Two Alphas, One Mate
The Door

Damian

“Alpha, the office is over here.” Eric waved over to me, pointing his rifle at the large brown door.

“Break it down.” I nodded calmly.

I knew that once we broke it down, the noise would spark the attention of the rest of the pack of our presence. We managed to sneak in and avoid detection for the most part, with only a few Crimson casualties, but it was only a matter of time the rest of the pack caught on.

"Here we go, let's start the party." Eric raised his black boot towards the door, and with one strong motion, slammed all of his weight against the thick wood. The hinges ruptured out of the screws as the metal bent completely in half.

Eric turned his head back and smirked, "Piece of cake; Ares take it out."

Eric looked to Ares standing directly behind him, giving him a nod towards the direction of the damaged door. Ares stepped forward and finally gave the crippled structure a final blow with his shoulder, causing the door to completely collapse to the ground.

There was a loud boom that followed, and I knew instantly that it was our signal to speed up the mission. If Holden wasn't aware that he was under attack, I'm sure he was now. It was only a matter of time until more Crimson warriors showed up.

"Breach.” Eric held his weapon to his shoulder as he entered the room, ready to shoot if anyone was lurking in the shadows.

“Get to work, I want all of it.” I commanded to him. “Alex and Ares with me. Nick, Barak and Adonis with Eric to assist.” They gave an affirmative nod as they cautiously stepped inside Holden's office.

“I'll be five minutes, I need to make sure it’s all here.” Eric linked.

“Stand position and be on alert. We will vacate after Eric is done gathering the data.” I peered back and forth, down the narrow hallway; it was clear, for now, but from my own experience, the five minutes Eric needed will feel like hours.

“What’s that?” Ares eyes were narrowed down the empty corridor. At first I didn’t hear it, but then I heard the footsteps. They sounded distant, but I couldn't take the chance.

“Check it out Ares; Alex and I will stay put to guard the door, call if you need back up.” I glanced in his direction and he gave an affirmative nod back.

Ares cautiously approached the end of the hallway, slowly disappearing down the narrow corridor as he turned the corner.

“I should have gone with him.” I could see the worry in Alex's eyes as he peered down the same hallway.

“Keep focus Alex, we don’t have time to worry. Your emotions are going to get us killed.” I refocused my attention down the opposite end of the hall, with the barrel of my rifle pointing towards anything that dared to move in our direction.

I was beginning to regret bringing Alex on this mission, and I wasn’t sure if it was his age, or his emotions, but he was acting strange around Ares. I knew they grew up together, but that was all that I was aware of, nothing more.

“Sorry Alpha... Won’t happen again.” Alex kept his aim down the opposite hallway as we booth stood silently waiting.

As we stood there, I couldn’t help but notice an intoxicating smell; it was lavender, and a slight hint of cedar and lemon. Why didn’t I notice this smell before?

Maybe I was too occupied with our mission to detect it, but now, all I could focus on was the smell. I knew I had to protect the office, but my body wanted me to follow the scented trail.

My nostrils flailed up, inhaling all that I had room for in my lungs. My skin tingled as I continued inhaling the air, and the urge to have more was growing inside me.

I stepped further down the hall in the opposite direction of Alex, and immediately, the smell started to get stronger. It led directly to a door at the end of the hallway, and my eyes were locked on, ready to uncover the hidden treasure that lay beyond it.

“Alpha, what is it, where are you going? Do you need me?” Alex linked.

He was looking at the same door and immediately his eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

“Don’t you smell that?” I linked back.

“What smell?! Are you ok Alpha?” Alex looked panic, like he was unsure what to do.

“Stay put, just investigating something.” My eyes were locked on at the black door; it was large and had intricate wood carvings imbedded into the exterior wood, but I knew this wasn't a regular wooden door. It was steel, disguised as wood to keep intruders out. I only knew that because my father used the same type of doors growing up in the pack house. He was a paranoid Alpha that took extreme measures to keep us all protected, especially my mother.

As I got closer, my heart started to race, and I felt like everything around me was muted; it was just me and this mysterious door. I was only a few feet away, and the smell was as strong as it could get. I knew whatever was on the other side was the source of the euphoric smell, and I WANTED ALL OF IT.

The excitement roared inside me sending goosebumps all over my body as I reached for the door handle. I could feel the sweat dipping down my face as I held breath in anticipation.

“Alpha, more of them coming, in your direction, STAND BACK!” Suddenly Ares voice filled my head, snapping me back out of my hypnotic state.

What the hell was wrong with me? I was supposed to be protecting Eric and the rest of my squad, not snooping around Alpha Holden’s shit.

I immediately retreated back to where Alex and Ares were, standing with their rifles pointing down the same direction as the mysterious black door.

“Weapons free. Eyes on that door boys.” I said as I kept my aim at the black door, waiting for the pattering of footsteps to emerge around the corner. I was bracing my hand so tightly against my rifle that I could hear the metal starting to bend and warp. Why was I so nervous? Was it the door that was making me act strange? I had an urge to protect it, but I wasn't even sure what I was protecting.

Not a moment later we see a huge, bearded man turning the corner where the mysterious door stood, but he was not alone, he was completely surrounded with Crimson warriors. I was expecting them to move towards us, but instead they stood guard of the door. Some of them already changing into wolf form as the bearded man remained human, bracing a large shotgun in both hands. By the looks of it, it was amour piercing and possibly loaded with silver.

“You’re fucking dead!!” The bearded man roared.

“Why aren’t they attacking us, the office is over here!?” Ares linked.

“They are protecting that door.” I narrowed my gaze at the warriors, analyzing one by one, which one I'll take out first.

I knew by the end of this mission, I was going to replace out whatever was on the other side, even if that meant killing every soul in this entire house.