander if I could buy my own plane and he said we already have one so, why buy another one. He did suggest I buy a luxury passenger helicopter instead, a Sikorsky VIP chopper. I already ordered one and the company said it will be delivered in Seattle in a week. Maybe I could buy a yacht also, but who would use it though? Let's see first before I go shopping.

Grace and Maria, l had placed in charge for the preparations of the gathering later tonight and they, with Ava, were already at the venue making sure everything was in order. Oliver, I had to leave for Alexander, so I had Mark and Yuri come with me. Even if Alarick was back from his honeymoon, Yuri wanted to give the newlyweds some space and whenever Alexander or I needed someone, Yuri always volunteered so he had something to do.

The marina was about 40 minutes away from the building, not too far away, but it was a bit traffic, normal for a Friday in New York City. Lucian said all I had to do was present myself with my entourage at the receptionist or just look for the yacht named "Lucy".

We arrived 15 minutes before noon. The marina was a small quaint area along the Hudson River surrounded by tall buildings. We had to walk a short way from the parking lot and right away we saw the yacht named Lucy docked at the end of the marina. We looked inside the building whose company handles the marina, however no one was inside. Only a few other boats were docked, still not one person in sight, not even on Lucy.

"Seems like no one is around." Mark sniffed the air to check. "Damn, I can't catch a scent. The wind is too strong. How about you, Yuri? Anything?"

"This is strange. They're expecting us and there isn't even one person waiting to welcome us." Yuri sniffs the air. The wind and the scent of the sea water were giving us problems focusing on a scent, any scent.

"Let's leave. This isn't right." Mark presses a number on his phone and takes my arm to guide me back to the car. "Alexander, there is no one here. What? Amanda is back at the territory. Yeah, yeah, yeah, we're leaving now." Mark puts his phone in his pocket. "Luna, this is a trap. We need to get out of here. This is too secluded."

"You said Amanda. Where is she?" I asked Mark.

"She's back at the territory. She called Alexander to say everything is fine back at home." Mark starts walking very fast almost dragging me with him when a person landed gracefully on his two feet in front of us. He lifted his head to show us his face, his eyes were black and his fangs out ready to attack.

More of them started landing around us, surrounding us. From behind the the wolf in front of us, a small man approached us. He was well dressed, his black hair slicked back with pomade, his eyes a faint red and a curled moustache sat atop of his mouth. When he opened his mouth though, his tongue and his teeth were black.

"Daughter of Adella, it is a privilege to meet you." The short man bows. "My name is Elliot, but I am usually referred to as Gamma."

"My master has long waited for your coming, daughter of Adella. You must have heard of the prophecy? The child of a Priestess and an Alpha will kill The Rogue Lord?" The Gamma's voice sounded like nails on a blackboard...when you hear it, your hair stands up at attention. I nodded my head to acknowledge I know of the prophecy.

"I am Hope. What do you require of me, Elliot?" I wave my hand creating an energy field between them and us. Clearly we were outnumbered, however, they do not know the power I possess. Aside from the 100 wolves here on the marina, I sense there are more of them in the buildings around us. The sky above starts to darken, the black clouds cover the sun, the wind starts to pick up and the river starts to swell. The rogues surrounding us start to whimper.

"I would like to ask you politely, of course, to come with me. The Rogue Lord would like the honor of meeting you. IF you come with me without a fight, your two friends," The Gamma waves at Yuri and Mark, "I will allow to go free, unscathed."

"And if I chose to fight?" The Butler laughs at my question. His red eyes look at me mockingly.

"We will kill all three of you." His tone defiant.

"I see. I do have one question for you, Elliot, before I make my decision."

"Yes, daughter of Adella, what is it?" He sounded impatient.

"You said you were going to kill us. You and what army?" I raise my hands to the sky and directed the lightning to all the rogues surrounding us. Some of the rogues started jumping out of the buildings as reinforcements for their fallen comrades, but lightning struck them as soon as they landed. After the lightning stopped, all the rogues lay down on the ground, smoke coming from their bodies. I looked at Elliot who I deliberately missed, his hair was sticking up from all the static in the air. He shifted and this small man turned into a huge grey wolf bigger than the usual wolf. I clearly underestimated Elliot. No wonder he was The Rogue Lord's Gamma.

Mark and Yuri shifted to protect me. Some rogues started to jump from the buildings again, thinking the lightning has stopped. Once they landed the lightning struck them. I looked up and saw a rogue deciding whether to jump. I winked at him and lightning struck the flower pot on the veranda from where he stood. He went back inside.

Elliot moved back while Mark and Yuri advanced towards of him. He suddenly turned around and sprinted towards the building, then he jumped on the wall of the building and started scaling it, his huge claws digging into the cement, creating holes. Once he was high enough, it entered a window, glass shards falling on the marina below. 

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(Elliot POV)

I don't want to die yet. I need to retreat and report this to The Butler.

You win this time daughter of Adella. You may possess great power, but there are ways to strip you of your power.

I arrive at one of the rooms of the building where I had left some clothing just in case I needed to shift to my wolf form. I hurriedly change hiding my identity with a cap and sunglasses. I order the surviving rogues via mind link to make way to the abandoned building which serves as our hideout to regroup. I leave the building and enter my car and drive to our hideout. When I arrive, most of my men who survived the onslaught of the daughter of Adella were already there waiting with The Butler.

"What has happened? Why have only a few returned? And where is the daughter of Adella? You had vowed you would bring her to me." The Butler's screechy voice echoed around us.

"She possesses great power, Sire. She killed all of the men who attempted to abduct her by use of lightning."

"She what?!" The Butler was surprised to hear the daughter of Adella was able to thwart an army of rogues. "The same was said of the she-rogues. Unfortunately, none of the bodies were found."

"Sire, she disposes of the carnage after the fact. I saw her dump all the bodies into the river by a wave of her hand." One of my men had apparently watched her after I had retreated.

"Sire, we need to drug her to repel her magic. I was wrong to believe we did not need the use of the drug we used to incapacitate Adella before the extermination of her pack. We can have the traitor Lawrence slip it into her drink before we abduct her. Another party in honor of the High Elder is said to happen later tonight. We can abduct her then." I suggest, hoping the plan will work.

"Of course. However, the High Elder will be with her. It will be difficult to abduct her while she is in his company. All the same, we are already here and The Rogue Lord will have our heads if we arrive empty handed." The Butler takes out his phone. "I will speak to Lawrence Hemming and have him slip the elixir. He knows he will not be paid unless we succeed in our mission. Ready your men. Tonight, we take the daughter of Adella even if the High Elder will be on watch."