HUNTED

Damon should not have been surprised by what Chase spoke of. But it was strange to think that there was a whole system, kept secret from the rest of the world of highly trained children to adults in killing off creatures. But he could see as he glanced around the room that he was not the only one thinking this. Taking down the Hunters Association was going to take a lot more work than anticipated. However, this was not their priority; Aila and Finn were. 

Damon also noted that the older girl of the kids now regarded Chase warily. She seemed to understand what they were referring to and who Chase was. Damon looked in the children's direction again; they seemed to have finished their meal. "Chiara, take the kids downstairs," Damon gently commanded as Gabriel entered the room with Luther and Vinnie. 

The kids scrambled further away from them and stuck closely to Chiara, who picked up the young girl from Ajax and led them out of the room.

They looked like a little family. It was strange, especially with the secret glances the Gamma and shapeshifter gave each other. If they keep looking at each other like that, it's not going to stay hidden very long, whatever was going on between them.

Gabriel and Damon nodded at each other, and the Alpha continued without the need of watching what they say. "From what Chase says, even with the Shadow pack being particularly good at torturing their prisoners, the hunters will not give up any intel if they did know.." Chase nodded his head. "Very well, then there's no point in keeping them alive."

"Don't be too hasty, Damon," Gabriel smirked at the glare he received from the Alpha. "They might talk after speaking to me."

Damon tilted his head to the side and narrowed his eyes slightly. "Jeese, I completely forgot. Vamps are fricken scary.." Chase muttered as he glanced at the Vampire King warily.

Damon looked between the pair until he remembered what abilities vampires had other than incredible strength, speed and mind reading in Gabriel's case. But they also had the power of controlling their prey. It was called compulsion.

"Leave them rotting in those cells for a few more days, let the drug leave their system, and I can compel them and get the answers we need," Gabriel said with a smile. Chase visibly shivered in response.

"What if we don't have a few days?" Damon growled back. His anxiousness and anger were starting to grow once more. The feeling was always there, but he was keeping it under control for the kid's sake. Darius had been pacing back and forth in his mind the whole time, almost to the point Damon felt a headache forming.

Damon had a lot of pent up rage and energy from the disappearance of his mate and not being able to contact her. And by the possibility that they were torturing her. But the thing he feared most at the moment was the idea of her going utterly missing. Even with Chase on their side with the compounds locations, it could still take months, maybe years, to find her. The hunters want her to build an army, and in that time, their forces would be getting stronger while his pack would become weaker without their Luna.

Gabriel was staring at Damon as the tension in the room weighed down on them like a ton of bricks. Nobody could answer such a comment. Damon was going to be sensitive until he had his mate back. "We WILL get Aila back," Gabriel said, locking eyes with the Alpha."

"She's a tough cookie, Damon," Ajax added with a smile, then added, "Gabe, can you ask the hunters about Finn as well. I guess they might be together, but.. It's better to ask just in case."

Gabriel nodded his head and accepted the tumbler of blood from Luther. "Once we have the details of their location, what then?" The vampire directed his question at Damon.

"I'm going to be bringing the warriors from our pack over.. Will this be possible in your territory?" Damon asked as politely as he could, even if his face seemed to grimace at the idea.

Gabriel chuckled, shaking his head, "Werewolves in a vampire's kingdom..Without trying to kill each other.."

"Bloody hell. I've definitely seen it all now.." Luther grinned in excitement. 

"We've been together for almost a week, and no fights have happened.. Plus, if we do this right, the others will return on the same day. Gabriel, is there anyone else you trust to bring?" Damon asked as he pushed off the wall and picked at a few grapes in the middle of the table with an assortment of fruits.

Gabriel looked to be deep in thought for a moment before clicking his tongue and shaking his head. Damon looked at him while he crunched into another grape; it seemed pretty sad that the vampire didn't trust anyone other than the two vampires present.

Gabriel smirked, and Damon stilled as the vampire's voice echoed in his mind. "I haven't been on the throne for this long because of my birthright and powers alone. Trust is not easy to come by. You should also be wary as a king."

Damon nodded his head in response before sitting down and officially declaring the plan. He also brought Chiara into a mind-link as he had other plans for the Gamma and children. The Alpha confirmed with Gabriel that he would take him to the Shadow pack territory to compel the hunters. In that time, his warriors of about sixty will come to Chester, all staying in one of Gabriel's hotels; the vampire king was also going to put his 'friendliest' staff on for the pack members.

Chiara was to also take the children back to his pack for extra protection. Nairi had been left in charge so far as the Beta's mate, but with sixty of his best warriors leaving, he wanted another leader to help protect the pack. The hunters might plan an attack to help get Aila away from them, there were countless possibilities, and Damon needed to be ready for them.

He was getting his angel back, and if anyone got in his way, then he would be the last thing they see before their eyes shut forever.