Page 75 of Alpha Power

The soldiers moved instantly, two entering from the front, two the back, and one on each side. They met in the middle of the warehouse with no interruptions. Each camera had a different view of the room but they all showed the same thing. "There's nobody here, Sire, it's empty."

"Cazzo!"Luther roared, smashing his fists onto the table in front of him. It crumbled beneath his hands like a piece of paper, splitting in two and crashing to the floor.

That meant 'fuck' in Italian. Zamorra was actually quite proud of herself for knowing that. She asked Margaret to teach her the bad words first. She knew how to say 'fuck off’, ‘shut up’, and ‘leave her alone’. Margaret insisted she learn some common phrases too, like 'how are you' and all that crap. She listened, though it wasn't as much.

Pain washed over Axel's face for a brief moment as he stared at the destruction of his beloved technology, the shattered monitor screens and broken keyboards all smashed beyond repair, then he quickly shook it off.

"Roman, Ophelia, get out there now and find out what happened to that shifter. Bring his body back here if you can," Luther ordered. They nodded simultaneously and blurred out of the room. "Toma, search that place top to bottom. I want every bit of evidence taken to the lab."

"Yes, Sire."

"This is bad," Maddox hissed. "Means we have to start from scratch."

"I know," Darius whined. "We thought things were frosty before?" His face froze in an awkward smile while his eyes darted to Luther and back.

Zamorra watched concerned as Luther stared angrily at the screen, his body tense and eyes dark. Suddenly, she remembered something from the club, something vital that could help curb that murdery vibe he was giving off. "Arturo," she whispered.

Luther frowned, looking over to her. "What?"

"Arturo. He's the guy that gave me his card at Volume, told me to call him when I was ready for more?"

Registration lit in his eyes. "Do you still have it?"

"Yes, it's in my room. I'll go get it." Zamorra spun on her heels and sprinted for her bedroom. When she got there, she opened the door and froze. "Shit."

The inside looked as though a small tornado had just passed through. Clothes, both dirty and clean strewn on the floor and on the bed, over dressers and side tables. Empty pizza boxes and Uber Eats bags littered the ground, surrounded by a clutter of rubbish.

Navi lounged on a tiny hammock hanging from between her bed posts, one foot dangling out the side, arm over her face, drool dripping from her open mouth as she snored loudly.

Zamorra pursed her lips. "I forgot what a mess this place was."

You're lazy, her werewolf laughed.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah I know. Can you find the card or not?"

Of course I can.

Arturo's scent permeated her senses, bergamot and lemon, a truly fresh and citrusy odour.

One of the benefits to being a werewolf was the hypersensitive nose. The ability to remember every scent she came into contact with, even when her werewolf was slumbered, and store it away, recalling it whenever she needed it.

Left.

Her feet moved as if controlled by another, carrying her across the room to her wardrobe. She stopped in front of a pile of dirty clothes.

Here.

Wrinkling her nose, she lifted the soggy, muddy t-shirt, finding a stained white card underneath.Damn you're good.

Did you expect anything less?Her werewolf questioned.

Zamorra swiped it up and ran back to the Elite Wing.

Luther and Axel were deep in conversation when she arrived, while Void, Maddox and Darius talked quietly amongst themselves. She hopped up onto the raised platform and flashed the card.

"Got it. Phone?" She asked, extending her hand.

Luther pulled out a sleek silver iPhone from his pocket and tossed it gently to her. "It's yours," he grumbled, eyes remaining fixed on the screen in front of him.

---