Chapter 71 The Unexpected

(Hope POV)

Tonight I was wearing an ivory off shoulder sleeveless tea length satin A-line cocktail dress with a small bow in the front. Alexander had a tux on and as usual was handsome as ever.

We sent our parents home so they would be safe from the Rogue army. I didn't want my mother to suffer again from all the trauma my new world has been throwing at me. I casted an invisibility spell so they wouldn't be noticed by anyone as they left for the airport. I had Grace and Ava acconpany them as their security just in case something goes wrong. Grace called me from the airport and said she will call again once they land safely in Seattle. They will be staying at the Ulrich building where Howard has already sent some of the men to keep watch.

Amelie and Alarick are also on alert. Actually, Alarick wanted to go over to the Hemming Building and beat the crap out of Lawrence for making a deal with The Rogue Lord, but Amelie talked some sense into him, saying we couldn't just rush into things without evidence.

"I'll be watching him like a hawk if he's dumb enough to show up." Alarick slams his fist on the table.

"He'll show up for sure. He probably thinks we think it's Lucian. Never underestimate stupidity." Amalie told her mate.

"Da. If my feeling is right, they will try again tonight. If they do not do it at the party, they will make sure to ambush us somewhere. We must stay vigilant." Yuri on military mode.

"Alexander said he has called an ally here in the east, Alpha William of the Nightfall Howlers Pack. Some of his pack live here in the city. They will be manning our route to the Four Season's Hotel." Alarick felt confident the Rogue Army was clearly underestimating our capacity to plan.

The party's venue is one of the ballrooms of the Four Season's Hotel. Since the party was for Arthur, I wanted it to be in a nice place. After Amelie used all her connection to squeeze in her mating ceremony at The Plaza Hotel, I knew she could do it for me at the Four Season's and did she deliver.

We arrived as the ballroom was filling up. The board members of the Stella Foundation were already seated at their tables, enjoying appetizers and wine. Christy, my assistant, ushered us in to our tables near the front of the stage.

The servers placed a plate of appetizers in front of each of us and filled our glasses with red wine. I was about to wrap a napkin over my glass when Lawrence unexpectedly came to our table with a glass of red wine in his hand. He placed his glass right next to mine. Alexander who was beside me, stands and shakes his hand. Lawrence turns to me, I stand to greet him while Alexander sits back down.

"Hope, I would like to personally thank you for inviting me. Your party is much organized than mine. You should give me the name of your event organizer."

"Christy, my assistant, did all the hard work. She is very good at all this." I waves my hand at the party. "Reason why I'm going to give her a bonus once this is all over." I kiss him on the cheek.

"We'll, the party is about to start. I better get to my table." He picks up his glass of wine from the table and raises his glass for a toast. We all pick up our glasses, raise them and take a sip. When I put my glass down, he smiled at me, nodded his head and walked to his table.

Arthur was on stage making a short speech when I excused myself from the table to go the Ladies'. While I was washing my face, my phone started ringing. I hurriedly wiped my hands and take my phone out from my clutch thinking it was Grace, but I saw an unknown number. I answer it and all I could hear was a wheezing sound.

"Am I speaking to the daughter of Adella?" Another one with a creepy voice. I thought Elliot's voice was creepy enough, this one was a whole other level.

"Yes, this is Hope. May I know who this is?"

"Greetings daughter of Adella. I am referred to by many as the Butler." I am really getting tired of people not calling me by my name.

"What can I do for you, uhm, Butler?"

"There is a certain little girl that requires your assistance. You do remember the little girl from the Hemming event, yes?"

"Of course. How can I not?"

"You did tell her she could call on you if ever she needed your help. Well.." He trails off and I hear some footsteps and a chair scraping the floor.

"Miss Hope, some bad men are hurting my mommy!" I hear the panic in the little girl's voice. "Please help us!" I hear a snarl and the little girl screams.

"Did you hear that, daughter of Adella. The little girl needs your help." The Butler makes a wheezing sound.

"What do you require of me?"

"You are to come here, alone. I will leave the humans alone in exchange for you. A car is waiting at the back entrance of the hotel. If you tell anyone, I will be notified. Do come quickly, daughter of Adella. My army of men are very...hungry." He wheezes some more and hangs up.

I exit the Ladies' and hear Arthur still talking on stage. One of the attendants was already waiting for me so he can usher me to exit the ballroom and the hotel via the back.

A black car was waiting for me with Elliot beside it. He opens the door of the backseat of the car and gestures his hand for me to enter with a sneer.

I look inside and it was empty meaning Elliot will be my driver.

"I will ride with you in front." I tell him.

"You have no room to negotiate."

"Ah, I think I can live with 2 dead humans on my conscience. How about you, Elliot? Can you live without your head when your master hears of your failure?" I look at his red eyes and smirk. "Well, see you around Elliot." I take a step back to head to the back entrance.

"Fine. You may sit in the front." He closes the door of the backseat and opens the door in the front. I walk towards him and I make myself comfortable in the front of the car. He enters and start to drive, exiting the hotel grounds.

"There is a GPS tracker. I will punch in the address of the humans. You make a wrong turn and I will slice your throat with this." I show him a silver knife in cloth. "Lock the doors. You open them, I will slice your throat."

"You have thought this through. I am impressed. It must be very difficult not to be able to rely on your magic." I look at him with a wide eyed look. He laughs.

We arrive at the small apartment building of the little girl without any obstacles. He opens the door for me to exit. Someone was already waiting at the entrance of the building. I look around, checking the other buildings before I entered. There were rogues on the rooftops.

Elliot guides me to the elevator to take us to the 4th floor. When the doors of the elevator opened, a dozen rogues were standing along the hallway. Some very young. The door to the apartment of the little girl was open. I walk slowly to towards it.

"Daughter of Adella, welcome. As you can see I have kept the end of my bargain." The Butler was a small old man with a sinister smile. The little girl was hugging her mother to dear life while the mother was rubbing her shoulders trying to comfort her when she herself could not stop crying.

"I am here. Now, let them go."

"I can not do that. They are hungry." The Butler waves at his men attempting to double cross me.

"To the men here, if you want fair treatment, you can join me and be part of my pack." I say loudly.

"What are you doing?" The Butler gasps.

"I am inviting your men to join me. Whatever harsh treatment you have been given by The Rogue Lord, I will be fair. I will provide you food, shelter, employment and even an education. I see some of you are very young and have not been given a good life. I can give you a good life. Join me and we can rebuild Crescent Moon." I look at all them so they can see the truth in my words.

"Shut up!" Elliot raises his hand to strike me, but 2 rogues stopped him.

"You mean, you will provide us with a house, beds, food and clothing?" One of the rogues asked. I nodded my head.

"All of you will die if you join her. The Rogue Lord will have your heads. You there, sedate her quick." A man in the shadows rushes towards me with a syringe in his hand. Suddenly, the syringe flies from his hand unto his neck, the plunger pushing the sedative into his bloodstream.