The Alpha and Her King

Chapter Seven

Leofric’s POV

After I hung up the phone with Piper, I got ready for a meeting with my generals and colonels of my special ops. We needed to finalize our final plans to attack the compound we discovered on the Yucatan Peninsula, in the Campeche providence. My scouts have sent us information about the compound and it looks like it has been there for a while.

Will they be there when we get there? I highly doubt it. The last several locations we have scouted and watched, they are gone by the time we attack. I think there is a mole in my group who is warning them, but I do not know who. I have cut the attendance of the meetings from my generals to captains to just the generals and colonels, and they are still getting alerted about our plans.

We will fly into Merida, Mexico and drive to Francisco Escárcega tomorrow where our scouts have found another one of their camps, but it was larger than the other ones we have found. The leader is supposed to be there, and has four guards surrounded her as she walks around the camp. I sent additional scouts to help the scouts I have already sent. Isban and Hubert are going this time, with a squad of fifty with each. I will have a small squad and my security team. Isban and Hubert will take out the men on the outside and my team will go in and take out the leader.

Connor was waiting for me with my drink when I came out of the meeting.

“Connor, could you please make sure my bag is ready for this trip? Pack extra socks this time. My feet got soaking wet on the last trip and I ran out of socks,” I asked him.

“Of course, Your Grace,” he bowed and smiled. Or did it look like a smirk? I headed to my study and Alaric was in there when I entered.

“Do you need me to get ready this time or am I staying?” he asked.

“Are you stupid? Chloe would kill me if I took you with me. She is due any moment and you need to be here with her,” I smacked his back. Alaric and Chloe are expecting their first child any day now, and he needs to be here to be with her. Jed will run things while I am gone.

“She would skin us both alive if I went with you on this mission. Besides, I don’t want to miss the birth of my first child.” Alaric chuckled. They do not know what they are having, but either way, Chloe and Alaric, Jed, and I will love him or her very much.

“Yes, she would. That is why you are staying this time. Stay close by with her and don’t worry about the work. Jed is covering everything this time,” I hugged him and when we pulled apart, Chloe waddled in with her enormous belly leading the way.

“Leo, if you take your brother this time, I will poison your brandy while you are gone,” she growled at me.

“Do not worry, sis, he is staying here. I wouldn’t want him to miss the birth of his firstborn. Just take care of yourself and keep Alaric and Jed in line.” I hugged her and kissed her forehead. Chloe is so much like Piper, with the attitude. I don’t know if this place could handle both of them once she moves here.

When dinner came along, Jacques made my favorite honey glazed smoked salmon with sauteed green beans and roasted potatoes, with a chocolate silk pie for dessert. My family joined me for dinner, to spend some time before I have to take off. Chloe couldn’t have salmon because of her pregnancy, so Jacque made her honey glazed chicken instead. The atmosphere was light and fun, with us laughing and joking around until around nine. Poor Chloe looked exhausted by the time we went to bed.

“Let my nephew or niece cook a little longer. I want to be here when they make their appearance,” I told her, hugging one more time before I go to bed. “Alaric, keep a close eye on her and don’t let your work consume your time.” He nodded his head, and they headed to their room.

“You know she will have the baby when you are gone,” Jed walked up, smirking.

“I know, but I can only hope,” and walked into my room. Sleep eluded me all night, so I got up, took a shower, and went downstairs with my bag, setting it next to the door to the garage. I went to the meeting room to get some maps and the reports from the scouts. When I reached the door, I saw it was ajar. I looked at confused, knowing that the door automatically closes when you walk through. I slowly opened the door and peeked around the door. Not seeing anyone in the room, I shrugged it off and went to the table. I found the maps and reports scattered around the table; I remembered leaving them in a pile after the meeting so I could grab them when I left this morning. Someone came in here to get intel for the hunters. I will have to ask Jed to put up a hidden camera in here so we could catch the culprit.

After gathering everything together and placing them into my laptop bag, I headed to my study, where I found Jed sitting at my desk doing some paperwork. “Couldn’t wait until I leave, I see?” I joked as I set my bag down.

“No, I wanted to get a head start. The weather is going to be nice and I would like to enjoy it while you are gone,” he smiled, putting the paper to the side. “What are you doing up this early? You are not leaving for another couple of hours.”

“Couldn’t sleep. So, I got up and got ready,” I responded. “But I have a request. We need a hidden camera in the meeting room. Someone broke in and I found the scout reports and maps scattered on the table.” Jed gave me a confused look.

“That is weird. So, we have a mole here in the house, not in the special ops,” he said. I nodded my head. “I saw Connor and Selma walking around the house about an hour ago when I came down. They were whispering and acting like they were up to no good. I figured they were having a late-night hook-up, and they were returning to their rooms.”

“When I get back, I will have a talk with the both of them,” I told him, grabbing my laptop and placing it in my bag. “Could you do me a favor? Order some flowers for me and have them sent to Piper, please.”

Jed chuckled. “Of course, Your Grace. It is getting closer to her birthday and the two of you finally get to be together.”

“My excitement is getting up there and I cannot wait. I got plans made for her birthday, taking her to San Francisco for shopping and a dinner cruise around the bay. I can finally hold her and give her the very first kiss.”

“I know, Leofric, and this wait will be worth it.” Jed smiled. There was a knock on the door and Isban walked in.

“Your Grace,” he said, bowing. “Everyone is ready to go.” I nodded my head, hugged Jed one more time, and walked towards the door.

“Take care of everything, old man,” I playfully joked with him, saying, “I’ll see you soon,” and closed the door. I followed Isban to the garage and went to pick up my bag. I saw signs it had been tampered with. “Isban, do you have the dogs?” I asked him.

“Yes, we do, Your Grace.”

“Bring them here and check my bag. I think someone tampered with it,” I told him. The handlers brought the dog over and it checked it out. No bomb. That is good. Then Isban scanned it with a scanner to look for any trackers and it went crazy. We looked at each other and I opened the bag. Hidden in the seam was a tracker.

“Someone is trying to track me, to give the hunters a heads up when we leave Germany and head to Mexico, so they can pack up and leave before we get there.”

“Sir, do we know who it could be?” Isban asked.

“I have no clue. They were in the meeting room because the reports and maps were all over the table,” I told him. We loaded up into the SUVs and headed into the airport. The military planes were ready when we arrived and boarded.