HUNTED

Damon washed his hands in the sink at the counter in the basement. The clear water flowed onto his hands and dropped to the drain tinged in red. He grabbed the bar of soap on the side, making sure to thoroughly clean his hands. He didn't plan to have Darren's blood on him, but after a few more hours of interrogating him, with Damon watching from a distance as Beta Kane and Finn tortured him with silver and wolfsbane, the Delta finally snapped.

Although he already gave the names of the treacherous thirteen, Damon wasn't satisfied. They were dead, and he knew they weren't the masterminds. Lydia was; even Darren was just a pawn in her game. But just because Darren snapped didn't mean his information was helpful. He began shouting nonsense, then he told them what he already knew, she didn't tell him anything. 

Lydia only told Darren what she wanted him to know. She only told him when she wanted something done by him, and in return, they hooked up. A sweet deal and a sweet ride. Darren's words, not his. 

But that was it, Darren only gathered the followers for Lydia, and they met up as a group around Lydia's house to go through ways to make life harder for Aila. None of it included her death. That was what Darren told them, but Damon did not believe it one bit. He was just a tool and only listened with his dick. 

Yet, when Darren confessed the only information he knew, he then began insulting Aila. So, it seemed he still had an issue with her becoming his Queen. After the second line of insults left Darren's mouth, that was when Damon lost it and beat the living shit out of him. 

Damon turned around and looked at his handiwork. He never liked torturing people, but shit had to be done sometimes to get results. But when Darren openly insulted his mate, that was it. And now, he leaned against the counter, wiping his hands with a cloth Beta Kane handed him, and stared at Darren.

He was chained to the wall, his white shirt drenched in his own blood, the scars from silver chains around his neck and silver earrings pierced through his ear lobe made the scene gruesome. His blood was splattered on the ground, the skin around his eyes purple and swollen enough for them not to be open. He hung his head, barely able to keep his body up. 

"Keep him in here until Saturday morning. His wounds should heal by then," Damon ordered Beta Kane, "Go to bed. Finn, come with me."

Damon turned and began walking, with Finn following behind.

"I'm on patrol tonight," Kane replied as he closed the briefcase on the counter and placed it back inside the cabinet.

"Oh yeah. Okay, well, make sure to put someone on guard outside the basement," Damon mind-linked him. He didn't want to take any risks, whether that included Gabriel turning up again and killing Darren or him trying to escape. But the latter didn't seem like a possibility, Darren still wanted to be Delta, and for now, he was. 

As they left the basement, Damon and Finn separated from Kane, who waited for a guard to post up outside the basement. 

"You did well, Finn. How do you feel?" Damon asked, glancing at Finn, who walked by his side down one of the many hallways of the mansion.

Finn looked at him confused, "Thank you. I'm okay. Should I not be?"

Damon chuckled, "Considering you were tortured for however long by the hunters?"

Finn nodded his head, "Ah, I see, it was fine. This is business, nothing else. There is no pleasure in torturing someone. And I can see you don't get a kick from it, so I am fine doing it."

"You would have an issue if I did?" Damon queried, scrutinising Finn as they stood outside his office.

Finn faced him directly, "Yes, Alpha. I would not follow someone like that."

The corner of Damon's lips pulled up into a small smile, "Well, it's a good thing I'm not like that. Otherwise, this conversation would have turned into you unknowingly challenging me."

Finn blinked in surprise, "Alpha, I didn't mean-"

Damon held his hand up and opened the door, gesturing for Finn to go in, "I know nothing was meant by it." He closed the door, turned his lamp on, rounded to his side of the desk, and sat down. 

"The thing is, though, Finn. I want you to be my next Delta," Damon continued; he reached inside one of his drawers in his desk and brought a decanter of whiskey out along with two crystal tumblers, placing them on his desk.

Finn shifted in his seat then reached for the glass Damon pushed towards him. He took a sip and held it in his hands as he sat back, waiting for the Alpha to continue. Damon sipped his own and savoured the taste in his mouth before relaxing in his leather seat, looking at Finn. He liked the guy, that much was decided, and after having counsel from his wolf, he knew Finn was the next man to become the pack's Delta. 

"And with becoming Delta, you need to also know how to talk to different Alpha's. Now Darren doesn't come with me anywhere. He never has. I barely even consider him as one of my leaders of this pack. He is just someone filling a spot, and although it may seem like a bodyguard position for Aila, it's not. 

"When Aila becomes Queen, she will be by my side, and it's very chill here in the pack and on my lands, but when I am meeting with other packs, hosting a damn ball, or some shit us royals have to do.. I need you to play a more significant part than just her bodyguard. The Delta position is still an important position, you have to not just always be on your guard to protect her, and only her, but also to talk to asshole Alphas and werewolves.

"And to do that without insulting them or causing an issue, such as challenging them. Because at the end of it, if you won, then I would have to officially take over that pack. And if you lost, meaning your death, then Aila has lost a friend and another form of protection, and I would officially take over that pack," Damon finished his explanation by drinking his whiskey, staring at Finn expectantly. 

Finn's eyes were wide, and Damon could see his mind absorbing everything he just said. Or the whiskey got to his head, and he couldn't think straight. It was very strong.

"I understand, Alpha. Thank you and thank you for considering me for the Delta role. But what's going to happen with Darren? You've made it clear that you can't get rid of him," Finn asked.

Damon smiled, "I can't get rid of him. But you can."

"You want me to challenge him?" Finn asked, being thorough with exactly what Damon was asking of him, something the Alpha liked.

"Challenge him. But, if the opportunity ever arises, then take him out," Damon's eyes gleamed dangerously at what he was suggesting.

Finn took a while to digest what he meant, taking another sip from the whiskey as he did so. He tapped the side of the tumbler, "So, you want me to kill him, like a hitman?"

Damon laughed heartily at Finn's choice of words, "Yes. That's exactly what I meant."

"I think it may come sooner than you think," Finn replied as he looked at Damon intently. 

Damon narrowed his eyes and tipped his tumbler to the side, gesturing for him to continue while he took another sip from his drink before pouring another glass for himself and leaning forwards to top Finn's up.

"Thanks. Darren is being released Saturday, and at the moment, he is the Delta.. Aila is meeting up with someone then, meaning Darren will have to come along. I already agreed to go with her, and so is Ajax. She seemed anxious. Said her friend seemed off," Finn disclosed some of Aila's angst from earlier. 

Damon's face hardened by this new information, "Who is she meeting up with?"

Finn shook his head, "She just said it's a friend."

Damon sighed. This was just what he needed; why didn't Aila mind-link him? He was not going to be there when she was meeting this friend, and she even asked Finn and Ajax for extra protection. He didn't like this one bit and knew that he would be having a word with his little mate after he finished this meeting. 

"Thank you for telling me, Finn. I have no choice but to keep up appearances and have Darren as her Delta…" He trailed off as his mind begun to spin in the form of a plan, "Finn. Take one of my handguns with you Saturday. Do you know how to shoot?"

Finn nodded his head, "Yeah, I was taught in my old pack."

"Good. Have the gun as extra protection. We only have silver bullets here.. So, if shit goes wrong…"

"Take Darren out," Finn finished Damon's sentence.

"Exactly."

Damon watched as Finn's features darkened. Damon's jaw began to tick as he could see something was on his mind, something Finn didn't want to speak aloud in fear of disrespecting him.

"Spit it out," Damon demanded.

Finn grimaced and knocked back the last of the whiskey, taking Damon by surprise, who forced himself not to laugh when he saw Finn's eyes water. 

"I don't mean to disrespect you, Alpha. But, Aila's protection is of the utmost importance. You didn't see how she was earlier. I think getting rid of Darren will have to wait," Finn said hastily. 

Damon slammed his hand down on the desk, "Aila's protection is all I care about, Finn." His eyes glowed now, and Damon tried to keep Darius at bay, but his wolf took over and growled through his voice, "Darren endangers her. He needs to be dealt with. This IS an order."

Finn immediately bared his neck, "Alpha."

Damon blinked his eyes back to normal and let Darius pace in anger. He knew Finn only had Aila's best interest at heart, but it pissed him off that he didn't think Damon was thinking of her security. He stood up and left the room, waiting for Finn to follow.

"So, we have an understanding?" He asked. Finn nodded his head.

"Good, now if you'll excuse me, I need to see my mate." Damon snapped and marched down the hallway, heading towards their bedroom.