Once I've set eyes on my prey, the hunt is as good as over.
Every man caught between my canines. Every woman murdered by my claws. Every child that I've stripped of a long life. All of this blood I've collected throughout the years, meaning absolutely nothing to me. Not an ounce of regret or remorse for the destructive path I walk alone.
How could I bring myself to feel for their deaths? In a world that will eat you up, first chance it gets. You can either fight to survive or die at the hands of someone stronger.
We're beasts of the night. Werewolves. Hardwired to hunt. Bred to stalk. Born to kill. It's just our nature. It's just my nature.
-Adonis Black
My nails dig deep into the damp dirt, uprooting the weak vegetation and loose rocks as I bolt after my target. His swiftness makes up for his lack in size, but even then his speed wouldn't be enough to escape my beast. I could practically feel his need to live, but tasting his blood was inevitable no matter how much he tried to postpone it.
With the gap between us closing, my prey takes a hard right, maneuvering sporadically against the dark red trunks in a brown haze. With my large frame making it difficult to weave between the broad trees and thick brush, he pulls ahead once more.
I move on autopilot, while my mind remains a jumble of incoherent thoughts. Even with my head a mess, I could hear the growing hum of one word. The very word that has me pushing every physical boundary I've grown to known:
Kill!
My instincts were driving me to run, but my bloodlust was keeping me from stopping.
My wolf lets out a low rumble, a clear indicator that he wants control. I don't think twice before retreating back into our mind and allowing him the opportunity to snatch the reins.
He darts through the woods, following the scent of the unknown wolf until we're practically on top of him. He lunges us forward, placing all of our weight on the back of our target. As he loses balance and tumbles down, our prey brings us with him.
We're the first to get back to our feet, and deciding not to give him a chance at recovering from the sudden impact, my beast rushes the downed wolf clamping our jaw onto his throat. He tries using his hind legs as a last resort to kick us off, but we remain latched to his neck.
Applying more pressure, we wait for the struggling to die down before swapping back. He wasn't dead just unconscious, and until he was no longer of use to me he'd be kept alive. Barely, but still breathing. I drag him to the confinement of the pack dungeon.
"Why are you here?"
"I have no incentive to tell you. You'll kill me either way." He glares me down, not budging slightly.
"But depending on how this goes, you can die quick and painlessly or," I grab his index and middle finger snapping them back in a way that produces a loud crack. "Slow and agonizingly." He yells out, beads of sweat clinging to his disheveled hair. He was drenched in his own blood, but even then his resolve wasn't wearing. An hour of non-stop torture, and I'm still left with nothing.
"Fuck you Feral King!"
"I hope you realize you're loyalty is directed towards a man who never gave a rat's ass about you." His blue eyes go wide as he looks up at me from the chair he was tied to.
"Beta Draco has been nothing but loyal to my mate and I."
"Your beta has purposely sent you out here, knowing your death was absolute." I grab his hand slamming it onto the arm of the chair.
"He wouldn't."
"But he would." I chuckle, pulling out a large masonry nail from my back pocket. "You'll be the seventh messenger from his pack to die to me."
He shakes his head, crying out, "Fine I'll tell you!"
"Go on."
"I'm here to deliver a message."
"Oh I'm well aware of that. But what are you really here for? Why is your beta so hell-bent on me taking his sister for a mate?"
"Taking his sister? Mates? Look, I know nothing about any of that. Please just let me go, I promise to never set foot back on your lands."
I reach down and untie the intruder from the chair. Opening up his cell, I lead him out of the pack dungeons and up into the crisp morning air. We're surrounded by golden light, which takes a moment for my eyes to adjust to.
"Go." I state firmly. I push the man to the floor, turning around. He rustles about, probably forcing himself to stand despite his injuries.
"Thank you." His voice dry and low is drowned out by the crunching of raw skin rubbing along jagged rocks and sharp twigs.
His footsteps disappear with haste and once I'm sure he's gained distance I turn back around. I sprint in his direction, shifting mid-air and following his scent with a thunderous howl.
The thrill of the hunt is all I've known. All I've enjoyed. This one would be no different.
"Another letter, Alpha?" I grab the familiar beige envelope from my beta, ignoring the cheeky grin on his face. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you have a secret lover." The snarl emanating from my throat does little to diminish Grayson's antics.
I flip the paper packaging over, showing off the name 'Beta Draco.'
"Let me guess. He wants to try pushing his sister onto you again?"
"Him and half the damn werewolf population."
"Are you going to bite this time?" Gray is now behind me, leaning over my shoulder to catch a peek at the message. "She wouldn't be the worst choice."
"And how would you know that?"
"Some photos were passed around of her." I shake my head, the frustration bubbling up within me. My warriors are expected to behave as men, they know this, and yet they'd rather act like schoolboys. "When I confiscated and disposed of them I might of checked a few out."
"Go on."
"Her smile is something rare." I'm a bit taken aback at Grayson's excitement. My beta hasn't shown this much interest in a woman since high school. "It's genuine, and Goddess knows you need that in your life."
"Who sent the pictures around?"
"Zion, or so I'm told."
"He's becoming more of a liability than an asset." Although he's amazing in combat and fighting, he tends to think with the wrong head. Losing good men because of his inability to control himself around a fine ass or pair of big tits, wasn't an option. "Zion forgets just how replaceable he his."
"Agreed, maybe it's time you give him a little chitchat."
"I was thinking of a more hands on approach."
"Lets try using our words first, Alpha." He pats my back with a chuckle. "Speaking of words, what does the letter say?" My beta gestures to the crumpled paper, falling apart in my hand.
"Dear Alpha Adonis of Lupus Nocturnus, I hate to continue pestering you but I'm sure you're well aware of the dangerous rumors circulating around the pack lands. The ones claiming that you're growing more inept the longer you remain leading without a luna. I can't have other wolves threatening your position, and even worse I can't have them taking it over. As werewolves we know that there's none so powerful as an alpha with his mate, which is why I'm willing to allow you the opportunity of taking my sister as yours. In return all I ask is that my sister's wellbeing and health remain intact and that no harm falls upon her AT ALL. If you plan on discussing this matter further feel free to stop by my pack. Sincerely future alpha of Sanguis Silvarum, Draco Beckham." I read the letter out, analyzing each sentence on the sheet.
"He's getting sworn into the alpha position tonight. Should I have Zion send out a group to get more information on Draco?"
Normally with any wolf being promoted up into a higher rank, I have a few scouts gather intel from my spies. Blame the paranoia, but planting wolves in nearby packs has taken a huge load off my back. My eyes and ears are quite literally everywhere, making it easier to figure out the other packs' weaknesses.
"No." I stand up, stretching out my arms. "Zion and I will speak with our informants alone."
"You're going? Why?"
"Usually when it comes to these messages," I ball up Draco's letter chucking it into a trash bin. "They stop after the first or second time of me killing their messenger. Yet this is his seventh time. Now I'm forced to take more drastic measures as a means to get my point across."
"Don't do anything stupid." Grayson's playfulness has evaporated. "When you get like this, you're impuls-"
"Tell Zion about the change of plans. Have him ready by noon."
"Ok Alpha, I'm putting my faith in you." I dismiss myself, walking about the pack house until I stumble across one room in particular. I knock twice, before entering.
"What do I owe the pleasure, Alpha." She smiles innocently up at me, but I've known her long enough to know her intentions are far from pure.
"Yas-" She pushes one of her slender fingers up to her plump lips, signalling for me to be quiet. I stand silent, watching her seductive gaze travel from my eyes down to my pants. "I need your help."
"I see that." Yasmine approaches me, her hips swaying from side to side. "Tell me what it is you need help with, Alpha." She stops a few feet away, reaching out as she rubs the bulge in my pants. Even through the stiff denim, I could feel the warmth emanating from her touch. The way her palm massages my growing cock, has my body going wild.
All thoughts nearly evade my mind. For a brief second I couldn't even remember why I had come over here, but then it was clear. Everything hitting me like a freight train "No." I grab hold of her wrist, throwing it to her side. "Not that."
She props her hair up into a messy bun, dropping down to her knees. "No?" Her hands are once again at my pants, this time tracing the waist band of the coarse material. "Your body is clearly saying yes. Don't deny yourself the pleasure of fucking a real woman, Alpha."
She was right. I could act as if my dick wasn't throbbing for her, or I could just give in and relieve this pressure piling up. Yasmine was good at what she did. She could handle me in more ways than most. No matter how rough I got, she was able to make it through.
"10 minutes, then we discuss why I'm really here."
"I only need six." She pulls my pants off, my boxers following shortly after. With my cock fully exposed, Yasmine opens her mouth, slapping my tip against her tongue. "I miss the way you feel in my mouth."
I grab a handful of her hair, shoving most of my length down her throat. "Then take all of me." She lets out a gag, but I don't ease up, pushing her lips further down until she hits my base. "You're a disgusting slut, speaking that way to your alpha." I pull out, allowing her a few seconds to breathe.
"I'm a dirty whore only for you though." I can't help this overwhelming need to punish her. I want to hurt her. I want to break her. I want her crying out because of my doing.
"Such a filthy mouth you have, Mrs. Reed." I smack her hard across the face, her head twisting to the side. "I'll have to use it until you can't talk."
When she recovers from the force behind my slap, she shoots me that innocent smile of hers. "Your touch has grown soft, Alpha. You know not to hold back when you're with me." I bring my palm down harder on her cheek, drawing out a whimper from her.
"Open your mouth, Yasmine." She obeys immediately and I place my thumb in it. Her tongue shoots out, wrapping around my finger and sucking me deeper into her. The sensation feels weird, but the act itself has me growing even harder. "That's how I expect you to take my dick." I remove my thumb, guiding her lips back down.
With a nod, she spits on my tip, rubbing in her saliva as she kneads the most sensitive part of my penis. Yasmine then takes me in, inch by inch until my balls are resting along her chin. She wastes no time bobbing her head in circular motions, throat constricting tight around my member every time she goes to choke. The feeling alone nearly has me shooting my load into her stomach.
I watch her closely, from the way her eyes roll back to the tears smearing in her mascara. She was a mess. A very attractive, very sexy, very hot mess. My fingers manage to find their way back in her heap of red locks, and I use them to hold her face still as I thrust hard into her mouth. I pick up speed, skin slapping against skin, while I grow closer to my high. It was coming. I was coming.
She pulls me out of her mouth right as I spray my warm cum. Ropes of my arousal paint her face in white, and she kneels there just taking it. "That was a lot more than usual, Alpha. Maybe a round two is in order."
"Get cleaned up, Yasmine. Meet me in the basement as soon as you can." I wipe the beads of sweat from my forehead, getting dressed, and sneaking out of her room.
"Alpha?" I turn around, cursing myself for my lack of spatial awareness. "I've been looking everywhere for you."
"Zion."
"I...um." There's a pregnant pause before he speaks up again. "Why have you decided to join along?"
"I have business I personally need to attend to." I glare at him. "I also need to make sure you're not receiving any more pictures of nonconsenting she-wolves."
"I see." He clears his throat awkwardly.
"I send you to other packs to gather information, not photos for your spank bank."
"Understood."
"If I catch wind of you misusing the power I've given you one more damn time, you'll die a virgin." I chuckle darkly. "How tragically ironic would that be? One of the biggest perverts passing on without ever having the opportunity to touch a woman's body."
"I'm sorry Alpha, it won't happen again."
"No it won't. Now get out of my sight." He swiftly disappears behind a corner. "You can come out now Mrs. Reed." The door to her room, slowly props open.
"I forget how strong your hearing is." She closes the door behind her.
"Lets go." We walk silently to the basement, my pace keeping me a few steps ahead of Yasmine. The last thing I needed was my pack, let alone any other, knowing of my relationship with her.
She was my parents' closest friend, and when they passed on she took me in as if I was her own flesh and blood. I think it was a way for her to cope with her own grief, between losing her mate and companions. For months she clung to my arm, hovering over my every move. Constantly stopping me from raging out or losing complete control over my temper.
I can't remember when the line between platonic bonding and sexual desire was crossed, it happened in a blur. But it still happened, and because we took that first step over the boundary line there was no way of turning back. Fucking her was suppose to be a one and done, yet it some how became a weekly occurrence.
"We don't need to do this." Her fingers find their way inbetween mine.
"We do." I pull my hand out of hers walking over to a polished hickory table. I scan over the countless knives and whips, tracing over a few of the crops. "Use this one today." I pick up the leather end of a cat-o-nine tail, dipping it's tips into a clear container of liquid silver. Propping the whip up against the interior of the glass flask, I allow the hemp to saturate in it's contents.
"Alpha I enjoy helping you, but I can't keep doing this." She shakes her head, following me to the center of the dimly lit room.
"Well you'll have to." I look up, observing the large hook cemented into the ceiling. From it dangles down a long chain, twisting to form a steel snake of unforgiving restraint. I give it a few hard yanks, double-checking it's stability. The metal jolts together loudly, but doesn't give in to the weight of each pull.
"Your mom wouldn't want this." I shoot Yasmine a knowing look while I strip down to my boxers.
"I'm sure my mom wouldn't want you fucking her son either, but you do it quite often." She bites her bottom lip, turning away from me. "She's dead. Gone. Never fucking coming back. Forget about her."
"You shouldn't speak about her like that. Your mother and father were some of my best friends."
"And they were my parents!" I loved them and I don't see myself ever stopping. Whenever I think back to the years before my 16th birthday, before my first shift and the chaos that ensued, I can see all of our faces. Like an out of body experience, I can vividly see my happiness and theirs. They were proud of me, even up until the moment of their deaths. But were they proud of me now? "Just strap me up."
She grabs a pair of thick gloves, placing them over her freshly-manicured fingers. Working on my wrists first, she uses the shackles over head to keep my hands in place. Although the chains are made of steel, the thick cuffs linked to the end of them are pure argentum. Apparently she had to find out the hard way after forgetting her gloves with my father, and getting a bad surface burn that lasted a few days.
Silver to our kind is nothing like wolfsbane. Unlike the latter, it doesn't need to be consumed in order to deal damage. Touching it alone can cause lycans insurmountable pain, so not being careful with something like this can leave you with nasty first or second degree burns.
Once she adjusts the manacles, she starts on the ones at my feet. I nod in approval, giving her the OK to start.
No matter how many times I go through this, I can feel it all. The slicing of my skin from the impact of the whip. The argentum corrupting my veins and burning me from the inside out. I can feel my throat going hoarse from my screams. My wolf. I can feel him trying to fight against the poison and pain.
But I know the sooner he accepts it and and comes to term with it, the faster we can start healing. This was never just a test of physical strength, but also mental.
"You're already starting to heal!" Yasmine's voice echos deep inside my ear. I turn to look at her, my surroundings a slow-motion blur. "I'll undo the cuffs."
"Don't!" I shout out, in a low animalistic grumble. My beast is close to the surface, fighting me for control. "Gr...Grab the knife over there."
"Alph-"
"NOW YASMINE!" She's at the table before I even finish my sentence, picking up the first blade she sees, and then making her way back to the spot behind me.
"There are other ways to get strong, Alpha. Ways that don't involve body mutilation and permanent tissue damage." Her fingers are cold against me, soothing the flames underneath my skin. "This scarring might never heal." Yasmine traces the raised flesh along my back, avoiding the open wounds she's just inflicted.
"Keep going."
"I don't understand this at all though Ado...Alpha."
"You helped my dad this exact same way."
"And I hated every fucking minute of it. Sure his tolerance towards pain skyrocketed and he built an immunity to wolfsbane, but at what cost? Why are you trying to grow stronger?"
"One day they'll come. Someone, somewhere will come to collect my heart. I need to be prepared. I won't end up like the rest of them."
"The rest of who?"
"My kind. Their weaknesses led to them getting killed."
"We can't escape death, Alpha. There's no life without it. Just embrace what time you have and stop trying to cheat the system."
"Is that what you told yourself when I decapitated your mate? Did you repeat that exact same bullshit to help you sleep better at night?" She walks around me, still keeping her eyes far from mine.
"Alpha don't." Her voice cracks slightly. "I know what you're trying to do."
"He called for you." I throw my head back with a deep laugh. "He thought crying out your name would somehow get me to stop from pulling his skull from his spinal cord."
"Enough!" Yasmine paces back and forth, the rubber handle of the knife still firm in her grip. "I've forgiven you for it! You know I have!"
"His last words were a plead for me to spare his life. It was the most pitiful sight. A grown man reduced to nothing more than a fit of tears."
"STOP!" She charges for me the silver blade pointed towards my ribcage.
"Not only are you fucking your best friends' child, but also the man who singlehandedly left you mateless." I look down at her, shooting her a grin. "You truly are a disgusting slut, Mrs. Reed."
Yasmine plunges the knife into the spot slightly below my armpit, missing my ribs by a few centimeters. I let out a hiss, pulling hard on the restraints. The metal jingles, bouncing from side to side while I squirm against the wolfsbane-coated blade
"EDWARD WAS A GOOD MAN!" I could barely understand what she was saying through her sobs. "HE DIDN'T DESERVE TO DIE! NONE OF THEM DID! NOT YOUR PARENTS! NOT YOUR SISTER! DEFINITELY NOT HIM!" She twists the knife around, digging it impossibly deeper, before pulling it out.
Yasmine looks up at me mortified, hands shaking as she drops the weapon. Her eyes are bloodshot and swollen, dried up tears crusting below her lids.
For a few minutes she stands there, glued in place and panting loudly. Her heart beats hard against her chest, producing a loud drum. It's all I can hear, and for a moment I think it might shatter with the way it was slamming against her sternum.
But how could something already so broken, break any further? It didn't make any sense to me, but as she holds my gaze, I see her breaking again. A shell of the woman I once knew, now the same weak person that I tried so hard to build up.
I wanted to believe I could fix her and make her into a stronger, more relentless she-wolf. But Yasmine Reed was a lost cause, an amazing fuck, but lost cause. Letting her go wouldn't be too difficult, that much I knew.
"Undo the chains." The gash in my side was already beginning the healing process, bringing a small smile of relief to my lips. It was faster than last month's time, which meant my progress was prevailing.
"Yes Alpha." Her voice is nearly void of emotion except for the small hint of resentment. She does as she's told, freeing me from the silver that was burning into my wrists and ankles.
"Dismiss yourself, Mrs. Reed." Without another word she's gone.
My beast lets out a long howl. His happiness echoing through my head. For reasons unknown he barely talked, his nature in itself was a lot more primal than most inner wolves. His way of communication was often yips, growls, snarls, and the occasional howl.
"What's got you wagging your tail?"
"Find mate."
"I went around the whole world looking for her, just for your sake. Clearly if I was meant to have one, she'd already be by my side ruling as Luna."
"Find."
"Once we're back from Sanguis Silvarum we can discuss another world-wide goose chase for you, but until then this isn't my main priority." He lets out a low snarl, which I take as his agreeance.
"Alpha are we about ready to head out?" Zion is alongside me, staring off into my garage. It use to be filled with my father's vintage cruisers and overly expensive sports cars, but now it was completely barren. I sold almost every last one of them off, except for his black Hennessey Venom F5.
That one, I was more than fine keeping.
"Yes."
Once settled into the car, I peel out of the driveway and down the dirt road.
"So what are your plans after tonight?" I let out a sigh, keeping my hands firm on the steering wheel and eyes glued to the path in front of us. It was going to be a long car ride regardless of Zion's talking, but I wouldn't waste any of my energy on meaningless conversation with someone like him. "How about some music?"
"Touch the radio and you'll be running the whole way there." He leans back in his seat, adjusting himself in a comfortable position.
Five hours of silence, and I thought for a moment my luck was going good, but towards the end Zion's snores were all I could hear. That, and my thoughts telling me to pull over and strangle him where he lay.
Since Lupus Nocturnus didn't directly border Sanguis Silvarum, we had to cut through some of the neutral territory to reach Draco's pack. Traveling unclaimed lands was like a bad experience wrapped in barbed wire and glass shards, nothing good ever came from it. Since most exiled wolves reside within free roam territories, their behavior was unpredictable. They no longer have to conform to societal rules or pack hierarchy, so anything goes.
Murder.
Rape.
Theft.
Anarchy.
I pull into the parking lot of a rundown warehouse, and by this time Zion is up and alert. He scouts the area through the tinted windows, unbuckling his seatbelt. "Seems we're almost there."
"Park the car in the garage and cover it in a sheet."
"Alright."
"I'm going to double check the building and make sure there's no squatters we need to worry about." I step out of my car, keys still in the ignition. "Be quick, there's a lot of activity tonight." I had already picked up on multiple scents in the 2 seconds I was outside. Only more would begin to gather.
Walking into the two-story structure, I breath a sigh of relief. With no unfamiliar smells lingering, I knew the warehouse was left vacant. This made tonight a whole lot easier, and I needed easier.
"Dump." My wolf growls his annoyance.
Paint was chipping from the walls and along each corner cob webs collected with dust. The floor was full of debris and metal scraps, some spots stained with dried blood and stale urine. The nauseating smell of vomit mixed with mold, had my head throbbing, and the thought of a renovation didn't sound so bad.
He wasn't wrong, but the building had to remain this way. Luxury items and expensive decorum would only draw attention and that was the last thing I needed.
"Ok we're all good in the vehicle department. I checked the time and it seems we're a bit early."
"We have an hour to kill, before we have to head out."
"I could go for a burger and some fries." Right on cue, Zion's stomach growls. "There's a diner down the road."
"Make sure to watch your tail on the way back. I don't want anyone following you here."
"I've done this too many times Alpha, don't worry about me." He dismisses the idea as if he wasn't a clueless imbecile. He was war smart, I could acknowledge that, but he was far from book smart. "Speaking of, watch the dude lurking in the alleyway across the street. Just a vibe about him."
I climb the stairs up to the second floor, positioning myself at a window that peers down into the front lot. From this vantage I can see who comes in and out, the only entrance in perfect view.
I watch Zion fade down the road, hands in his pocket and hood pulled over his head. The less attention he draws the better it would be for the both of us. Tonight wasn't about getting our fingers dirty, we were simply here to catch up on the switch in leadership then leave.
My eyes wander over to the alley, the ominous aura of it, drawing me in. I stare off at it for a minute or two, trying to pick up on any movement, but there's nothing.
"Goddess, he was such a moron."
"What's a moron, Bear?" A soft Southern drawl questions.
"Someone who's dumb." I couldn't pin where the voices were coming from until two kids finally come into view. They were heading from the direction of the diner, out of breath and panting. The older boy, who looks to be in his early teens, pulls along a much smaller child. She seems to be around 6 or 7, but it's hard to truly tell.
Pups born in The Neutral are forced to grow up faster than most their age. Circumstances aren't ideal and in a territory ran without governing authority, safety is lacking. The strong fight to see another day while the weak get picked off one by one.
"He was nice though."
"Nice but stupid, Nugget. Now he's down a wallet and some cash."
"I feel bad."
"Don't. We earned this money fair and square."
"We stealed it."
"Stole. We stole it." The masculine voice corrects. "You been working on your studies?"
"Momma says it won't matter."
"And why is that, Nug?"
"Says I'll be lucky to see my next birthday."
"Tell Ma to shut her trap. She ain't know nothing." He slips her a brown object, the transaction too quick for me to make out what it is. "Try reading this name."
"Ok, Bear." The scrawny girl, Nugget, answers. They stop right outside the entrance to the parking lot, taking a seat on the cement curb. "Z...Zee...Own. Cart...Ter?" She looks up at her companion, confusion eminent in her expression.
"Pass me the wallet." He takes the leather case, reading aloud the name, "It's said like lion but with a Z. Zion Carter." My mouth nearly drops, as I mentally face palm. One of my best warriors, outwitted by a bunch of pups.
I shake my head, going to close the curtains, until I catch it. The movement in the alleyway. "That's a lot of money, you kids have." The gruff voice doesn't belong to any of the ones I've heard yet. "Do you mind sparing some?"
"Of cour-"
"No." Bear interrupts the little girl, grabbing her wrist and pulling her behind him. "We don't have enough to share. Sorry."
A sinister smile twists up the side of the man's face as he takes long strides across the street and towards the kids. The cigarette dangling from his lips falls onto the asphalt, but it doesn't seem to faze him. His black eyes are glued onto the two in front of him. His focus solely on them, and them alone.
"C'mon, I need to buy some food. I have kids too, y'know."
Nugget reaches her small palm out, a few dollars and coins laid out flat in her hand. "Here, sir." The man reaches out to grab the change, but instead yanks her wrist, pulling her flush against his body.
"Aren't you a sweet little thing?" His tongue shoots out of his mouth, lapping at the skin along her neck.
"Get your filthy hands off her!" Bear charges for him, punching him square in the jaw. The sudden act disorients the older male, causing him to stumble back. "Nugget come on!" They both grabs their things in a hurry, trying to take off but it's no use.
The man grabs Bear throwing him against the ground, but even then the pup doesn't give up. He kicks and claws and bites, nothing working against the iron grip of his assailant. The man switches to the offensive, grabbing the boy by his shirt collar and slamming him against the concrete.
He repeats the move over and over, sickening crack after sickening crack, until the young boy is limp on the sidewalk. The puddle of blood surrounding his body only spreading wider. If the collision from the impact against his skull didn't kill him, a brain bleed would. With that much force on such a tiny head, there was no way he could of survived the violent barrage.
The man grabs the wallet, pocketing the cash and leaving the card.
"Brother?" Nugget stops in her tracks, turning around. "Bear?" Her calls are met with silence.
"See what happens when I'm angry?" The man speaks up. "Do you want me to get angry with you next?"
"No!" She cries out, sobs raking her whole body.
"Then come here." The child obeys, dragging her feet the entire way to her brother's murderer.
"Are you going to hurt me?" The attacker is now in front of her, his lips tilting up into a disgusting grin.
"Not if you're a good girl." The man picks up the teary-eyed pup, throwing her over his shoulder. They then disappear into the darkness of the alley.
I continue looking out the window, the street once again inactive.
When Zion finally arrives, he's a sweaty mess.
"Alpha!"
"Hm?"
"The dead body outside?"
"Wasn't me."
"What happened?"
"Doesn't concern either of us."
"They're pups though."
"Pups who don't belong to my pack. I'm not obligated to protect them." Zion gulps, but continues.
"Were you in a position to help?" My wolf's fur bristles, his lips pulling back into a tight smile as he growls. He didn't like the idea of wolves questioning him, let alone wolves that ranked below him. The need to check Zion's arrogance becoming harder to contain.
"I was." The window to meet with our spy was limited, every second crucial. Discussing the past wouldn't change it, making this whole conversation pointless. "It's time to go."
And so we begin our walk to the boundary line that connects The Neutral to Sanguis Silvarum.
"The rendezvous point should be up ahead." Zion reassures me, leading me through a grove of towering pines. With so many fallen needles crunching below the weight of my feet, it's near impossible to keep up the stealth. Winter was already starting off harsh, and if the winds were any indicator, it would only go down hill from here.
"Alright."
We trek through the woods for a few more minutes before finally meeting with the third in our party. "Alpha?" Haven drops his gaze, eyes lingering on the muddy ground as he thrusts his head to the side to bare his neck.
"What information do you have for me?"
"Well as far as any weaknesses go, it would seem his ego could be a huge one. I haven't seen it first hand, but I've heard about it. Sadly unlike most high ranks, he seems to be hidden away in his house 90% of the time. Rarely coming out."
"And strengths?"
"Family. He has 5 younger brothers: Gabriael, Mikhael, Raegon, Silas, and Eros. They're all extremely capable fighters. The last two have been promoted up to betas of Venatores Praeda through familial connections to our south. But Mikhael didn't need much help conquering Alpha Tobias and stealing the Indomitus pack by the Canadian border."
"I have some spies in Toby's pack, but I'll send some out to the others' just for extra precaution."
"We also shouldn't rule out former Alpha, Kayce. Even though he's well past his prime and retired, his combat style is unmatched. He'll rush to the aid of his sons if anything was to transpire. " Zion speaks up. I nod in agreement.
"I need a favor of you, Haven."
"Anything Alpha."
"Leave this message for Alpha Draco." I hand him a beige envelope, similar to the one he's sent out the past few months, except mine is stained red at the bottom.
"I'll put it in his office right now. The pack is too focused on the festivities that I should be in and out without any witnesses." He places my letter into his bag, before transforming and running off.
"It seems we're back at square one."
"Agreed. No new information. No import-"
I couldn't smell her at first, but as the winds pick up, her fragrance becomes more prominent.
The air is thick with her scent, consuming my whole being with her, and her alone. As if a pile of roses went to war with vanilla petals, she was both dangerous and sweet. The two fragrances held together by a binding spiral of cinnamon, mixing together to form her mouthwatering aroma.
My lungs scream out for me to take in more of her, but before given another chance it was gone. Her scent vanishing with the winds, taking my drunken haze with it.
"Alpha! Your eyes!" Zion gasps. "They're black!"
"Mate." My beast yips, wagging his tail energetically from side to side. "Go to her."
"The chase has already begun." I look up to the moon, walking back towards the direction of the warehouse. "We just need to play it smart right now."
"Alpha?"
"Let's go Zion."
Once I've set eyes on my prey, the hunt is as good as over.
Except with you, I don't have to catch even the smallest glimpse to know you'll be mine. Your scent, Goddess that addicting smell emanating from your body, is proof enough. When I have your screams filling my bedroom, it will only solidify it more.
How do you scream, Mate? Are you loud? Breathy? Maybe you prefer to hold it all back and stay absolutely silent? Regardless, I'll be finding out real soon.
For now, sit tight and enjoy your freedom. And me? Well, I'm going to enjoy taking it from you.
-Adonis Black