The Alpha Queen's Vengeful Return

Vanessa's Point of View
 
Clinton was the last person to come inside, and I quicklychecked the staircase to see if he had been followed then locked the door.
He looked at me alarmingly, and more surprised that the restof the council members were already seated in dusty chairs in the wine cellar.
"Wasn't expecting this. Are we meeting in undergroundplaces now?" he said, and I could tell that he was making light of thecurrent situation. "Why are we meeting here, Vanessa?"
"We have a problem," I answered.
"If you are referring to the new Alpha leader, then yesI would agree that we have a dead problem on our hands but there is adequatelynothing we can do about that shindig."
"He is a piece of crap," I remarked.
"There is no need for that, Vanessa," Derekcautioned. He always wanted to play big brother.
"Kevin Oates isn't the problem that I want us to beaware of," I said. "Sabrina is missing."
Clinton scoffed. "What do you mean Sabrina ismissing?"
"It is exactly the way you heard it, Clinton. I haven'tseen her since the day Kevin rejected her for that lowlife."
"So what are you saying, Vanessa?" Derek asked.
"Isn't it odd to you? Our Alpha leader was cheated outof her throne and rejected by the man she loved, and disappeared on that sameday."
"So you are saying he had something to do with herabsence?" Clinton said.
"I know you're not really a fast thinker, Clinton butyes."
Clinton gave me a ridiculous look and I turned to the rest.
"I think it's too early to start pointing fingers,Vanessa," said Ana in her slow drawl. "For what we know, she mightjust be somewhere crying her heart out."
"And that is where I have another problem," Iconfessed. "Sabrina shouldn't be alone at such a time. She could hurtherself."
"You are her cousin, aren't you?" Derek said."Shouldn't you know where she might be?"
I shook my head. "No, I don't. And that is why I'vecalled you all here to see how best we can find her." There was a smile onClinton's face. "What's that smile for?"
"I don't think that is it. Not all of it. You just wantus to plot against Kevin, right? I mean, you obviously blame him for Sabrina'sdisappearance but what if you are wrong?"
"And what if I am right?" I countered.
"Why would he want her to disappear? He's been with herfor a whole year so he should know that Sabrina isn't a threat."
Of course, he was one of the people who was against mycousin becoming Alpha leader. According to Clinton, she didn't have what ittook to be the leader of Tweeds. She wasn't her father, and would never be. SoI guessed he was happy that Kevin had cheated Sabrina out of her position tobecome Alpha King. He was one bloody piece of misogynist!
"I think Councilman Clinton is right. We can't blameKevin for her disappearance, considering what we know about her."
I had to cut in. "And what do we know about her? Thatshe is a scaredy cat? She backs out of trouble when she sees one?"
No one said anything and I realized that they all agreedwith Derek's point. So it had all been a show of pretense from the very onset.Sabrina wasn't the leader they wanted but they put up with her anyway. And herlatest decision that had gone awry was what tipped the scales.
"So you all wanted a male leader, is it?" I said."I know Sabrina had her flaws but she doesn't deserve what's happened toher. And if you all won't help me, then I'll just go at it by myself."
"Wait, Vanessa. If he is as dangerous as you say, thenyou should not think to accost him."
"I can do what I bloody want, Derek," I threw backat him, and left the cellar.
My legs took me straight to the hall, where Kevin was busyporing at the law book, while his tall beta sat at some distance away from him,licking something that made the whites in his eyes turn bloodish red.
Kevin looked up at me with non-chalance. "Who let youin?" he asked.
"The guards at the door, of course."
He closed the book. "Then I'll tell them not to let youin next time without my permission."
"Not even Alpha Brooke did that to his councilmembers," I said.
"Do I look like Brooke?" he asked rhetorically."What's your name anyway?"
"Vanessa Brooke."
"Ah," he said, leaning forward in his chair."Now I understand why you referred to Brooke. You're Sabrina'ssister?"
"No, her cousin actually."
"She never mentioned you."
"Just like you never mentioned the lowlife you rejectedher for?"
He leaned back against the chair, losing the smug look onhis face in the process. "What do you want?"
I pulled a chair close and sat in it. "When last didyou see Sabrina?"
He looked at his beta and I snapped a finger in his face,bringing his attention back to me. "Hey, I asked you a question. Nothim."
"What sort of question is that? Are you interrogatingme?"
"No. But if that's how you see it, cool. Now, answer meor I'll bring the whole council after you."
"The whole council after me? Why, what have I done,Vanessa?"
"It happens that after you rejected Sabrina, no one hasseen or heard from her since yesterday. Now you must be the last person she wasseen with."
"Do you have proof?"
I looked into his eyes, searching for any signs of weaknessor trepidation. I found none. "No. But.."
He held up a hand, stopping me. "I understand why youhave come to me, Vanessa. But I don't have anything to do with her absence. Youcan ask my guards and Lara herself. I stayed in the palace till this morningwhen I went to the woods with Thomas here and some guards."
"What did you go to the woods to do?" I demanded.
He shook his head. "That isn't any of your business,council woman. I have answered your question."
"What was the last thing you both talk about?" Ipursued.
"She was begging me," he said, and smiled at me.
I hated that smug expression. I wondered if he did it toSabrina or if he was just trying to look smart. "Alright, then. Just prayshe turns up soon, or I'll be back here." I stood up and walked away fromhim.
"Vanessa," he called me and I stopped. "Iheard you."
I turned to look at him. "What?"
"Your little meeting with the others in thecellar."
My heart began to beat faster than normal. crap, how theheck had he found out so fast?
"Ah, your heart is bearing faster than normal, whichtells you've been a bad girl. What's with the pretense, hm? Tell you what,Clinton was right. Sabrina wasn't who they all wanted as a leader. She hadoppositions and she told me. But I made her believe that she'd be okay. If youthink those people won't come after her now that she is vulnerable, then youshould think again. Supposed to be where you start asking your questions."He paused. Then warned, "As for the clandestine meeting in the cellarwhich isn't a secret anymore, I will let it slide. But next time you trysomething like that, there will be consequences. Now, get the eff out of myhall."
I did, and with immediate effect.
 
***
 
I spent the rest of the day at my home, away from thecastle.
It was a total wonder how Kevin found out that we werehaving a meeting, and what we talked about. There were certain but rarewerewolves who could walk through walls because of their heightened speed, butwas he one or was that the red-eyed beta?
I poured myself a couple of glasses, trying to get Kevin'sface out of my head. However much I tried, it just didn't leave. I had reasonsto believe that he was responsible for Sabrina's absence, but after hearingwhat he said, maybe I should turn my attention away from the castle. Besides,whatever I planned in there, he would know.
I was on my second bottle when there came a knock on mydoor. Went over to open it and Derek was at the stairs. I held out the cup tohim. "Care for a drink?"
He looked at the cup then at me. "Somethinghappened."
I looked around and told him to get in. "Yeah, I said.He found out about out little meeting in the cellar."
"Who?"
"Kevin Oates," I said and sat down.
"eff. No wonder why she's dead."
I turned my head sharply at him. "Why? Who'sdead?"
"Ana's dead, Vanessa. And it is all your fault!"