HUNTED

Aila returned to the ballroom immediately, seeking out the other pack leaders. After finding them, she was then once again in Damon's office with Alpha Damon, Beta Kane, Gamma Chiara, Finn and Nairi. It was a good thing his office was a decent size; otherwise, it would be too crowded.

Alpha Damon stood, leaning against the desk with his hands resting on the wooden surface, his eyes stormy after hearing Aila tell them about Lydia and Darren's private conversation and the fact that Lydia calculated that the rogue vampire was someone Aila knew. Estimating that Gabriel was doing Aila's bidding.

"Well, he was.." Malia piped up.

"Yes, but I didn't ask him to," Aila murmured back to her wolf. 

Aila took a step towards Damon, her eyes locked with his as she tried to guess what he was thinking. It was not only the evening before he was to leave to meet with his father, the Alpha of the Blood Moon pack, but she was also meeting up with Hollie. Now, they stood facing each other about another obstacle, Lydia.

"Maybe we can put some guards around her house-"

"She already has them," Chiara interrupted; Aila frowned at this information.

"She thinks it's for her protection from the rogue vampire," Kane explained, who stood off next to Nairi to the opposite side of the room to Chiara. Aila looked back at Damon, whose features seemed to be darkening while his eyes flickered. Aila could see him thinking hard and possibly discussing with Darius what their next action should be. 

"If Lydia has guards around her, then she can't be much of a threat. Maybe over this weekend, she could be on house arrest?" Aila suggested.

"The pack won't like that," Kane started. 

Aila removed her eyes from Damon's and looked at Kane again, "We could still say it is for her own protection?"

Kane looked at Damon, not answering Aila. It was, after all, going to be his decision. 

"Have her under house arrest. As soon as she returns from here. We can deal with her when I am back," Damon commanded. Beta Kane nodded his head once and hastily left the room with Nairi in toll. Damon then looked at the Gamma, "Kane and I won't be here. I want you to set up a perimeter around Lydia's house but out of sight." He then glanced at Aila before continuing with his orders, "I also want a perimeter set up around wherever Aila is meeting her friend tomorrow."

"Damon, I don't need that much 'manpower' I am only meeting up with her and have already got Finn, Ajax, and now Darren," Aila started. She took a step back, almost tumbling down into her chair when Damon pushed off from the desk and towered over her; his domineering presence alone nearly knocked her off her feet. His chest was rising and falling slowly, but his hands were fisted by his sides, and his molten silver eyes hardened from what she said. 

"You will have this protection, Aila. End of fucking discussion. I told you I don't like it, and now we have a scheming bitch trying to take advantage of this. You are the pack's future Queen; you shouldn't be going anywhere without protection. Finn, Ajax and Darren are not enough. Even if this doesn't end up being a threat, there is still that small chance that it is," Damon's commanding tone left no room for defiance. 

Aila nodded her head and sat down in the chair behind her; now was not the time to argue. He was the Alpha of the pack, and it was disrespectful of her to defy him in front of other pack members. Damon was also only making sure she was protected in case something did happen.

Gamma Chiara coughed, gaining the pair's attention away from each other, and they turned their heads to look at her. "Aila, where are you meeting with your friend tomorrow?" Chiara asked; her face was neutral as though Damon's overpowering, angry presence was not making the air thin and the room grow smaller. Or was that just her perception? 

"Hold on, let me call her now. I missed her call earlier," Aila replied as she scrolled through her contacts on her phone. She put the phone next to her ear, waiting for Hollie to pick up, all eyes were on her now while she waited, but only one set of eyes was making her shift in her seat. 

The phone went to voicemail, so she hung up. Damon leaned back against the desk after hearing the rings turn to voicemail. 

"Hollie said to text her the details. So, maybe Silver Thorn shopping centre? It's in public and will be easy to set up a perimeter of warriors around," Aila said as she glanced up to Damon from her phone. 

He nodded his head, "Chiara." He didn't need to say anything else as the Gamma nodded her head once and left the room, most likely following through with her orders. That left Damon, Aila and Finn in the office. 

Finn had been quiet during their little meeting and finally spoke up, "What about Darren?"

Damon turned his head to Finn and arched a brow, "What about him? You have your orders, Finn."

Aila was typing out her text message to Hollie but stopped and glanced between the pair before asking, "What orders?"

Finn parted his lips, ready to tell her, but Damon shook his head, "Nothing for you to worry about. Just find out what Hollie wants tomorrow and leave the security details to Finn and Chiara." 

Aila sighed and went back to finishing her text message before leaving the office with Damon and Finn. They weren't needed now at the wake, not that there were many pack members left there, it only seemed to be the families and close friends remaining, but even they were dwindling, and they began going back to their houses. Aila walked by Damon's side but stopped and turned to look at Finn when she realised something.

"Can you tell Ajax everything that we have discussed, please? I should be meeting Hollie at 1-" Her phone vibrated, and she looked down at the text received from Hollie, "Okay, she just confirmed it. Meeting at 1. Maybe beforehand we can go see my mum, try and get Ajax able to mind-link us."

"Are you sure you really want Ajax to mind-link you, Aila?" Finn jested, but his smile left his face when Damon turned around, looking as though he would murder someone, that someone being Ajax. It was odd; she thought Damon was over the shapeshifter, but then, their mate bond was something of a rollercoaster, making their feelings enhanced. A minor temper could seem like he had anger issues. Which Aila did not believe was the case.

Aila rolled her eyes at her mate, "It will make everything easier. He's part of the security tomorrow and will need to keep in communication with Finn and me," Aila explained and saw Damon's bristling energy simmer down. Aila knew she was right; it was far better to have Ajax able to talk to them, especially if he suddenly turned into a fricken owl or something and flew off. Although Ajax wasn't part of the pack, he was starting to be someone of use to them, or well to Aila. 

She would never get rid of Ajax unless he wanted to leave. Aila knew the pack was wary of him, but Ajax and Finn now came as a package deal with her, and he would soon earn their trust; she was sure of it. 

Once they were at the bottom of the stairs, Damon and Aila parted ways with Finn, who took off searching for Ajax. That left the pair to relax in the bedroom. Or more like, Aila relaxed as she lay down on the sofa kicking her heels off again and massaging her feet while Damon began packing. 

"You know I don't want to go now, Aila. But I need to. I have to see what is going on with my dad's territories and the rising attacks from the rogues.  If it wasn't important, then I'd be coming with you tomorrow," Damon spoke through gritted teeth as he rummaged through their wardrobe and threw a few clothes he needed into a leather duffel bag.

"Don't worry about me. I will be fine. Just stay safe tomorrow. You are taking more than just Kane, right?" Aila's forehead creased in angst as she started to worry about the journey and this uprising of the rogues. She was unsure of the specifics or if the land was swarming with rogues ready to take any pack members out, including the Alpha King. But, just how Damon worried for her, she, of course, was concerned about his safety.

Damon turned around and smiled before lowering himself down into a crouch next to the sofa. He raised his hand and stroked the side of her face, "We have ten of the finest warriors coming with us. Just as you will have the other ten with you."

Aila sighed, "Do you normally have twenty with you then?" 

She felt uneasy at the idea that he was halving his protection for her. 

Damon shrugged, "They're never needed. What matters now is that you are safe, Aila. If anything happens to you.." He paused as his eyes searched hers. Aila could see how much he cared for her at that moment, and it warmed and broke her heart. She didn't want to be separated from him, but it had to be done. 

Aila leaned forwards and kissed his lips before pulling back, "Nothing will happen. I promise."

"Don't make promises you can't keep," Damon lowered his voice, leaning his forehead against hers as he closed his eyes, inhaling her scent as he did so.

"I always keep my promises, Dam Dam."

Damon smiled at his old nickname. He knew Aila well, and she always kept her promises. The problem was this one she couldn't possibly keep. Unlike Aila, Damon had been a werewolf for longer; if they counted the years' Malia was locked away from Aila. From his years as a werewolf, he knew never to doubt any senses or strong feelings, it was a wolf's instinct, and it was always right.

So, when Aila said something was off, he knew straight away something was indeed off. With that thought in mind, he mind-linked Chiara and doubled the guards on the perimeter that would surround the shopping centre. 

"It's better to be safe than sorry. And you know, if anything happened to our mate, I will take over Damon. You have my word on that," Darius growled through his mind. 

Damon had no doubt that Darius would take the reins. He would gladly give it to him because if something happened to Aila, then he would happily let Darius kill anyone in their way of seeking vengeance.