Alpha's love
The Peace Treaty

Aria awoke the next morning with a pounding headache. She hadn't remembered going to bed but she awoke in a tangle of blankets, sunshine pouring in through her glass windows. The smell of coffee and her pack members voices echoed throughout the house, glancing at the clock Aria realized that it was noon.

Cursing out loud she jumped out of bed hurrying to the shower. She turned the water to freezing cold and stepped under the spray, shivering as it hit her, waking her up immediately. She hurriedly washed her hair and body before stepping out of the shower, wrapping a towel around her body. Eve, you should have woken me up, bitch. She growled in her head as Eve laughed I thought you could use the rest, besides your meeting with your mate isn't for a few hours. Aria grumbled under her breath before flinging her closet doors open, grabbing a red cocktail dress that had a small slit and went a few inches above her knees. Milean muttered her approval and Aria slipped it over her head, flicking her drying black hair over her back. Her pack smiled at her as she hurried down the stairs, grabbing a plate of eggs and bacon from one of her elders before approaching a group of her pack mates who were sipping coffee and scarfing down breakfast. One of her female warriors looked up at Aria and smiled, scooting over to make room for Aria at their table,

"I don't smell your mate here, Alpha, did he not stay the night?" She asked with a sly grin, as Aria grimaced, "No, thank you very much for the question, although I smell your mate all over you, his lust too." She said, quirking an eyebrow at her while pointing her fork full of eggs at the girls mate. Her warrior laughed, throwing an arm over Aria's shoulder, ''I, Zia, had a VERY busy night." She paused before continuing in a more serious tone, "This morning we went on a run, looking for the beta and patrolling and there is no sign of him. Alpha Marcus asked my mate and I to ask you to meet at 2, at that new restaurant in town for the peace treaty. His pack thinks its more appropriate to hold the meeting in a neutral place." Aria felt a pang of jealousy go through her, but she attempted to push it down,

"He.....talked to you?" At her alpha's words Zia's eyes grew wide and her mate was at her side in a flash, arms wrapping around her,

"No, alpha he just saw us first and was in a rush to get back to his pack, he thinks that the beta will try and get more reinforcements to attack his pack next. He...suggested that you strengthen your borders as well,'' Zia's mate said. Aria stood up from the table, her her fork clattering to the table.

"He's trying to tell ME how to do my job, he's the one who's beta went against HIS orders, killed my beta and is now running with rogues organizing attacks against us and he thinks he should tell ME how to do my job!" Fury surged through Aria as her pack backed up a little, their eyes bowed as her power surged through the air. Eve, brave enough to approach Aria put a hand on her shoulder,

"Alpha, perhaps you should go for a run with Milean before the meeting, get some of your anger out before meeting to discuss the peace treaty. I will take care of the details for Elsa's ceremony, her mate says he wants to bury her later, when he has had more time to register everything." Aria relaxed slightly at the thought of going for a run with Milean and nodded at Eve's suggestion,

"Males with mates, please take time to go see him. Females stay as far away as possible, I have a feeling that seeing a female is the last thing he wants right now, especially not one with her mate," she said addressing her pack. Aria went to go to the door but turned back to Eve, "I will not take away from the ceremony of Elsa's life tonight, so tomorrow we will have another ceremony to appoint you beta. Eve increase border patrols, tell mothers to keep their babes inside or under close watch, I don't want another surprise while I'm gone," she murmured to Eve before turning and dashing through the door. Realizing a few moments later that she couldn't shift and hold her heels and her dress in her mouth, she slipped off her heels holding them in her hand. She slipped into the woods, wiggling her toes in the deep moss and grass that covered the forest floor. The thick trees allowed a little sunlight to filter through, lighting on Aria's tanned skin allowing a little warmth to fill her. She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath, feeling herself relax a little. Glancing at her old watch that she had worn ever since her father gave her it for her tenth birthday, she cursed before breaking into a fast jog, Fuck I can't be late. It took her a little while to get off the mountain where her territory was but she reached the town a few minutes early. Slipping her heels back on she smoothed down her hair and took a few deep breaths. The restaurant that they were meeting at was a quaint diner that sat at the edge of town smelling of grease and burgers. Several bar stools lined the counter where a young couple with a child sat drinking milkshakes, while a few young waitresses flitted around from table to table delivering large burgers. Spotting Marcus sitting in a booth alone sipping a milkshake staring at her, she strode over to him. Feeling overdressed in her red dress, she smoothed her hands over the material before sliding into the booth beside him. "Sorry, I'm a few minutes late, I walked here," she said eyeing his milkshake. He laughed twirling his straw between his fingers, before pushing his milkshake towards her,

"It's fine, the waitresses were more than willing to keep me company," he murmured in a husky voice and Aria bit back a snarl.

"That's real funny, but I know you aren't interested in them," she replied with a smirk. He smiled back leaning closer to her,

"How'd you know?" She laughed before shrugging her shoulders,

"just a hunch." His eyes lingered on hers before she looked at the paper beside him, reminding her of what they were here to discuss. Taking a sip of the milkshake he had given her she cleared her throat, "So, obviously with your beta running around with who knows how many rogues, we don't have time for war. Besides, after you helped me last night I see no reason to wage war now, especially after you saved me from your beta." She waited for his response, waving her hand in front of his face after he just stared at her. "Hello? Anyone home," she said with a laugh. He broke his gaze away from her with a sigh, running one of his hands through his hair,

"That sound good Aria, listen would you want to um...I don't know....go on a date sometime?" Aria opened her mouth to reply with a smart ass comment then closed her mouth closing her eyes and sighing.

"Look Marcus..I would love to, but right now I have a lot on my plate. I have to speak tonight and be present at Elsa's ceremony, keep an eye on my pack and organize attack plans if your beta attacks again, and I have to organize a ceremony to officially appoint Eve as beta. I don't have time to go on a date with you and plan for unexpected things. I really do want you...but right now my duty is to my pack and yours should be too," she ended a sort of disappointment and sadness filling her as she looked at Marcus's hooded eyes. He's trying, Aria, let him in, Milean snarled at me. He stood,

"Your right, Alpha Aria, my first duty is to my pack and I understand that you don't have time for your mate right now. Forgive me for thinking you would want to spend time with me," before she could respond he had signed the paper and left with a WHOOSH of air. His black wolf shifting and disappearing into the woods. Great, now our mate is angry with us, Milean growled at her, and Aria rolled her eyes Milean, of course I feel bad and don't want things to be this way but I'm being responsible. If I get distracted and stretch myself thin for my own personal enjoyment, something could happen to my pack and that scares me the most. Milean didn't reply but Aria could sense her agreement with Aria's words. As Aria stood to leave she stiffened as five rogues walked in together, headed straight for her table. Eve, five rogues in the diner, I'm alone. She yelled through her mind link and faced the rogues, looking around her at the waitresses and booths full of humans. They approached her and stood around her,

"Won't you sit, alpha, so we can catch up," one of them sneered before pushing Aria into a booth all of them sliding in next to her and across from her. Aria bit the inside of her lip, forcing herself to stay calm, even though she wasn't liking her odds. The rogues pressed in on either side of her, one of them resting his hand on her thigh.

"What do you want?" She asked them through gritted teeth, leaning down and taking a sip of her milkshake. The one who had spoken first laughed, leaning forward to stroke her face,

"Quiet down now alpha, we wouldn't want to cause a scene and have to kill all these humans in here, now would we?" Aria smacked his hand away from her face, resisting the urge to rip his throat out,

"Shall we take this outside, gentleman," she asked digging her claws into the man's hand on her thigh, feeling his blood running down her leg as he struggled not to scream. The leader smiled at her, a scar on his face contorting as he did so,

"Ah Aria, you really should come with us now, if you want to live," he replied raising his voice. He nodded to his men and they slid out of the booth, allowing Aria to stand before the leader pushed her to the door subtly. Fucking hell Eve, anytime would be great I can't fight five men at once even if I'm an alpha. She bit her lip listening for a reply but none came. The leader seemed to see that Aria was trying to use her mind link and laughed, "Alpha, you don't think we just came waltzing into the diner to whisk you away with no plan did you? That milkshake you drank, we had Boone here slip a date rape drug into your drink that even werewolves can't smell or taste. You'll be falling unconscious here in a few seconds and until the drug wears off you won't be able to mind link anyone," he said with a sneer as Aria began to feel light headed. She tried to scream but the men grabbed her under her arms, one of them putting his hand over her mouth to muffle her screams. And before everything went black, Aria felt herself being thrown in the back of a van, landing on something hard and cold before she slipped away.