Chapter 1 - Young Alpha

The merger between the Volkov Corporation and Grand Freedman Incorporation has finally been settled. It was almost three years in the making, but Remus is just glad it’s finally out of the way. After the contract signing, the photo op and the shaking of hands, he immediately left onboard his private chopper. His stint as the young Chairman has ended for the day– now he needs to be the young Alpha.

Back at the mansion, the four Betas await him– Lyall, Fridolf, Amarok and Zeeb. They were also joined by their grandfather, the previous Alpha, Conri Volkov and The Order of the Sabbath’s own Investigation Chief, Helicent Coinin-Conor. They have a much more important issue to discuss: The Dragon Gate has fallen.

As Remus entered, the Betas and Helicent stood. Only Grandpa Conri remained seated, with his cane in front of him and a grave expression on his face. But nobody takes this defeat harder than Zeeb, who hangs his head low, with jaw clenched and hands closed into a tight fist.

Remus gestured for everyone to sit and took his place at the head of the table. He wanted to berate Zeeb on what had transpired. How could he have let the gate fall so easily? Was he wrong to have chosen him as one of the Betas? Was Amarok right in saying he was too young for the responsibility? He studied Zeeb and saw the seething anger oozing from him and Remus decides that the death of his entire Delta Pack is punishment enough. They’ll move on to the more pressing matters. 

It wasn’t a question of who anymore. They know that already. Who else would take an interest in an Elder’s body other than its very own kind– the bloodsuckers; the cold ones; the Vampires. Just thinking about them made Remus shiver in anger. He thought they had been eradicated during the War of the Moonchildred twenty years ago. At least, the Upper Nobles are. If some had remained, they were pretty sure that it was just the lesser ones.

And the lesser ones are incapable of devising an attack this big. Unless they’ve created mountains of Newborns. But if that was the case, wouldn’t a report reach them? Surely, hundreds of missing people would definitely cause an alarm. 

Helicent raised her hand requesting permission to speak and Remus gave her a nod, allowing her to do so. “There has been a report, and it has been backed by evidence.” Opening the folder she had, she showed the men in the room the photos taken at the scene. 

“What are we supposed to be looking at?” Asked Lyall. “It’s gruesome and hella bloody.”

Helicent sighed. How did she end up being mated to this big ball of goof? Why did Remus have to refuse her?

“It’s too clean.” Remus said. Eyes still on the photos in front of him.

Helicent smiles. She expects nothing less from the Alpha. She pointed at the smears of blood and on how it splattered, “Apart from where the Delta Wolves died, there are no other blood traces anywhere.” She then showed the marks on the grass, and the footprints left on the soft earth.

Zeeb’s eyes widened as he came into the realisation, “Only one footprint?”

To this, Helicent nodded. “If there was an army, the grass and the ground with be a lot messier. We are looking at the possibility that there was only one attacker."

“How is that possible?” Amarok roared. His voice reverberated within the room. “I refuse to believe, we’ve been murdered by a sole bloodsucker.”

“Do you think that’s possible?” It was Remus who asked this time. Directing his question to his grandfather. 

Conri looked as if he was thinking hard. Finally, after a few moments of silence, he spoke, “I do not think it was. But if the evidence shows otherwise, then I might be wrong.” He looked at Zeeb and asked, “And you said there were no other bodies when you arrived right? Apart from the ones in your pack?”

Zeeb nodded, “It was deep into the night when we came. There was no sun yet to burn the Undead.”

“If there was an army,” Remus started, “then it is impossible that none of the Deltas was able to kill even just one.” He thought deeper. Nothing is lining up. It just doesn’t make any sense. “But, if you’re saying that only one attacked, how can this sole Vampire be able to annihilate fifty-five well-trained Deltas?”

“I don't know…” Helicent replied.

“You might have gotten something wrong with the investigation.” Fridolf offered. “There’s no other better explanation for it.”

“There might be another explanation for all this.” Grandpa Conri said. Everyone’s head suddenly turned to him. “A Hybrid. Born with the blood of a Vampire and the venom of a Lycan. Destined to be stronger than both.”

“But isn’t that just an old prophecy?” Remus asked. It sounded so crazy for him that his Grandfather would actually consider that.

Conri nodded, “Maybe… but it’s the only explanation plausible.”

“Let’s not jump to conclusions.” Helicent exclaimed, taking back the photos and returning them to her folder. “We haven’t wrapped up the investigation. Well, not completely. I’ll call when we find anything new.” 

Helicent then left and the meeting was adjourned after Remus laid a new order to his Betas. Find the Vampires’ hideout and bring the East Elder Chamber back no matter what the cost.

. . . . .

The following day, Remus was up early. Partly because he's used to it, and partly because he didn't really get to sleep at all.

He was still thinking of the Hybrid his grandfather had mentioned. All he knows is that it was just a legend. A folklore. An impossibility. He probably shouldn't really be thinking much of it at all.

Just then, Lyall barges into his room. He was carrying a tray of breakfast on one hand and the other held their grandfather's Dalmore 62 whisky. "Guten Morgen, Cousin," he said. He put the breakfast tray on Remus's bed, took two glasses on Remus's own mini bar and poured each of them a drink.

"Isn't it too early for whisky?"

Lyall clinks his glass with Remus's, "Ah that's where you're wrong. It is never too early for a party."

"Is it really time for partying though?" Remus asked again.

"Well, isn't it not? You've just closed the merger with Freedman. That's a cause for celebration!"

Remus shakes his head. Sometimes he wonders why he chose Lyall as his Second-in-Command, when he's the one who seemed to take his responsibilities with the least seriousness. "We lost the east gate, if you're forgetting." He still drank the whisky, and went to take a shower.

Lyall only chuckled and said, "There is no use in crying over spilt milk. We can only move forward from here."

Remus smiled, this is why he chose him.

From their mansion to the V Tower, Lyall only spoke of  Remus's entire schedule– the clients to meet, the products to test, the warehouses to visit. By the time they got to the elevator, Remus felt like his ears would bleed from so much information. What he would give for a day of silence–

"Wait!" Someone shrieked. "Hold it! Hold the door!"

As the elevator door slowly closes, Remus sees a girl running in full sprint and flailing her arms wildly. From his peripheral he can see Lyall waving back mockingly at the girl and smiling ridiculously. He's finding this funny. The girl nearly caught on but the door has almost closed making it impossible for her to wedge her arms in between.

"Goddammit! Dick!" She exclaimed. Cursing at the man who already saw her but chose to ignore her plea. She leaned back to the already closed elevator door to catch her breath.

What she didn't know was that Remus was actually able to press the hold button in time, and as the door reopened, the girl fell backwards almost hitting the ground if Remus wasn't quick on his feet to catch her.

The girl felt the air get knocked out of her lungs as she braced herself for the fall. The fall that didn't come, because a strong set of arms caught her. And when she opened her eyes, she was looking directly to the coldest grey eyes she'd ever seen.

Remus stood her up quickly and she felt herself blush. She can only hope that whoever this person was, that he wasn't able to hear her call him a dick. 

"Thank you…" she half whispers. "For holding the door… and for catching me."

Remus looked at the girl from head to toe. She seemed young. Pale and painfully plain apart from those striking eyes she owns. What was that condition called again? He wondered, searching for the word– ah, heterochromia.

"Would you happen to be Eden Christiansen?" It was Lyall who spoke, addressing the girl with the different colored eyes. 

The girl seemed surprised and stuttered a response, "Ah– ye– yes. That would be me."

"I knew it. I remember your eyes. I'm Lyall Volkov, you'll be working for me." 

Remus looked at Lyall. Confusion written on his face. Lyall read it quite easily so he introduced the two as well, "And this person right here, the one you called a dick–" he gestured towards Remus who stood tall and stoic, "–is Remus Volkov, our Chairman."

Then he gestured at Eden, "Remus, this is Eden. My new Executive Assistant-Intern."

Eden's eyes widened until it seemed like it was going to pop out of her head. When finally her mind started to accept the fact that she had called the Volkov Corporation's Chairman a dick, she bowed so suddenly and aggressively that both Remus and Lyall were caught off guard.

"Oh my God!" She almost screamed. She can feel the tears start to well up in her eyes. "I am so sorry! I didn't know you were the Chairman." She grabs Remus's arm which greatly surprised him, because it is very rare that anyone would dare touch him. "I wasn't calling you a dick, I swear!"

Eden realised she was grasping the Chairman's hand too tightly and when she saw how displeased he looked, she immediately pulled back. "I'm really sorry! Please don't fire me." She said again, her head still bowed down.

The elevator reached their destined floor and Remus went out without a word. Lyall tapped Eden's back and said, "Don't worry about it. He's just always like that. Come on, I have so many pendings I need you to do."

Eden nodded and followed out, but as she stepped out of the lift, she tripped on her own foot and planted face first on the floor. There was no one to catch her this time. She was only grateful that the floor was carpeted, lessening the pain of the impact.

When she looked up, both Lyall and Remus were looking at her. Although Lyall seemed amused, Remus had what could only be disdain painted on his face. He turned back and walked away as Lyall offered his hand to help Eden stand.

"Hey, don't get yourself killed. It's only your first day."

Eden could only smile shyly as she tried to regain composure. "I'm sorry. I won't. I just don't really have good coordination with my body."

Lyall laughed and she followed him towards his office to officially begin her first day as an intern at the Volkov Corporation.