Alpha Loren novel Chapter 225

Leo's POV

I marched into my office where I knew Blair and my head army commander, Ollie, would be waiting.

"Thank you for coming so early in the morning," I said to them.

Blair forced a smile and nodded but Ollie just looked grave. He was a big guy, usually fearless so to see him so concerned was very unnerving. This was the effect Andrea had.

"Any word of Martinez?" I asked.

"Nothing at all," Blair said. "We have no idea what he's doing, where he is or why. The usual deal."

"We don't think he has left the territory but we can't be certain," Ollie added.

I nodded.

"Well, how are we supposed to work with that?!" I growled, throwing myself into my chair. "Just sit and wait for him to do something terrible?"

At that, the office phone began to ring. It was Eduardo Siciliano, one of my deputy army commanders. I furrowed my eyebrows, his mate had given birth the previous day and as a result, he wasn't on duty. Why would he be calling me?

I answered the call and put it on speakerphone.

"Yes, Eduardo, what is the matter?" 

"Alpha?" a woman's voice asked.

Her voice was shaky and as she paused, I heard the heaviness of her breath.

"It's Claudia Siciliano, his mate," she continued. "I'm calling because Andrea Martinez just came to our house. He's gone now but Eduardo is in a bad way."

I exchanged looks with Ollie and let out a low growl.

"Lock the doors and windows and stay where you are," I ordered. "I am on my way."

"Okay," she replied. "Thank you, Alpha."

Blair, Ollie and I then marched out of the office to my car and sped towards the Siciliano household. They lived just in triton but their house stood alone in the woods so unguarded by the patrols we'd stationed to protect the villages. In the car we informed the nearby men that Andrea could still be close and brought in extra protection for the villages and houses around.

Fortunately, Eduardo and Claudia lived in the opposite direction to my house, where Ella and my children still were which was the only thing giving me comfort.

"Claudia it's the Alpha," I called as I knocked on their front door. "You can open the door."

Thirty seconds later, she came to the door. In her arms was a tiny little baby, screaming and crying and on her face was paled and terrified.

"Where is he?" I asked.

"In the kitchen," I said.

She lead us through to where her mate sat slumped against the wall covered in blood and hardly conscious.

Claudia had tried to wipe away the blood and bandage him up but he was still bleeding.

I nodded before my phone began to ring.

"That was Luca," I said after hanging up. "Paulo Salvatore has suffered an identical attack."

"So this is his plan," Ollie said. "Convert your men to his side by targetting my commanders with bribes, presumably to weaken the army before attacking."

"Yes. But what he's failed to judge is the loyalty of my men," I replied. 

"But Martinez knows the reputation of your army," Blair pointed out from the corner of the room where he had been rocking the newborn child. "He's tried torturing information out of them with no success before. Why would he attempt this?"

I narrowed my eyes in thought.

"Maybe he overestimated his own capabilities?" Ollie suggested.

"Martinez is an intelligent man and this is so clearly destined to fail and poorly planned. Something doesn't fit right," Blair said.

"You have a point," I said. "And it does seem a little indiscrete and obvious. Not usually his style, is it?"

"The motherfucker is sending us on a wild goose chase," Ollie said thumping the table. 

"Then what's his actual plan?" I asked gravely.

I looked up at Blair who wore a serious expression as he held the little baby close to his chest.

"I dread to think."