Chapter 30
I was getting inked.
It had been years since I’d voluntarily put myself under a needle and this was the first time it held any meaning to me. The names of my brothers…my family who had lost their lives on that fateful day out on the battlefield would be etched permanently over my heart.
Every time I looked in the mirror I would see their names and I’d remember their bravery. I’d remember that these were men who had once lived and dreamt of futures they’d never get to see.
“How many times do I have to tell you not to touch my shit?” Beside me Noah bellowed at Christophe who stood somewhere out of my line of sight.
I tried to twist around without moving while Noah worked on the tattoo, but I still couldn’t see the devil. They’d been at it since sunset and the constant bickering was already getting to me.
“I merely wished to get a better appreciation of the instrument.”
“Ever heard the saying; look, but don’t touch?” Noah continued in annoyance.
“One needs to attune all their senses to an item in order to further understand its inner workings...do you know nothing? you miserable—”
“Jesus Christophe, can’t you just sit still?” I asked in exasperation and beside me Noah cursed under his breath but remained silent.
“Your friend knows nothing of how to treat his guests. Since my arrival I have been utterly ignored and left to my own devices...what do you suggest that I do if not acquaint myself with whatever fascinates me?”
Noah paused and glanced over at him.
“Maybe if you’d stop breaking everything you touch I’d be okay with it.”
“Do not tell tales. I have broken but one of your ridiculous instruments and had you not propped the thing so carelessly on the shelving, it would not have fallen.”
I ran a hand over my face. They were like two kids who just couldn’t get along.
“Touch one more thing in this room and I’ll break your damn hands myself.” Noah threatened.
“Ha! Do you really believe that your petty human threats have any effect on me. I could break all your brittle bones with a simple flick of my wrists.” He boasted. “It would suit you well to remember that.”
“And it would suit you well to remember whose place you’re standing in bloodsucker.”
I heard his scoff. “I assure you, had I known that this would be the place I would be expected to rest my head for the next fortnight, I would have repudiated Tony’s invitation.”
“No one’s stopping you from leaving.”
“I have been tasked with the duty of ensuring Tony’s safety, and in any event I would never leave him to endure your bloody company alone.”
I could imagine the arrogant tilt of his chin and I shook my head.
“Jesus Christ Tony, where’d you get this freak show?”
I heard something behind me shatter and in an instant Noah was out of his chair.
I sat up and turned around, glaring at Christophe.
“That one I broke intentionally.” He said with a smile. “Shall I wait for you to attempt to break my hands or should I take them to you.”
“Get the fuck out!” Noah blazed—pointing to the exit across the room.
Christophe lifted his chin in defiance and I gritted my teeth.
“Would you just please do as he says?” I said to Christophe, then turned to Noah.
“Look man, I didn’t mean to come here and mess with y—”
“You never were very good at picking your friends.” He replied. “Just get him out of here, at least until I can finish your tats.”
I glanced at Christophe, whose eyes narrowed.
“Very well, I shall make myself scarce. I have no wish to be in the presence of this blubbering, weak-willed coward anyway.”
Before I could blink, Noah had crossed the room and my eyes widened when he pulled out some kind of mechanical bow and arrow contraption, aiming it at Christophe; eyes glinting and his mouth set in a hard line.
“Don’t tempt me asshole.”
“Let’s just take a breath here Noah.” I tried to pacify him.
Christophe only raised a brow. “Ha-ha, do you really believe you can harm me with your little toy?”
I heard a click and suddenly a steel arrow was flying through the air, embedding itself into Christophe’s shoulder. I watched the blood erupt and seep through his cotton shirt. Then watched still as he pulled it out of his flesh and held it up for us to see.
For a moment he looked down at his clothes, then back at us with a frown. “You stained my robes.”
He spun the arrow in his hand and aimed it at Noah…
…………………………………………………..
~Rien’s POV~
One might say arrogance and confidence went hand in hand, and this human certainly had both. He sat on the only desk in the large room and watched us with a nonchalance that grated on my nerves. He had certainly secured his place among the wolves and he wore it like a badge of honor.
“So you two gonna tell me what you’re doing here? or are we gonna sit and stare at each other all night?”
“We did not travel this distance to speak with you. We wish to conference with your leader. It is he who must weigh the matter we have come to discuss.” Nathaniel explained.
“My leader?” the human raised an eyebrow, his expression, one tinged with amusement.
“We have risked our lives and the trust of our coven by travelling here. This is not a joke boy.” Nathaniel spat.
The human frowned. “And I actually have important things to do, so how about you stop wasting my time and say what you came here to say.”
“I have already explained to you that—”
“Yeah…you wanna talk to the Alpha. I get it.” He began in clear annoyance. “But trust me when I say that I’ve lived here long enough to know that as soon as the Alpha and the Beta get here, you’ll be thrown into lock-up and you’ll be lucky if you catch a glimpse of either of them.” He mocked.
I could sense Nathaniel’s anger. “Your pack has been encroached upon and they would choose to ignore the reason for the intrusion? What kind of leaders do they really profess to be?”
“We have procedures we need to follow… You practically committed an act of terrorism against us—sometimes it’s better to take action first and ask questions later.”
Nathaniel scoffed. “It is a wonder the lot of you survived as long as you have.”
The human took a deep breath and expelled it slowly. “Look fang-face…right now I’m your best bet at getting them to listen to you, and lucky for you, I happen to like vampires…so let’s hear the reason you came here, or we can just skip the niceties and leave you to the lockups…your call.”
“Fang-face?” Nathaniel’s mouth turned up in a sneer and I held up a hand to silence him.
“Very well. I shall burden you with our news, but only on the assurance that you will relay it to your Alpha and Beta as soon as reasonably possible.”
He nodded.
“I am Lord Riener, Master Class blood drinker of the warrior coven lead by my father.” I told him, then gestured to my brethren. “This is Lord Nathaniel and we have journeyed here under unfortunate circumstances.”
“Sounds ominous.” The human drawled. I could see he still had yet to take our words seriously.
“Why are we standing here speaking to this blubbering idiot?” Nathaniel spat and the human had the audacity to smile.
“You fools barged into a camp full of werewolves with no back-up and I’m the idiot?”
Had I not been accustomed to Tony’s manner of speaking, this human’s words would have insulted me. I glanced at Nathaniel and it was clear that they had an effect on him.
“My father wishes for more power. He has lived a long time and he finds himself dissatisfied with all that he has accomplished, so he has turned his sights on the wolves.”
“Okay…”
“In short, he wishes to conquer the lot of you.”
The human scoffed. “Yeah and how do you plan to do that? Have you seen the size of this pack?”
“Not I…my father. He is of course aware of your size, however he has a secret weapon, something that may bring this camp to its knees should he wage his war.”
The human straightened, slipping from the desk so he could stand before it with folded arms. There was no longer any hint of amusement in his expression.
“If you have a secret weapon like you claim, then why are you here? Why are you telling me all this?”
“As I have explained. It is my father who wishes you harm, not I.”
“Uhuh and once again...why tell me?”
“Because I do not think as he does. There is every possibility that he may succeed, just as there is every possibility that he may not. But either way, many lives will be lost on both sides and I do not wish to see my people suffer for my father’s thoughtlessness.”
His eyes narrowed and he bit his lip, looking at me as though he were trying to decide what to believe.
“I still don’t get it, why tell me? What good will it do telling us. We’ll just prepare ourselves for war, which means even more of your people will die. Your reasoning isn’t making a lick of sense.”
I could hear the gritting of my brethren’s teeth, but he wisely remained silent.
“Because when I leave here, I will travel back to my coven where I shall attempt to persuade my father to end this foolishness. Should I fail—and I am very likely to—I shall appeal to my people.”
“And if that doesn’t work?”
“I assure you, many will stand by my side and for every blood drinker that does do so, I shall take them with me, and together we shall fight alongside you against my father.”
For a moment he only looked at me, then his eyes widened in what looked to be understanding.
“You don’t really think your father can win do you? That’s why you’re here. You want to be on the winning side.”
He was perceptive this one…much like my Tony.
“It is true that I have no confidence in his endeavors, and as a strategist I have decided to band with the side that can ensure the survival of my people.” I told him. “When this is over and my father has fallen, my brothers and I will lead our coven the way it should be lead, and provide a safe and happy home for our people.”
“You’ll have to forgive me if I’m not exactly trusting of a thing you say.” The human said. “All this just sounds like a ploy to me. Get our pack to trust you, we get complacent and you turn against us…it’s a classic comic book plot.”
I smiled. “Had you trusted me so easily I would of course think you a fool. It is good to be wary human. It means you will be vigilant and ready to retaliate should the moment present itself.”
“You realize that everything you’ve just told me could backfire right? If Carson and Thomas reject your offer, all we need to do is be ready to attack and you’d have wasted your time here.”
I nodded. “There are of course always risks.”
“And you’re willing to take them? Just like that?”
“For the good of my people, yes I am.”
“You know, you kinda remind me of someone.” He said with a slight smile, which I returned.
“As do you…Will you relay the message to your Alpha and Beta?”
He frowned. “You haven’t told me what this secret weapon is yet.”
I smiled. “I realize now that you do not draw your confidence from your position among the wolves.” I observed. “No… it is your own mind that gives you the freedom to do as you please.”
He shruged. “You were saying about the weapon…”
“Three years prior, my father had the idea to inject three blood drinkers into your pack. They were tasked with the duty of living amongst you. To learn your ways, learn your secrets, learn your weaknesses, and when the time was right, report back to him on their progress.”
The human’s expression shuttered.
“Suffice it to say, these blood drinkers have succeeded and have gone to take up their rightful place by my father’s side.”
“You’re lying.”
“I have praised you for your brilliance human, do not disappoint me now.”
He shook his head. “They wouldn’t. We…They’re like family...”
“Then can you speak to their disappearance this day? Can you truly say that their arrival here had not struck you as strange? You are a perceptive being, have you truly never had a moment’s doubt about their intentions?”
I could see the moment my words hit home. Could see his acceptance, could feel his surprise and his hurt in the face of their betrayal.
I tilted my head and sniffed the air when I felt a new presence in our midst and not a moment later the door of the room was shoved open and I found myself in the presence of two beings whose power was unmistakable.
Standing before me were the men of modern legend. I did not need to request their names to know that here stood The Alpha and his Beta, however so great was the atmosphere surrounding them, that I could not begin to tell the two apart.
Years I had heard tales of their greatness, but never had I expected them to be so youthful. I had imagined men wizened with age and ready to offer wisdom, but these beings looked no older than my Tony.
They stepped into the room, the larger of the two, folded his arms before him and went to lean against the wall by the door, while the other came to stand before us, his face devoid of emotion, but his eyes evidence of his displeasure. This one was the Alpha I surmised and the one glaring at the human was the Beta.
They made quite an impression.
The human uttered not another word as we all stood there in silence, but neither did he slink back in fear. He merely returned to his seat on the desk, his attention focused on the Beta as silent conversation passed between them.
I returned my own focus to the Alpha: Carson, I believe he was called.
“I suppose I should repeat all that.” I spoke and his eyes narrowed.
AUTHOR'S NOTES
ENJOY!
THANKS FOR READING AND KEEP SWEET!
-DoUbLe.A
-unedited.