Page 48 of Alpha Queen
Titan chuckled. "Then let the game begin."
CHAPTER NINETEEN
ARES
Ares and Theo sat across the table from Duncan as he ate a steak and vegetables. Santiago sat at a table nearby, watching people enter and leave the restaurant.
"How did you even know we would be at the storage unit?" asked Theo.
Duncan shrugged. "I didn't. Not until I saw you. Ares came to a tri-pack meeting once. I saw you both there."
"So no one in Titan's organization knows we are in the states?" asked Ares
Duncan shook his head. "Not as far as I know."
Theo glanced at Ares, who turned his glass of wine before sipping it. The restaurant buzzed with the low hum of conversation and the clink of silverware. Soft jazz played in the background, creating a stark contrast to the tension at their table.
"Tell us again," said Theo.
Duncan took a colossal bite of his steak and then put down the knife and fork before finishing his beer.
"I told you three times already."
Ares wolf growled. "And if you want me to believe you and not slaughter you, you will tell me one more time."
Duncan held up his hand to the waiter and ordered another beer before pushing his plate away a few inches.
"I'm Duncan McShane. Raised in the East Valley pack in West Virginia. When our Alpha died, our packlands were claimed by the West Valley pack, and instead of dealing with the politics and backstabbing and ass kissing of a new pack, I took off on my own. I traveled all over the US and ended up in New York a few years back, where Titan found me and convinced me to join him."
"And now you don't agree with him?" Ares asked.
Duncan's beer arrived, and he thanked the waiter before sipping it.
"I agree with what he said he wanted to do. I don't agree with how he is going about getting it. Plus, I'm not okay with the drugs and gun running."
"What, you're a lover, not a fighter?" asked Theo.
Duncan snorted. "Oh no, I'm a fighter, but only for the things I agree with. And Titan isn't one I can agree with any longer. Plus, I don't agree with Titan kidnapping your Luna. That's not okay."
"So you want to help us now? Why? What do you want out of it?"
Duncan twirled his beer. "I'm tired of being alone. I need a pack. Under the current laws, the only options available to me are to return to my pack or marry into another. Problem is, as a rogue, no pack will have me. And no female will even give me a chance unless she's a rogue herself. I'm done traveling. I want a place. A home. A family."
Ares studied Duncan, searching for any sign of deception. The rogue met his gaze, his brown eyes clear and unwavering. There was a weariness in those eyes, a loneliness that resonated with something inside Ares. He knew all too well the pain of feeling like an outsider, of not belonging.
His wolf paced, not ready to trust Duncan. But he'd told the same story four times now, and it added up. Besides, he had to have at least considered the fact that Ares or Theo would kill him on sight, and yet he chanced showing himself anyway.
Ares sipped his wine, savoring the rich flavor as he considered Duncan's words.
"A pack," Ares mused, his voice low.
Duncan leaned forward. "I understand your hesitation. But I swear on my life, I want no part of what Titan's planning. I've seen firsthand the destruction they're capable of. The way they manipulate others to further their agenda." He paused, running a hand through his shaggy hair. "I joined them because I believed in change, in creating a better world for our kind. But this... this isn't the way."
Theo shifted in his seat, his hand never straying far from the concealed weapon at his side. "Pretty words," he said. "But actions speak louder."
Duncan nodded, a rueful smile tugging at his lips. "Which is why I'm willing to put my life on the line to help you. I know where they're storing the drugs in New York, and I can get you inside."
Ares raised an eyebrow. "Inside, where precisely?”
