Chapter 4 4

ENZO

"Do we have to attend Baron's fucking party?" I turned to face Ash. He really didn't want to be near the Blue Rock Pack, but I needed alliances and as misogynistic and backward they were, they'd have to do.

Besides, their large amount of warrior will greatly benefit us.

"Yes, Ash," I said as I faced the window of our vehicle, the green of the surrounding forests passing by in a blur. "We need his men. We both know I abhor that man more than you do."

He kept shut after that. Some minutes after, we arrived at the pack.

We were greeted by sycophants and desperate wolves that craved our pack's power. That craved my power.

As one of the few Lycans left in our realm, I was wanted for my rarity and power, the same reason I was feared.

I knew that was why Alpha Baron, the senile bastard, accepted my offer. He wouldn't have otherwise.

Speaking of the devil, I thought as said Alpha approached us.

"Alpha Ross," he said, a fake cheerful smile on his face. "What a pleasure to see you. I was beginning to think you wouldn't come."

I gave him a smile in response and walked forward, Ash beside me. I studied the party arrangement and noticed that it was as I expected.

The women and men were separated. The poor? They were nowhere to be seen.

A classist and a misogynist. That was who Baron was. Who he has always been but I'd never been one to let emotion rule my decisions, especially when it came to my pack and family.

There were wolves whose lives depended on me, and I intended to keep them safe.

The reason we came here was that we needed more alliances. My brothers and I after our parents' death had built our pack from the ground up. As stressful as it was, it was worth it and we cared for every pack member.

Our pack was the most impenetrable pack in the western territories and currently, we were slowly losing that title. But Baron's pack was the largest. He had numbers while we lacked them, and we had wit and intellect while he lacked them. Terribly.

My other brothers, Kale and Atlas, suggested going to other packs, but my wolf drew me here and I'd always trusted my wolf's instinct.

"I'd like to make a proposal," Baron said, breaking me out of my thoughts. We were seated at a table, a great feast laid out before us, but I wasn't in the mood to eat.

"Please, do go on," I said with a pleasant smile, my voice dripping with sarcasm his arrogant self obviously didn't pick up.

He walked forward, made a hand gesture and a group of five topless warriors stepped forward. Each one held in their hands, squirming, crying pups. The little ones looked to be barely six months. Not old enough to be away from their mothers' breast.

What the hell was this bastard up to now? My face was blank as I looked at the men.

"These are bastard pups," Baron said, letting out a sickening laugh. "They are the pups of the pack whores who don't belong here."

Ash's frame went rigid beside me. I didn't need to see to realize his jaw had clenched-hard. My hands twitched with the urge to snap Baron's neck off his head, but I kept a placid expression.

"Let's liven up the game," Baron declared, a wicked glint in his eyes. "Both teams will carry a child through our sacred obstacle course. You must solve five riddles there, survive each test unharmed by the child, and-here's the twist-if the pup cries? You lose a point. And I get something in return."

He turned to the crowd. "Strength and guile. And may the gods curse any of you for dropping any one of the pups."

I'd heard of this. Baron's way of treating those he regarded as beneath him. But this? This was cruelty.

"You must be mad," Ash growled, his eyes glowing an eerie green, a sign of his wolf emerging.

Baron scoffed at him. "My best warriors will be my representatives. You, Alpha Ross, may choose any companion."

Ash sighed beside me. "Son of a bitch."

Baron chuckled. "The winner gets to choose their reward. Anything at all the losing pack must offer-no hesitation, and no refusal. Deal?"

I eyed him. "Even if that thing includes a person?"

His smirk faltered a little. He probably didn't anticipate that. "If you win."

I nodded once. "Let's begin."

The game was sick. A labyrinth of physical hell-walls to climb, fire pits to dodge, narrow beams to balance on with infants in hand. Baron had clearly designed it to mock us.

I strapped the pup-chubby, and teary-eyed, with a faint birthmark on his cheek-close to my chest. I stroked his cheek softly to calm him down and he settled after a while, relaxing in my hold. Ash adjusted his grip on his own pup, then turned to me.

"You're in charge of strength. Leave the mind games to me."

"Same as always."

"And also, Baron is paying for this when we win."

I laughed and nodded in agreement.

The games began after that. The riddles weren't easy at all. But we were able answer them all. The problem was the obstacles we had to cross.

The strength exercises were easy, but carrying them out with a pup strapped to our chest was the hard part. Especially when it came to ensuring said pup doesn't cry.

"Broken stone?!" Ash exclaimed from behind me, his steps slow as he carried the little ones across stone shards. "I've got to give it to him, Baron is for sure a sick fuck."

At that moment, one of Baron's guards collapsed, his pup wailing as he fought to hoist himself up the rope wall.

I turned my attention back to the broken stone and began removing my boots. Apparently, we were meant to walk across it barefoot.

I bent down to gaze at the pup. He seemed calm, but he might be jostled a bit. "You're going to be calm," I muttered to the pup strapped to me. "We can't let you stay in this godforsaken pack, okay?" He obviously didn't respond, but I kept moving regardless.

It wasn't painful as I'd been through worse. Besides, as a Lycan, my healing abilities surpassed that of even Alphas so I'd be fine.

After a while, we reached the finish line with two silent, calmly breathing babies.

Baron's men sneaked in three minutes later with two shrieking babies, one limping guard, and a third who passed out on the finish line, thankfully, on his back.

The crowd cheered and my disgust grew.

A grim, bitter smile spread across Baron's face at our win.

I stepped forward, brushing dirt from my black coat. "I want to see your omegas. And I'll be taking all these babies with me as well."

A hush fell over the entire place.

"Omegas?" Baron repeated, his tone dropping.

"Unless you're going back on your word?" I challenged. He wasn't an honorable man, but being seen as a coward in front of his pack was something he wouldn't do.

He laughed dryly. "You could've requested silver, warriors, land. And you desire... livestock?"

"Didn't know you raised them like cattle," Ash said with a calm but lethal voice.

"And who said I wasn't going to ask for those too?" I added with a smirk. "Remember, you said anything."

Baron swept a hand, anger overtaking his features. "Very well."

They led them out in lines-scrawny girls with dropped heads, some bruised, most subdued. Their wrists were bound and some walked with difficulty.

I stood at the front of the line, gazing at faces, ignoring the muttering.

And then I caught a scent. It was faint, barely there, but incredibly sweet and intoxicating. The moment I smelt it though, it disappeared. I shook my head slightly. I was probably hallucinating. Omegas don't carry scents

I kept looking though, and then Ash nudged me. I turned to face him and saw his gaze already focused on one of the girls. Her head was down and red hair fell over her shoulders in curly waves. She had a split lip and one of her wrists was bandaged. My interest was piqued.

"Her," I said, heading toward the girl with hair like fire.

A new voice cut in at that moment. "She's not for sale."