An Offer by Maurin

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JeonJa

~

I followed Min around as he aimlessly drifted through the suffocating mass of people. I couldn't reason with his maneuvers, was he searching for someone again... and why was I even following him?

At some distance I could see that yellow haired minion of Jackson's flirting with a few snickering girls, and the other messenger boy Jae trying to fix his repo by parading like a king.

To my bad luck, he spotted me as soon as I reached the premises of his territory. Where his territory consisted of a few lower class rich populace and two sigmas.

"You are here," he said, his sudden nervousness making me aware of his odd personality, "Jackson wants you to meet a few people. So you should go."

The end part felt like he was commanding me, and that was quite rude. If it wasn't for his hat, I would have hit him on the head...

Just because I liked his hat I let him be.

"I don't want to go anywhere near him, he pissed me off enough for one day."

Jae opened his mouth to say something but closed it once he noticed the person standing behind me. He must have overlooked Min since my body hid his smaller frame, alas now the hat guy was making himself acquainted with the green haired man.

"Ah... um... hello there, Brother Maunir."

Brother Maunir? Wasn't he Min?

I turned to question the man taking shelter behind me, but he was not interested in listening to me, his full attention was directed at Jae, who was shifting uneasily on his feat.

"How many times do I have to tell you not to call me by that name, I am here on an unofficial business."

"Y-Yes B-Brother, I forgot."

Huh?

"You two know each other?" I asked, and I am positive they got my innuendo, because calling someone brother was an affectionate gesture and a prefix only used between pack members or close brothers.

Jae looked at Min for help and just as I predicated, Min actually answered for him. "I am familiar to this lot, they stayed at my place for a long time."

Oh?

"Nice."

Jae just looked down with some embarrassment(?) and Min stayed the same, maintaining his poker face. However I felt his displeasure on something.

"Call Jackson once he is finished here, I will be waiting in his study." With that, Min just left our company and I was wondering whether to follow him or not.

Jae sighed with relief and switched his attention back to me. "I don't know why brother took you in after what you did," he was still nervous but not because of me, "You should listen to brother's requests, it would be rude if you ignore him. Even he can only tolerate till a certain level, 'disrespect' goes against the code of our pack."

"And what about you, I clearly remember you ratting out your own alpha just for the-"

He hushed me urgently, looking around at the busy crowd, afraid that they might hear me. At the thought I chuckled, Jae was the most problematic member, he was confident of his abilities but he was also more emotional than his pack members. If it had been someone else in his place, they would have fought me, disregarding the rest, but Jae didn't, he was worried for his fallen brothers and chose them instead of his leader.

And in a pack, only the safety of the leader mattered, not the rest.

"Brother Jackson is angry with me, but I am not at fault."

I was amused, did I just hear him say that. "Oh, so who is at fault, because it is certainly not me."

He looked around once again to check, and shifted closer to me as he spoke in a whisper, "You are at fault, if you hadn't done that... this whole situation could have been avoided. But no, you had to... do that."

I batted him away, "Don't joke around, anything is possible. Remember to always stay on your toes the next time, because not all enemies leave their targets alive. Plus, your leader takes priority, don't let the affection for your pack members hinder that judgment. Because when attacked, the pack protects the leader even with their lives-"

"But I did inform him about you."

"Doesn't matter, I know you did make him aware before hand, but that is not how it works."

Jae now looked furious with me, "I know what I did, but I still think I did the right thing. Protecting my leader is the priority yes, but even the pack brothers should be cared for."

I should have been amused by his answer but his devotion for his brothers gave me a pause. Sure he was emotional, the sigma, yet he did show a determination I couldn't help but respect. Breaking code just to protect all...

I remembered what Min told me earlier, "Your emotions are your greatest tool, and yet you want to get rid of them. How foolish."

Was he right...?

I shook my head and ignored the pang of hesitation, no, I couldn't let others affect my person. And look at how much trouble Jae was in just because of his foolish decision.

Satisfied with myself again, I strutted directly towards Jackson, and felt Jae follow me at a safe distance. I was sure many must have heard our conversation, we hadn't been that subtle, but neither of us cared, because we had more important thoughts to consider.

"Jackson," I called him, getting his attention quickly. He was standing around with a bunch of old men and to my aversion two of the old men were from the same group as that bald coot I dealt with earlier.

I silently cheered for myself, I did a great job killing that bald one. A small nick of poison to his forehead was all I needed to destroy him.

"Gentlemen," Jackson started as I hid my sarcastic snort, "You already know JeonJa, he will remain close to my pack." The old people nodded, all of them dressed so well that it annoyed me. But Jackson continued his sweet talk, his hand placed on my shoulder, "He wants to participate in the fest, and as you know, I felt right in introducing him to you all. I hope you will support his endeavors in the near future."

"Fest?" A brown haired man asked with surprise, "But Jackson, I heard he is an omega, they were banned from the competition."

Jackson nodded, and I waited for him to answer to that, a question everyone will be asking. "True indeed, but JeonJa here is not just any omega, he single handedly destroyed many packs before he came to me, and also won against alphas without a hitch. I think he is worthy of being recommended and supported."

I hadn't elaborated my past to him, but he was accurate and hit home. I wondered if he could guess what I had done to the other council members before him, trying to get them to recommend me, I did tell him some part of it but not in depth. I had killed many as they had succeeded in angering me with their slave practice, and those who had escaped, they must be living in fear of me even today.

"It is a very interesting fact to know, but very unbelievable," said another old man with grey hair, his eyes were sunken and he looked sick with that thin and bend frame of his.

Jackson pasted another feeble smile, "I am sure you find it hard to believe but JeonJa is that strong, he even defeated me."

Now that shocked me...he accepted the defeat in front of so many?

Just like me the other older men were equally taken aback by his bluntness, like they hadn't expected it either.

"I am not above a God, even I can be defeated, but knowing my pride as an alpha, I remained intact these past few years keeping a good reign on the people under me. Nobody even thought of challenging me, but this guy here did," Jackson pointed towards me with a smirk. "And if you still think I am lying just to get him in... then you are sourly mistaken." He growled the last part making them flinch.

"W-We understand Jackson, we will support him, for if we trust you then truly, his traits are magnificent for just an omega."

"Then we shall meet in the arena, and I am hoping you won't back out, because if you did," he threatened, "I will skin you alive."

And with that the serious interaction was over, Jackson took hold of me and asked Jae to pack up the party. Before getting informed that he had to meet 'Brother Maunir.'

We were now in the corridor, the same one I had used earlier. "What happened?" I asked him, at first he was all polite with the coots but then I noted the hint of dominance in his actions, like he was threatening them to agree with him. "Weren't you all about politics and deals, I saw you just threaten them, that's my approach you know."

"I know, but they aren't the ones I really want a favor from, they are my pawns."

Jackson flicked his dark hair back and walked with me at a leisure pace. He was heading straight for his study.

If I hadn't been so engrossed in observing him, I wouldn't have noticed the tangy scent fleeting around him in waves. And I knew he was very nervous, though it didn't show on his face.

Was he seriously so fretful of this Min? It astonished me. Who was Min?

But whoever he was, he had a profound presence in the pack's segment, so much that they feared him and respected him at the same time. And they were bound to do his bidding if such was the case, I concluded.

"The person I really want to impress is waiting in the study," Jackson told me, wiping his palms on his pants lightly, just brushing it past, but I knew the reality, he was way past nervous, he was afraid. Reason why he was sweating bullets, I didn't need my sharp hearing to tell his heartbeat was racing.

"This Min guy you are so afraid o-"

"Min?" Jackson asked me with a startle, stopping abruptly like a statue. "He told you his real name?!"

I stayed still, not knowing what to do, it appeared as if knowing the name of that guy was similar to collecting a trophy in Jackson's dictionary.

"Then I think you will be able to get into that fest, if brother Maunir willingly interacted with you, then it means something. He is not a social butterfly, more introvert and uncaring, but if he does try to mingle, it is either for an assignment he wants to complete or he is very impressed with someone."

"It wasn't the latter then, he just talked me into killing someone."

"Argh, now I will have to clean up the mess, anyway, I knew he was here for a reason but I don't think he would have given you his name if he was just trying to use you, he is not that kind of a person, he doesn't dish out his name randomly."

"Is Maunir a fake name or something?" I asked as we both resumed our walk.

"It is his council name. He and his pack head the main panel."

My eyes widened, "His pack? I thought he was a lone assassin or something, and he is a council member?"

"Yes," Jackson chuckled, "he is very well respected out there. Goes by the name Maunir most of the time, his real name is kept in wraps, he only tells his name to those he trusts."

"Then I see he trusts you too." I ignored the small flutter at the thought that someone trusted me.

"Of course, we were like... shaped by him, we all were orphans whom he raised."

Now that really made me stumble, only the strong grip on my shoulders kept me walking. But I didn't thank Jackson for his quick save, for I was very distracted with the information he gave me. "You were all orphans?"

He nodded, "Yes, if not for brother Maunir, we would have been dead a long time back, so you could understand why I am nervous right now, yes I know you know that tit bit of info."

"Then I hope I don't disappoint him," I absently mumbled.

--

The tension in the study was so thick, it could be cut with a knife.

Min was sitting on the arm chair that most definitely belonged to Jackson. And next to him was a smaller chair, upon which he kept his legs propped up like a boss. He was staring hard at the alpha who was rather submissive under his gaze.

"You can keep your legs on the table you know," I told the green haired man seeing how uncomfortable it must be to sit facing the side, but he just frowned, "I am respecting the desk, it is where Jackson works," he said.

After that the silence followed again, as Jackson stood awkwardly in the middle of the room and I sat on the couches kept next to the fire place.

"Jackson," Min finally spoke to him as Jackson listened intently, "I heard you are the new big shot in Sarang. Some even say you are going to overthrow the current leader. Am I wrong in assuming that the sayings are true."

"No, you aren't wrong," the voice he spoke in was determined, just like his eyes, but the confidence wasn't strong enough... he was still afraid of Min.

"Then tell me why I hear people ridiculing your ability and position, a baldy even said he can wash you over... whatever that meant. It is embarrassing when I hear such things after all the work I put into you and that lot of yours," Min was calm but a cold sense of dread held the room, "I also heard a brat say he defeated your lot, reason why they aren't here. What am I to do with all this information?"

That brat was totally me, but I kept my mouth shut, knowing it wasn't safe to speak up in between the two.

Jackson mumbled something and Min screwed his eye shut, "Speak up brat, you know I hate mumbling."

Jackson paled, "Forgive me brother Maunir, I will work on i-"

Min sighed cutting short the alpha, and opened his eyes slowly, fixing it on him blankly, "No can do, I had told you before you needed to keep up with this world, yes you were strong before but your lazy ass skipped out on training, I know. You let your ego get to you and I don't want to hear anymore excuses you have. I can't tolerate such childish notions anymore than people laughing at me."

Jackson stayed still, listening.

"Pack your bags, you are moving out, you and the rest of those brats will keep me company as I train. This time I won't go easy, I don't want my future allies to be such failures. And," he pointed me out with a glance, "bring him along, I will see how good he is."

"I was to participate in the fest," I told him, finding it easier to just get it out of the box.

But Min didn't say anything, his poker face giving nothing away.

Minutes passed and I was starting to think he was asleep with his eyes open. And suddenly he was standing right in front of me, so fast that I thought he teleported. Good that my reflexes were still working, since the punch that came right up made me dodge and jump back towards the fire place.

Jackson appeared to be wincing as if I made a mistake and Min was still there standing with a poker face. "What the hell you bastard," I shouted at him, angry that he was trying to attack me.

"You are not ready," a reply from the green haired man came to me.

"And why the hell not?" I demanded.

"Your reaction itself says a lot about you, you are not ready yet."

"Yet?"

"If you agree to train with me I will teach you what you don't know. And do not argue, you know you need my guidance."

"What do you need in return?" There was always a catch, he was just like Jackson.

"Nothing." Or maybe not.

"Huh?"

"I need nothing in return, I will just teach you and you will decide on yourself what you want to do with it. And if I am busy, I am sure my pack would love to appreciate you."

"...okay." I just hoped I wasn't getting myself into some sort of a trap. But was't his decision very sudden?